December 27th, 2011 By George Crowe
Whether you’re an experienced performer, a household ham, or just want to break out of your routine and try something new for the new year, Bay Area Theatersports will be offering their foundation level improv class in Marin starting January 11th. Sounds like a fun thing to do and they say it can help build confidence that’ll apply in your everyday life, even for those with no experience or interest in performing on stage. It’s happening Wednesday evenings at the San Rafael Community Center. More class info and signup here.
A nonprofit based at Fort Mason in San Francisco, BATS is the largest and longest-running improv theatre and school in Northern California. The organization supports the community by giving free performances and workshops to Bay Area high school students and free workshops for people with life-threatening illnesses.
December 13th, 2011 By Stephen Pringle
Sweetlife Bakery & Café just opened a couple weeks ago in San Anselmo and it’s a fun place to have a casual lunch or dinner. Their pastries are super yummy and the kids will love the pizza. We went for lunch the other day and it was very busy, the food was very good, and the service was excellent. I love the light and bright design of the restaurant, and they have large windows that allow you to peak in and see the fresh breads and pastries being made. Looking through the glass is like getting a behind the scenes peek at Willy Wonka’s factory, without the Oompa Loompas…our kids loved it. They also have a parking lot and there is also a lot of street parking out front, a rarity in downtown San Anselmo. We look forward to many more yummy meals there.
Sweetlife Bakery & Café. 101 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo, CA 94960-2800. Phone: 415-456-4580 www.sweetlifebakerycafe.com
December 12th, 2011 By George Crowe
2011 is ending with a continuation of the trend we’ve been talking about all year: low inventory and strong demand in many areas and segments of the market. As you can see for the chart below, some Marin towns are fairing much better than others. Fairfax, Corte Madera, and Greenbrae, for example, are very different markets than Belvedere and Ross.
And pending rates go down dramatically as price range increases. Things are going to slow down overall as always as we head into the holidays, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens after the first of the year. Drop me an email at george@sfnorth.com if you’d like market stats for your area or price segment.
December 8th, 2011 By Stephen Pringle
If you’ve been thinking about checking out this cool West Marin town this could be a good weekend for a visit, with the Winter Faire happening at the Bolinas Community Center. They’ll have arts & crafts from local artists, food, drink, and Santa will be there from 11:00-4:30 on Saturday. It’s just north of Stinson Beach and easy to miss because there are no signs for the turn off, and apparently the locals like it that way. We like to drive out to through Fairfax to Olema and head south to Bolinas. The drive is beautiful and only about 50 minutes from San Anselmo. More info at www.bocenter.org.
November 21st, 2011 By Stephen Pringle
Mountain bikers won’t want to miss this year’s annual Turkey Ride in Fairfax. It’s a 3-4 hour Thanksgiving Day ride out along the Pine Mountain Loop. Started in 1975 and celebrating the birthplace of mountain biking, this ride is an epic way to work up an appetite before you stuff yourself with all that turkey and mashed potatoes. Meet at Java Hut between 8-9 am for the start, and then end the ride at the Gestault Haus and top it off with a frosty pint of German beer. Last year we had something like 1,000 riders. Gobble, gobble!
November 8th, 2011 By George Crowe
This 2 bedroom, 2 bath townhome at 67A Lovell in Mill Valley is a great opportunity for those who like to be close to everything. It’s literally around the corner from restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, yet it’s really peaceful and private. A two-car garage and low HOA dues to boot.
More info at www.67lovell.com
October 26th, 2011 By Stephen Pringle
Yes! We just brought on a 2 bedroom house in Santa Venetia, with charm, a nice yard, and a 2-car garage, with an asking price of $279K. It’s a smaller house–950 square feet by the tax records–and it’s a short sale so the lender will have to approve any offer, but a nice opportunity for someone who wants to buy in Marin at a price point that’s rare for a nice house in the area. More info here.
October 24th, 2011 By George Crowe
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced today some changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). Basically, the idea is to make it possible for more people with loans backed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to refinance to take advantage of low interest rates. The program has been limited to those who owed up to 125% of their home’s value, but they’re removing that limit so homeowners who are substantially underwater will be able to refi into lower payments, hopefully letting more people stay in their homes.
Of course if your loan isn’t backed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, if you have a jumbo loan for example, this won’t be such exciting news.
You can read the official press release here.
October 15th, 2011 By George Crowe
This week we brought on this super cute cottage just over the San Anselmo/Fairfax border. It has a flat lawn, tons of charm, and the location is great. A stone’s throw to downtown and a block from the new Good Earth grocery store, but just far enough from Sir Francis Drake to avoid the road noise. First Sunday open house tomorrow! www.20willowave.com
October 14th, 2011 By Stephen Pringle
It’s been a great year for neighborhood markets in Marin. We stopped in the new Marinwood Market this week and were impressed to find a stylish grocery store with a nice deli, produce section, and meat department in the old Bell Market space…a much needed service for the neighborhood. They’re having their grand opening this weekend, complete with a bounce house for the kids, so we were told. Stop by if you’re in the area!
No Comments »