Upscale Shops and a Farmers Market at Marin Country Mart

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Stephen Pringle

Wow, what a turn around at the old Larkspur Landing! We recently stumbled upon the Farmers Market, open every Saturday between 9am and 2pm. It’s the perfect place to bring the kids, eat lunch and let them run around the open grassy area or lounge with friends on the large picnic tables and benches. The vibe was amazing. There was live folk/bluegrass music and really yummy food, and the kids went on a pony ride and fed the ducks in the pond. It’s a great place to check out on a Saturday and meet up with your friends for lunch.

The mall has an open, family-friendly style, with a great combination of artisan foodie shops, high end boutiques, restaurants, and a yummy yogurt shop. Marin Brewing company is still there and a great place to sit out on the patio and have a beer and lunch. There are many new shops coming soon and I have a hunch this will be the new cool place to hang out and shop like it used to be 25 years ago. Check out their website for more info.

New Listing Alert: Sunny, private 3/2 with views in San Anselmo

Posted on March 4, 2011 by George Crowe

Hot off the press is 40 Oak Springs Rd near Sleepy Hollow. It’s a pristine and spacious 3/2 home, with an updated kitchen and master bath, and a cool open floor plan.  The lot is mostly up-slope, but there’s a good sized flat section that’d be great for gardening or a play area. Asking price is $699,000.

For more info or to schedule a showing give us a ring at 415-578-0572 or email info@sfnorth.com.

Lockboxes: Yea or Nay?

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Ginger Wilcox

If you are selling your home, one of the considerations will be whether or not to include a lockbox on your house.

What is a lockbox?

A lockbox is a metal box that typically attaches to the door of a home.  House keys are placed inside to allow another real estate professional to access the property.  Lockboxes are only accessible by agents who subscribe to the mulitple listing service and have a code to access the home.  They either have an electronic key or an application on their smart phone.  Once they enter the code they can open the box and remove the house key.

Are lockboxes safe?

The lockbox key codes update each evening, so any agent who loses their “key” or is removed from the system will not be able to open the lockbox.  We used to leave keys at the office for agents who wanted to show a home.  Lockboxes reduced lost keys and the expense involved in rekeying a property.  Lockbox showing information can be downloaded by the agent to track who views the home and how often.

Should you use a lockbox?

Well, that depends!  Lockboxes allow for tremendous flexibility for showing agents.  Homes that use lockboxes are more likely to be shown because of the their ease of use and showing hours can be set up so an appointment is not necessary.  Sad but true, many agents won’t show an appointment only listing because it requires too much advance preparation to set up the appointments.  Additionally, many buyers feel more comfortable viewing homes when the listing agent and home seller are not present.  Buyers are more likely to spend more time at properties where they feel they can view and talk freely.

What if someone steals my stuff?

Even with an agent in the property, theft could still occur. The best way to prevent theft is to remove valuables and prescription drugs before you put your home on the market.

When shouldn’t I use a lockbox?

We do not use lockboxes on many of our luxury properties (2+million).  We want to make sure prospective buyers are qualified and we  require a personal walk through with a member of our team to explain all of the unique features of the home.  Additionally, the quantity of showings on a multi-million dollar home is significantly lower, making it easier to accommodate scheduling requests.

In general, we are strong believers in the use of lockboxes.  The more showings you have, the greater opportunity you have to sell your home.  If you are considering selling, please contact us!

High scoring schools & great commute for 629K in San Anselmo

Posted on February 13, 2011 by George Crowe

Stephen just brought on a new two bedroom, two bath view home at 14 Island Drive in San Anselmo. It’s a cute house in a beautiful setting with lots of cool deck areas, including a sort of secret hot tub area through a door off the hallway. It has a nice updated kitchen, a living room with vaulted ceilings and fireplace, and a two-car garage. Definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a two bedroom home. It’s on the very eastern edge of San Anselmo, so you get high scoring schools and a good commute to SF.

For a showing give us a ring at 415-578-0572 or email info@sfnorth.com.

Moving to Marin? What can you afford to buy?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Ginger Wilcox

If you are considering moving to Marin County, trying to get a feel for what you can afford to buy in the different neighborhoods can be daunting, especially with some of Marin’s steep price tags. Fortunately, not every home in Marin is a multi-million dollar luxury home.

So what can you buy in Marin?

Mill Valley

Many first time home buyers moving from San Francisco start their home search in Mill Valley. It’s charming, close to the bridge, and has a lively downtown area.  Its proximity to the city also comes with a much steeper price tag then some of its counterparts.  The median list price in Mill Valley is $1,140,346.

Fortunately, not every Mill Valley home is over a million dollars.  Here are a few Mill Valley homes listed for sale under one million:

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San Anselmo

The town of San Anselmo is also known for it’s charming downtown area, proliferation of antique shops, and its proximity to hiking, biking and all of Marin’s fantastic scenery.  The commute times in San Anselmo are longer, but your house money will go a lot further as evidenced by the chart below.

Here are a few San Anselmo homes listed for sale under one million:

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View all San Anselmo Homes for Sale

San Rafael

Moving on to San Rafael, the county seat of Marin, we also see more affordable homes with a median list price of $702,045.

Here are a few San Rafael homes listed for sale under one million:

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View all San Rafael Homes for Sale

Learn More

These are just three of Marin’s cities. If you are interested in moving to Marin, please contact us to get a more in-depth look at where you can afford to buy.

If you are interested in learning more about Marin County price trends, supply and demand and leading indicators, check out our weekly Marin Market Trends Report By City.

Home sellers can avoid surprises with pre-listing inspections

Posted on January 20, 2011 by George Crowe

It’s pretty common in Marin County for sellers to have a pest inspection done before putting their home on the market so potential buyers can know going in about issues like termites and dry rot, and whether they’ve been remedied. But it’s much less common for sellers to do other pre-listing inspections. Traditional thinking says that any buyer who gets into escrow will be ordering additional inspections (and paying for them), so why would a seller bother? Actually, there are some great reasons to do more than just a pest inspection up front.

Many sellers simply don’t want to spend the money when they don’t have to, which is understandable. A typical home inspection runs in the $400 to $600 range, so why not let the buyer bear that expense? That may seem like a smart way to see it, but that thinking can lead to surprises in the middle of the escrow and can end up costing much more than the inspection would have. What can end up happening is a buyer gets into escrow, tying up your property for weeks, and then uncovers previously unknown issues and proceeds to negotiate hard for the money to remedy them. You then have to decide whether to make considerable concessions or run the risk of having the deal fall through, which would leave you back at square one, but with a home that’s no longer new on the market and with issues that now need to be disclosed to any new prospective buyer.

If you know about problems before you bring your house on the market you then have time to figure out the best way to address them. Getting bids from tradespeople and deciding on the smartest and most cost effective course of action is an easier proposition when you’re not under the gun, negotiating with a clock running. Uncover those problems yourself beforehand, decide which make sense to deal with and how, and then you nip them in the bud before they have a chance to mess up your deal. And if you provide reports detailing any issues up front, a buyer will then need to take them into account when writing the offer rather than asking for a credit or repairs once in escrow.

Of course there’s quite a variety of inspections you could do depending on your situation, so your agent can help you determine which might make sense to spring for. In addition to the termite and home inspections we often recommend a sewer scope, for example. The $200-$300 it costs can be money well spent and give you some really important info. If your sewer lateral is shot and needs a $10,000 overhaul would you rather know that going in or have that news dropped on you in the middle of the escrow? And if you’re in the Ross Valley Sanitation District you can benefit from their Lateral Replacement Grant Program, whereby they’ll pay up to $4,000 of the cost.

Pre-listing inspections are about avoiding surprises and heading off problems before they can complicate your deal. Every situation is unique, but often doing investigations up front and getting needed repairs done prior to marketing your home can benefit you as a seller. You’ll be able to show your home in the best possible light, giving buyers confidence about their buying decision, and limit the potential for messy complications popping up down the road.

Marin Views: Crown Road & Mt. Tam

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Ginger Wilcox


I snapped this photo on a hike this morning of Mt. Tam from Crown Road in Baltimore Canyon. The colors were amazing after the evening rains. This hike is one of my favorites. You can take Crown Road to the left and down to Dawn Falls. We choose the trail head to the right, which leads you up on the ridge to view all of Marin’s gorgeous hills.

The Crown Road trail is accessible via Kentfield.

Driving directions:
From Sir Francis Drake, take College Avenue into Kentfield. Turn right on Woodland, left on Evergreen. Follow Evergreen up the mountain. Turn left Crown Road and continue to the end of the road. Parking can be difficult on weekends.

Top 10 Most Expensive Marin Homes Sold in 2010

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Ginger Wilcox

Despite a tough luxury home market, luxury homes are still selling in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Marin County saw some of it’s most expensive homes sell in 2010.  There were 61 Marin County homes sold over three million dollars in 2010 representing a total sales volume of $269,944,655.  This compares to 50 homes sold over three million dollars in 2009, representing a total sales volume of $214,291,988.

2010’s Top 10 Most Expensive Home Sales in Marin County

1 Upper Rd Ross, CA 94957 $14,000,000
67 Belvedere Ave Belvedere, CA 94920 $11,750,000
7 Laurel Grove Ave Ross, CA 94957 $8,000,000
3680 Paradise Dr Tiburon, CA 94920 $7,800,000
8 Eucalyptus Rd Belvedere, CA 94920 $7,140,000
4639 Paradise Dr Tiburon, CA 94920 $7,000,000
133 Sugarloaf Dr Tiburon, CA 94920 $6,900,000
77 Harrison Ave Sausalito, CA 94965 $6,834,000
3910 Paradise Dr Tiburon, CA 94920 $6,500,000
232 Trinidad Dr Tiburon, CA 94920 $6,500,000

Data from BAREIS MLS. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

2010 Mortgage Roller Coaster

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Ginger Wilcox

Mortgage rates had their share of ups and downs in 2010. Loan officer Dan Green put together this 2010 Mortgage Roller Coaster video which enables you to actually jump on board and see the roller coaster first hand, along with a a great narrative explaining what was happening. Despite some bumps and a year end rise, 2010 rates ended below 5%. Dan predicts we will see rates rise in 2011. Buckle your seatbelt and enjoy.

If you are considering making a move in 2011, advance preparation is the key to surviving the roller coaster. Send me an email of what your plans are and how we can help.

“Fix” Your Loan & Cash In To Your Mortgage?

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Ginger Wilcox

The new trend in mortgages appears to be “fixing” your loan – moving from adjustable rate mortgages to fixed rate loans.

Mortgage broker Dan Green, Author of The Mortgage Reports Blog says:

Between June-September 2010, Refi Boom participants “went fixed” 19 times out of 20.

That’s an astounding percentage. For several reasons, really.

The first is that the interest rate spread between the 5-year ARM and the 30-year fixed was historically large last quarter, registering 0.81% on average. By comparison, during the 12 months prior, the spread was just 0.66%.

Relative to recent history, therefore, homeowners had a large incentive to take the ARM last quarter, but chose not to.

Here is an interesting chart from Dan:

Image Courtesy of The Mortgage Reports Blog

My  friend and fellow real estate agent in Northern Virginia wrote about it on her blog, “Getting Off the Horse Before She Bucks You.”

Heather says:

The other interesting thing from the third quarter numbers is that 33% of homeowners who refinanced brought money to the table to do a “cash-in” refinance, and effectively bought more equity in their homes. That’s the second highest “cash-in” quarter since Freddie Mac began keeping records in 1985.

So, people are actually putting money into their homes.  They are looking for stability.  And, there is seems that would show some confidence in the real estate market long term.  These actions seem to echo the new study by Trulia and RealtyTrac which found that 58% of Americans believe the real estate market will recover after 2012.

Oddly enough, the study also showed 48% of people would be willing to walk away from their homes if they were under water, up from 41% in years past.  There is less of a stigma against those who choose to walk away because it makes financial sense.

So are home buyers looking at the home buying process as more of a business decision than in the past?  Not necessarily, because their desire for certainty does not necessarily make financial sense.  Perhaps what we are seeing is damage mitigation – a cutting of losses from past mistakes with a desire to avert risks in the future.

Regardless, it looks like there is a glimmer of optimism among Americans about the future of the real estate market.