October 20th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

This market profile is a snapshot of what is happening in San Anselmo.  The median list price bounced up this week in San Anselmo while home inventory and days on the market are climbing.  The market action index remains flat. (more…)

August 16th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

Looking for a great spot to grab breakfast in Marin?  Here are some of my favorite Marin restaurants for breakfast.

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August 14th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

This market profile is a weekly snapshot of what is happening in San Anselmo. 

This week saw a downward notch for prices in San Anselmo.  Home pricing has been weak in recent weeks.

The Market Action Index answers the question “How’s the San Anselmo 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.

San Anselmo Real Estate Market Data effective as of August 10, 2008.  Data provided by AltosResearch.  Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up below to my Real-Time Market Report for each city in Marin.  You can also sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email.   Just register below and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in.  Download a sample report.

August 5th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

Single Family homes under contract in Marin County July 2008 compared to Marin homes under contract in July 2007 (more…)

May 24th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

Single Family homes under contract in Marin County

April 2008 vs. April 2007

Countywide, the number of Marin homes for sale was up almost 16% from last April. The number of homes under contract was down about 13% while the number of units sold is down about 31%.

While the number of homes sold in April 2008 vs April 2007 is dismal, the glimmer of hope is in the units under contract. We have gradually seen this number get closer to 2007 numbers for many Marin cities, indicating next month’s sold number may be even better.

March 8th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in San Anselmo was $929,000 in February 2008, down from $1,000,000 in January, and down from $1,110,000 one year ago in February 2007. The number of homes on the market dropped almost 34% from one year ago, while the number of San Anselmo homes under contract stayed flat.

The number of closed sales was down almost 27% from one year ago. The average days on the market in San Anselmo was 59 in February.

March 1st, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

Many cities and towns in Marin County require mandatory re-sale inspections before a seller transfers home ownership to a buyer.

Marin Cities that require resale inspections

• Belvedere
• Corte Madera
• Fairfax
• Larkspur
• Mill Valley
• Novato
• San Anselmo
• San Rafael
• Tiburon

Fees range widely from about $100 to close to $300 in Novato.  Ouch!  In addition, what is inspected during these inspections vary widely.  Most check to make sure permits for any property improvements have been pulled.   The cities also note issues that may not be compliant with current building codes, check on zoning, property usage, etc. Re-sale inspections in Marin county do not cover property condition, quality of construction, general defects with the property, termites, etc.  Look for a general home inspection and a termite inspection to cover these items.

Marin sellers are strongly encouraged to perform the city/town re-sale inspections prior to going on their market.  Your Marin real estate agent should help you arrange this.  Some Marin cities and towns take an extended period of time to schedule inspections and also to return the inspection report.  If you do not get the report in time, you could end up delaying close of escrow.

If you have not pulled permits, you may be fined, asked to pull those permits retroactively and in some instances, sellers have been asked to remove unpermitted improvements. 

I have seen many deals fall apart after the reports are returned on a city/town resale inspection.  Buyers don’t like surprises at the last minute.  It is much better to know any issues relating to the city inspection before you find a buyer!

Marin home buyers:  Never sign off on your resale inspection unless you have seen the report in your hands.  Even if you attend the inspection, the city inspector may add mandatory items that you aren’t expecting.  View the actual report.  Some Marin cities and towns (such as Tiburon)do a re-inspection of required items (with an additional fee).  If you fail to make corrections within your allotted time period, you may get fined per day.  At last check, Tiburon fines racked up fines at a cool $103 a day.    Now that can add up quickly!

February 19th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

Single Family Residential Homes Only.
Statistics as of February 19, 2007 from BAREIS Marin County MLS®.

February 11th, 2008 By Ginger Wilcox

The median home sale price in San Anselmo was $1,000,000 in January 2008.  The number of homes on the market decreased just over 30% from one year ago.   The number of San Anselmo homes under contract dropped 27% while the number of San Anselmo homes sold increased almost 50% from one year ago. 

The average days on the market in San Anselmo was 89, up from 73 days in January 2007.

*Single family homes only

December 30th, 2007 By Ginger Wilcox

Many Marin County home sellers took their homes off the market over the holidays. This helped overall stats. Despite the holidays, we still saw quite a few homes go into contract. Many areas of Marin are considered seller’s markets including Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Sausalito and Mill Valley. The situation in Novato still looks dismal. Below are the stats by city. These numbers are likely to fluctuate widely after the New Year when sellers put their homes on the market.

Marin Market Update By City

• Over 35% in contract is usually indicative of a sellers’ market.
• Under 25% in contract is usually indicative of a buyers’ market.
• 25%-35% in contract indicates a balanced market.

*Marin County Real Estate statistics pulled from BAREIS MLS on 12/29/2007.