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Home loveMarin County, people, places, culture and real-estate

Kentfield Home Sales January 2008

Posted on February 11, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in Kentfield was $1,045,000 in January 2008.  The number of homes on the market dropped 11% from one year ago, a small drop in inventory compared to most of Marin County. 

Kentfield is suffering from old inventory- buyers are not out writing contracts because the majority of homes on the market are homes that did not sell last year.  Buyers are still out looking for nice Kentfield homes! 

Kentfield
Homes		 Jan 2007 Jan 2008

∆

% ∆
For Sale 17 15 -2 -11.76
Under Contract 2 0 -2 0
Sold 5 2 -3 -60.00

 

*Single family homes only

Fairfax Home Sales January 2008

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in Fairfax, CA was $672,000 in January 2008.  The number of homes on the market dropped almost 22% from one year ago, while the number of Fairfax, CA homes under contract dropped almost 60%.  The average days on the market in Fairfax was 84, up slightly from 78 days in January 2007.

Fairfax
Homes		 Jan 2007 Jan 2008

∆

% ∆
For Sale 23 18 -5 -21.74
Under Contract 10 4 -6 -60.00
Sold 3 4 1 33.33

Mill Valley Home Sales January 2008

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in Mill Valley was $1,255,000 in January 2008.  The number of homes on the market dropped almost 35% from one year ago, while the number of Mill Valley homes under contract dropped even more dramatically- almost 65%!  The average days on the market in Mill Valley was 58 down substantially from 77 days in January 2007.

Mill Valley
Homes		 Jan 2007 Jan 2008

∆

% ∆
For Sale 97 64 -33 -34.02
Under Contract 22 8 -14 -63.64
Sold 14 13 -1 -7.14

Tiburon Home Sales January 2008

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in Tiburon was $2,780,000 in January 2008.  The number of homes on the market dropped dramatically from one year ago- almost 41%.  The average days on the market in Tiburon was 96, up slightly from 91 days in January 2007.

Tiburon Homes Jan 2007 Jan 2008

∆

% ∆
For Sale 61 36 -25 -40.98
Under Contract 7 4 -3 -42.86
Sold 3 4 -1 33.33

Conforming loan limits approved

Posted on February 8, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

Both houses in the Congress have approved the economic bill which includes an increase in the conforming loan limit. The bill is set to go to President Bush, and is expected to be signed by Feb 15. The bill includes a one-year increase in the conforming loan limit to $625,000 nationwide and up to $729,000 in high-cost areas such as San Francisco and Marin County for loans that government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase.

What this means to Marin County buyers and homeowners:

If President Bush signs the bill, buyers in the lower end of the Marin market or buyers making large down payments will have more buying power. Currently, the interest rates on jumbo loans are more than a percent higher than conforming loans. We are also likely to see a slew of refinances, which could reduce the mortgage payments of many Marin residents with loan balances currently between $417,000 and $729,000.

The increased loan limit could also provide a confidence boost for struggling areas such as Novato and parts of San Rafael, where borrowers and buyers are more likely to be positively impacted by the increase.

Forgive me, but I can’t show you that house

Posted on February 7, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

As much as I would like to sell you that home, I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. If you are calling real estate agents to show you a house, don’t be surprised if they won’t meet you there without a lot of questions (at least I hope they won’t!).

I know you may not want to answer those questions, but they are necessary. Unfortunately, some crazy sickos occasionally target real estate agents (men and women alike). I personally know of multiple agents who have been stalked, attacked, and sexually assaulted. YEP. One of the “perks” of our profession. Continue reading →

Kentfield & Greenbrae Parcel Tax PASSES!

Posted on February 6, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

Celebrate!I am moving a little slow today after a late victory celebration for Measure A, which renews the parcel tax for the Kentfield School District. According to the Marin County Registrar of Voters, the measure passed with 71% of the vote. This is a crucial win for the Kentfield School District, which receives 25% of its annual budget from parcel taxes. The campaign was run by Mark Epstein, a Greenbrae resident, parent and past President of the Kentfield School District. He was quoted in the Marin IJ, saying “I feel really great that we came out with our school parcel assessment at a time when the maximum number of voters would be voting.”

Thanks Mark for your tireless dedication to this campaign, and thanks to the Kentfield and Greenbrae communities for recognizing the importance of strong schools for our children!

Kentfield & Greenbrae- Get out and vote!

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

Support Measure A for Kentfield & Greenbrae SchoolsProtect your property values and Kentfield schools! Vote YES on Measure A!

Although I am sure you know by now that if we do not pass Measure A, our schools will lose approximately 25% of their annual budget (about $2.6 million), you may not be aware of how hard a measure like this is to pass. It takes 2/3rds of the total vote in order to pass a parcel assessment. In 1986, our schools lost the election by only 2 votes. In the more recent election in 2002, the measure passed by only 27 votes. With the elections consistently so close, EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

Why vote YES?

Continue reading →

Benefits of rain- Marin waterfalls

Posted on February 3, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

cataractfallsA big positive of the recent rains is waterfalls around Marin County. The Marin IJ did a great story about Marin County waterfalls recently, including details on some of the lesser known waterfalls.

This spectacular picture is of Cascade Falls near Fairfax. Other magnificent Marin County waterfalls include Cataract Falls and Steep Ravine on Mount Tamalpais.

Looking for waterfall information throughout the West Coast and in Canda? Check out waterfallswest.com!

Happy Hiking!

Fed Drops Rates Again by 0.5%

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Ginger Wilcox

The Fed dropped rates another half percent yesterday.  “Today’s policy action, combined with those taken earlier, should help to promote moderate growth over time and to mitigate the risks to economic activity,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement Wednesday.

Does this mean home mortgage rates will drop?  NOPE!  As I have explained before, The fed rate cuts do not directly impact mortgage interest rates, but it does impact homeowners with equity lines of credit (HELOC), people who carry credit card balances and other short term loans.  Sometimes these rate drops actually cause home mortgage rates to increase slightly.

The Fed is hoping consumers will spend money on their credit cars, or use their HELOCs, which pumps money into our economy.

What’s next?  Waiting to see…