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Marin County Average Sales Price

Posted on October 19, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

In Marin County, real estate has always been a GREAT long time investment.   Interestingly enough, we have only had one dip in average sales price in the last 42 years.  That dip occurred in 1991-1992.  Both of my neighbors have owned their homes for almost 40 years. I am sure they are happy with the investment.

42 Years of Growth

Help Fight Against Poverty

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers around the country focus on a single cause.  This year, bloggers around the country are writing about poverty in an effort to raise global awareness about this very important issue.

Poverty is a huge issue in the bay area with huge disparities between the affluent and the poor.  Did you know that there nearly 600 homeless teenagers in Marin County alone?  That number is staggering and heart wrenching.

Under the direction of MarinLink, the first ever Project Homeless Connect was held in San Rafael last year and repeated in April.  The program is modeled after San Francisco’s tremendously successful Project Homeless Connect where volunteers come together to help those in need get the services that are critical to their health and well-being with resources such as medical and dental care, mental and substance abuse counseling, shelter and public assistance information.

If you are thinking about getting involved to help fight poverty there are many Marin organizations that I know would love your money and/or time!  Here are just a few to get you thinking:

Fed cuts rate by 0.5%…why didn’t mortgage rates go down, too?

Posted on October 14, 2008 by StaceyFleece

In response to the slowing pace of economic activity and intensified turmoil in financial markets, the Federal Reserve cut the its key rate by 50 basis points, or 0.5%, last week ahead of its regularly scheduled meeting at the end of October. The action was globally orchestrated with banks around the world, including the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and others in Canada, China, Switzerland and Sweden, who also cut rates on the same day. There are multiple ways this cut will have a direct effect on consumers:

  • The Prime Rate will follow the Fed Fund rate cut and also drop by 0.5% – currently standing at 4.5%
  • Auto loans, equity lines and credit cards with rates tied to prime will now be cheaper

So why didn’t mortgage rates go down? Two main reasons…

  • Mortgage rates are set based on where mortgage bonds trade in the open market. They are not directly tied to the Fed Fund Rate although monetary policy does play a big part in mortgage rates. However, the bond market tends to anticipate any monetary policy action the Fed takes so usually by the time the Fed acts, the rate cut has already been fully priced into the bond market.
  • Also, amid the current financial chaos, investors are selling assets across the board – equities and bonds included. This sell-off, combined with record volatility in the market, is causing a short-term increase in rates. Don’t get me wrong…rates are still quite good…just a bit higher than we saw the past week.

Along those lines, I keep hearing in the media (as I’m sure you do!) that banks aren’t lending to each other or to consumers and that borrowers are unable to get mortgages, car loans or equity lines due to the credit freeze. This is absolutely not the case so let me once again be clear on this…WE ARE CLOSING MORTGAGE LOANS!! We are processing, underwriting, and closing loans daily and have money to lend!

So…as usual…don’t believe all you hear from the supposed experts on TV!

Stacey Fleece is a Mortgage Loan Consultant with Countrywide Home Loans in Mill Valley.

Domestic Violence Prevention Month

Posted on October 13, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

domesticviolence

As you know, I often like to talk about the causes I am involved with outside the real estate business.  This isn’t about real estate, but it is about something important impacting families in our community…

On Saturday, I will get to speak to 200 women in the Junior League of San Francisco about domestic violence at a training event.  Domestic violence is an issue I have always been passionate about.  Shortly after college, I volunteered at a shelter for battered women in Mesa, Arizona.  Working in the shelter directly with women and children impacted by the horror of domestic violence forever changed my life and viewpoint. 

In the years since then, I have worked with a variety of different community programs that support victims of domestic abuse.  What I never expected was to see it first hand with a dear friend.    Imagine waking up one morning to find a text message from a close friend saying she was in the hospital because her husband had beat her up.  Severely. 

I am not going to go into details here, but the thought of it makes me shake with anger.  Many times people think domestic violence is an issue that impacts poor people.  Immigrants.  It doesn’t impact the educated, the rich, the successful people.

Well, anyone who thinks that is wrong.  Domestic violence is occurring in Marin County.  It is occurring in San Francisco.  It is happening in Pac Heights, Kentfield and Ross.  Highly educated women are being abused. 

This is a short version of two stories I will get to speak about on Saturday:

Amanda Norris, 21 Killed October 27, 2005

Her ex-boyfriend harassed and threatened her for three years, once even carrying her down the street in an attempted kidnapping until someone sprayed mace on him. Her ex-boyfriend was on probation stemming from his multiple acts of domestic violence against Amanda when he murdered her and shoved her body in the trunk of his car.

Amanda Branson, 35 Killed May 11, 2002

Amanda was a mother who was stabbed to death the night before Mother’s Day in front of her two children. Police found a bouquet of red roses and a Mother’s Day Card that her husband wrote promising everlasting love. Her husband was convicted of murder.

(*name and some details changed to protect identities)

I hope these stories make you sick.  They should.  Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten. In fact, at least one in every three women in America has been beaten, coerced or abused during her lifetime and over one-third of the murders in America take place between family members. Tragically. the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates that up to 90 percent of battered women never report their abuse.

Women you may know are being abused.  They may not look like victims of domestic violence, but it is happening.  If you or anyone you know need assistance, there are many local resources. 

For more information: