Like a lot of people who love music and would hate to see Marin lose the flavor that makes it so unique, we were disappointed when the Sweetwater closed a while back, but we’re happy to say it’s risen from the ashes in a new location, in the old Masonic Hall just off of Throckmorton at the other end of downtown. Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead is involved and it should be a nice addition to Mill Valley. In fact it’s looking to be quite a year for new live music venues in Marin, with two much anticipated clubs opening soon in San Rafael as well. Tickets for upcoming shows are on sale here, and there’s more info on their facebook page. It’s at 19 Corte Madera Ave.

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

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.

How Social Meda Killed the Deal- Negotiation Killers in the Social Media Age

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn- everywhere we go people seem to be tweeting, facebooking or posting status updates on some kind of online group or social network.  Unfortunately, many of these seemingly innocuous updates could cost you as home buyer or seller thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars, if not an entire deal.

Recently I have seen updates similar to these on social networks I participate on:

From a Home Buyer

From a Home Seller

“Looks like we are getting an offer on our house this afternoon. About time.”

From a Seller’s Real Estate Agent

“Sitting at an open house AGAIN.  This listing is totally over priced.”

From a Buyer’s Real Estate Agent

“Writing a counter offer for a client.  Hope they get it.  We have written 5 offers and they have to move next month!”

You can probably see how all of these different scenarios could impact how negotiations happen if the other party (or their agent) happens to see your message.  Do the updates make you appear desperate, motivated, anxious?  As a buyer or seller, your social status updates can have serious and significant ramifications in your home sale or purchase.  Your words in online forums can and will be used against you when you negotiate on a home purchase if you have a savvy and aware negotiator on the other side.  The key in negotiations is knowing the motivations of the other party.  Social status updates of both you and/or your real estate can inadvertently provide information to the other party that could be costly.

Case Study

Consider Jane (name changed for privacy sake).  Jane had been looking for a new home in the lovely town of Mill Valley for eight months.  We looked at home after home until one day, we found the perfect home.  The right number of bedrooms, a lovely back yard with a swingset, even a basement area- perfect for games, television and play.  She was so excited about the home, she ran home to tell her husband.  She also posted an update on her Facebook account about finally finding her dream home in the xxxx neighborhood.  Unfortunately, this neighborhood was highly coveted and one of her Facebook “friends” happened to have another very close friend (we’ll call her Buyer 2) looking to move to the same neighborhood.  This so called friend notified Buyer 2 about the house and at the end of the day, that second buyer, Buyer 2, was the one who walked away with keys in her hand.    Buyer 2′s agent was not aware of the home even being on the market until the Facebook post by Jane was shared.

While in the world of transparency and social networking it might be tempting to talk about the ups and downs in your home sale or purchase, it might pay to keep quiet until the transaction is closed.

“Have to vacuum and clean up the kids toys AGAIN.  So tired of showing this house, I hope we sell it soon.”

While we like to think we have some sort of privacy in online forums, our social networks may not be as tight as we deem them to be.  This same situation applies to our offline activities and interactions as well, but social networks magnify your message, however unintentional it might be.  Use your words cautiously as you make a move- it is possible it could have a significant impact on your bottom line and the success of your real estate transaction.

P.S. Before you hire your real estate agent, you may want to look and see what they are posting on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Do they talk about their clients and transactions?  Even “generic” complaints or comments can harm a transaction.  Sure, they didn’t post the client’s name or address, but hey, they only had one listing!  Which listing do you think they might be talking about?  Yours?  Make sure their words in online forums don’t cost you too!

90-day stats for Single Family properties in MILL VALLEY, CA94941 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

View all active Mill Valley homes for sale.

Interested in learning more about Marin County price trends, supply and demand and leading indicators to help you make educated real estate decisions? Get our weekly Marin Real Estate Market Report.

MILL VALLEY, CA 94941 Single Family 2011-10-07
Median List Price:	$1,039,192
Total Inventory:	121
Homes Absorbed:	8
Days on Market:	122

Listing inventory in November and December dropped dramatically as is typical when sellers pull their homes off the market for the holidays.  We have a spike in new inventory as homes come back on the market post holidays.  We expect those numbers to continue to rise as we head into spring.  There are a large number of homes “not on mls” but available to show. As with Tiburon, you will notice a heavy concentration of home sales are under the $1,200,000 price point.

Mill Valley home sales since January 1, 2010

• 242 Eldridge Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $514,800
• 764 Panoramic Hwy Mill Valley, CA 94941 $612,000
• 23 Mono Way Mill Valley, CA 94941 $635,000
• 23 Strawberry Cir Mill Valley, CA 94941 $775,000
• 220 Julia Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $855,000
• 45 Mountain View Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $895,000
• 89 Alta Vista Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $987,000
• 37 Matilda Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $990,000
• 324 Deertrail Ln Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,000,000
• 65 Ethel Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,010,000
• 297 Ricardo Rd Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,150,000
• 38 Birch St Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,163,000
• 137 Sunnyside Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,813,000
• 647 Glenwood Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,875,000
• 460 Summit Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941 $1,950,000
• 57 South Knoll Rd Mill Valley, CA 94941 $2,075,000
• 10 Kite Hill Ln Mill Valley, CA 94941 $2,165,000

Mill Valley Real Estate Market Data effective as of January 22, 2010. Data provided by AltosResearch. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in.

• Average Days of Market for Mill Valley – 127.98
• Median Mill Valley Home Price $1,280,384.62

At the top of the chart you can change the time frames from 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and maximum available data.

Play around and see what you find!

If you are unable to see the chart, please click here for the Mill Valley Real Estate Market Charts.
Mill Valley Real Estate Market Data provided by AltosResearch. Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Learn about Marin County price trends, supply and demand, leading indicators and more.Download a sample report.

Mill Valley home prices have dipped down while the number of Mill Valley homes for sale seems to be at a plateau.

The Median Price in Mill Valley is $1,275,000

There are 145 Mill Valley homes for sale.

Mill Valley Real Estate Market Data effective as of August 21, 2009. Data provided by AltosResearch and Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in. Download a sample report.

Mill Valley Real Estate Market Update

The Market Action Index answers the question: “How’s the Mill Valley Real Estate Market?” By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory. Index above 30 implies seller’s market conditions. Below 30, conditions favor the buyer.