Fort Baker, Marin County, California

I took this photo earlier this week while touring Marin with an out of state friend.  I was surprised at how lovely it turned out with San Francisco nestled in the clouds across the bay. The photo was taken at Fort Baker, on top of the bunkers at the tip of by the bay.

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!

Last year I wrote this post on Marin County Summer Camps and the individuals who commented have given some great information.  Feel free to add your thoughts here or on that post.

Thanks to one of the commenters for letting me know about the upcoming  Marin Camp Fair where over 50 day camps in Marin and other resident summer camps throughout California will be present to answer questions about the camps.

The summer camp fair takes place on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at Dominican University in San Rafael.  Don’t worry about finding a babysitter, the fair is kid friendly and will feature free pizza, a jumpy house and more.

• What: Marin County Summer Camp Fair
• When: Thursday, March 31, 4:30-7:30pm
• Where: Conlan Gym, Dominican University (map)
• More Details

This sounds like a great event to help evaluate your choices- I’ll see you there!

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.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in MILL VALLEY, CA as of October 7, 2011
Median List Price:	$1,039,192	Average List Price:	$1,403,263
Total Inventory:	121	Price per Square Foot:	$510
Average Home Size:	2,259	Median Lot Size:	9,136
Average # Beds:	3.44	Average # Baths:	2.75
Homes Absorbed:	8	Newly Listed:	7
Days on Market:	122	Average Age:	51

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

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 34. See more city of Mill Valley real estate.
(all data current as of 2/9/2012)

1. $999,000 : MLS # 21201090 in Mill Valley
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,732 sq ft

   Lot size: 4,008 sq ft

   Listing provided by Fran Donlan, Bradley Real Estate-San Rafael
2. $999,000 : 226 Amicita Ave, Mill Valley
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,232 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,271 sq ft

   Listing provided by Chelsea Ialeggio, Frank Howard Allen-Tiburon
3. $998,000 : 386 East Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley
   
   3 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 1,778 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,250 sq ft

   Listing provided by Linda Saint Amant, LSA Realty
4. $995,000 : 155 Hazel Ave, Mill Valley
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,587 sq ft

   Lot size: 12,502 sq ft

   Listing provided by Bruce Berlinger, Bradley Real Estate Mill Valley
5. $995,000 : 1005 Erica Rd, Mill Valley
   
   4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,316 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,543 sq ft

   Listing provided by Robert Craig, Decker Bullock Sothebys International Realty

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

View all Mill Valley Homes for Sale

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.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in SAN ANSELMO, CA as of October 7, 2011
Median List Price:	$814,835	Average List Price:	$1,059,208
Total Inventory:	59	Price per Square Foot:	$466
Average Home Size:	2,027	Median Lot Size:	10,161
Average # Beds:	3.35	Average # Baths:	2.42
Homes Absorbed:	4	Newly Listed:	4
Days on Market:	111	Average Age:	57

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

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 25. See more city of San Anselmo real estate.
(all data current as of 2/9/2012)

1. $995,000 : MLS # 21108819 in San Anselmo
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 2,663 sq ft

   Lot size: 15,812 sq ft

   Listing provided by Saeed Shahabi, Coldwell Banker-Mill Valley
2. $849,000 : 408 Oakcrest Rd, San Anselmo
   
   3 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 1,400 sq ft

   Lot size: 3.19 ac

   Listing provided by John Ball, Coldwell Banker Greenbrae
3. $849,000 : MLS # 21200725 in San Anselmo
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,141 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,000 sq ft

   Listing provided by Connie Irwin, Pacific Union International
4. $829,000 : 129 Madrone Ave, San Anselmo
   
   2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 1,050 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,800 sq ft

   Listing provided by Bill Johnson, Frank Howard Allen - Greenbrae
5. $829,000 : 800 Fawn Dr, San Anselmo
   
   3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,102 sq ft

   Lot size: 28,314 sq ft

   Listing provided by Karin Narodny, Frank Howard Allen - Greenbrae

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

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.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in SAN RAFAEL, CA as of October 7, 2011
Median List Price:	$726,377	Average List Price:	$941,244
Total Inventory:	177	Price per Square Foot:	$389
Average Home Size:	2,145	Median Lot Size:	8,390
Average # Beds:	3.66	Average # Baths:	2.60
Homes Absorbed:	12	Newly Listed:	12
Days on Market:	112	Average Age:	50

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

Showing properties 1 - 4 of 95. See more city of San Rafael real estate.
(all data current as of 2/9/2012)

1. $999,000 : 12 Ninestone Ct, San Rafael
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,785 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.38 ac

   Listing provided by Catherine Munson, LVPMARIN
2. $989,000 : 27 San Marino Dr, San Rafael
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,983 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,375 sq ft

   Listing provided by Stephen Pringle, Alain Pinel Realtors
3. $925,000 : 227 Spring Grove Ave, San Rafael
   
   5 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,695 sq ft

   Lot size: 16,204 sq ft

   Listing provided by Deborah Solvason, Bradley Real Estate-San Rafael
4. $919,000 : 31 Santiago Way, San Rafael
   
   4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,556 sq ft

   Lot size: 15,682 sq ft

   Listing provided by Sherry Ramzi, Decker Bullock Sothebys International Realty

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Shady Lane is a beautiful tree lined street in Ross. I took this photo this morning in the aftermath of the weekend storms.

TIBURON: The Tiburon Holiday Festival takes place tonight and will feature an ice rink.  Ice skate by the Bay?  How cool is that?! There will also be a tree lighting ceremony, Christmas carolers, and lots of activities for kids including the holiday standard- gingerbread decorating.  The Tiburon festival takes place on Main Street in downtown Tiburon starting at 5:30 pm. More information at  shoptiburon.info.

SAN ANSELMO: The Town of San Anselmo will light up on Saturday night, December 4th with the annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony.  The event takes place on San Anselmo Avenue at 525 San Anselmo.  Santa will arrive in a firetruck! There will be free photos with Santa, music and more.

The event sponsored by the San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce takes place from 5:00-6:30 pm on Saturday.  Parking is available in the Creek, Magnolia Street, and Pine Street parking lots. More information:  415-454-2510

SAN RAFAEL: The Marin Symphony will be hosting Holiday Concert by Candlelight with the chamber choir, soloists and instruments (including my favorite- handbells!) on Saturday Sunday.  Tickets range from $25-30.  More information at www.marinsymphony.org

The seasons classic- The Nutcracker will be performed this weekend by the Stapleton Ballet for the 22nrd year.  The performances take place on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm and 5pm at the Marin Veteran’s Auditorium in San Rafael.  Tickets are $18-30.  More information:   www.stapletonschool.org.

NOVATO: Novato will also be lit up like a Christmas tree (so to speak!) on Saturday with the tree lighting ceremony in downtown Novato on Sherman Avenue.  The event starts at 4:30 and features special guests of honor- Santa and Mrs. Claus along with a variety of other activities.  More information:   www.downtownnovato.com.

Hope to see you out and about this holiday weekend.