TAM Blog

Marin Association of REALTORS®

It is no secret that in 2009, home values declined virtually everywhere....even in Marin, but here are some facts that bear noticing as we look over the past decade.

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

These cities include:

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

Fees range widely from about $100 - $300.  Depending on the city, what the inspector looks for can vary.  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.

Pre-turkey, post turkey and everywhere in between. 

Short sales & REOS are on the menu.

I've been out on my runs but with not as much time to blog as I would like...maybe it's all the time I've been spending on SHORT SALES (which are actually a long, arduous process - don't let anyone tell you differently!). Or, just being caught up in all the family and festivities like the rest of us.

So, setting out the other evening, I aimed to clear my head of the craziness associated with short sales & foreclosures/REOS in this market.  I've found Marin, an area that most thought would go relatively unscathed, has it's share and then some.

Why did I decide to take a route through Fairfax then?  As I climbed up Manzanita I passed a spot that closed recently - SHORT SALE.  Heading down to Frustruck, it seemed my feet had a mind of their own and turned right on to Valley.  REO - we just closed on ....being fixed up though and lookin' good.

My mind fixated, I began to hunt for more. Not a problem. Crossed the foot bridge on Dominga to that little house on Forrest that has been on the market for over a year.  Our buyers are closing this Friday!  A SHORT SALE that has had every single, solitary hiccup imaginable.  Reminds me, whatever happened to that SHORT SALE on Muriel?

Well, what the heck, I headed back up and over the hill down Forest (same street just lost an R) and passed another REO we sold in the last 6 months.  Eeks.

Landsdale almost ran into me there at the corner. Couldn't resist trotting by the SHORT SALE down that street (the music studio one that has foundation issues and needs a huge downpayment).  It's been rearing it's head for awhile now.  Tough to get into, but could be the right one if you're a good hurdler.

Back towards Fairfax to that one on Azalea with the inground pool and little yapper-type dogs.  Be careful they nip at your legs but at least the owner leaves the tv on for them all day (a tv in every single room that is!).

Not until short sales literally became short of breath did I finally stop the hunt.  Hoping, like many of us, the hunt will soon be over.

My knees just aren't what they used to be.  But, I'm not ready to throw in the running towel just yet.  So after a bit of a hiatus due to injury, I took back the streets in the wee morning hours.  And, boy was I ready! 

I didn't tread lightly, I left home with some hills on the mind.  Soaking in the quiet of the pre-sun hour I made my way up Broadmoor to the Alameda.  It was dark yet serene.  As I took it all in, I was hit with all the reasons why we love living in San Anselmo and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Holstein was a slight climb and I wanted to get another glimpse of a home on the street that just came on the market...It is set on almost 3/4 of an acre and truly a great place to entertain.  I made a note to keep this one in mind as I made my way back down and continued on the Alameda climbing on Oakcrest. A deer crossed my path and as much as I wished I was thinking about the beauty of the creature I wondered who's garden they had gotten into before dawn.

My legs and knee begin to feel the pavement and I realized I needed to cut it a bit short just to ensure I didn't repeat the injury.  I entered my home suprised by the silence...my little ones and my husband had yet to rise and I gratefully put on the water for coffee and began my day.

Is the market making a comeback?  You can't miss the headlines about the rise in June new home sales.  11% nationwide and 20.1% in California...Take a read at some of the articles below.  The news is optimistic but make sure you look at in the context that matters most to you as a buyer or seller of real estate.  Ask us.  We are more than happy to help you decipher the data...

New Home Sales Jumped 11% in June From May

Home Sales Rise As Housing Market Tries A Comeback

New Home Sales Soar 11% in June

Residential rents in Marin rose slightly in the 2nd quarter of '09, as did occupancy rates, bucking the trends affecting most of the Bay area.  Average apartment rent was up $1686, up from $1676 in the first three months of the year and down .8% from the same period a year ago.  Occupancy rate was 95% up slightly from 94.4% in the first three months of 2009.

Here are Bay Area average monthly rent and occupancy by county:

Rent

SF: $2271

Marin: $1686

San Mateo: $1672

Alameda: $1379

Contra Costa; $1251

Occupancy

SF: 96.1%

San Mateo: 95.3%

Marin: 95%

Contra Costa: 94%

Alameda: 93.3%

Source: RealFacts of Novato

The imminent heat woke me early the other morning.  At dawn, with my eyes barely peeled, I slid my running shoes on.  I knew it was a now or never type of thing because the day was set for record highs..

As I walked down the steep driveway to get the blood pumping, I realized I still hadn't run up Oakland, a street only a block away.  Shaded and small, the street took no time at all.  On to see if I could uncover any parts of San Anselmo I hadn't tackled yet, I found my way back to the Seminary and this time ran to the top....a spiritual & magical place to be as the sun is coming up.

Going a bit the back way to Fairfax, I passed a home that is about to start the process of heading in to a short sale.  Those are commonplace in this market as I know first hand.  I've written almost 10 offers on short sale properties in the last 3 months alone and just closed on one that has taken me a year.  Yes - ONE YEAR!  That's an extreme case, but these types of transactions are far from easy...but can get done if the agents are well versed on how to muddle through the deal.  A big hurdle is educating the buyer on the process.

Passing the new condos on Oak Knoll on the border of Fairfax & San Anselmo I thought of how they really do serve a true niche.  Not a lot of modern condos with few in the complex.  I reminded myself to get my interested buyer more info. on the HOAs - which are set somewhere near $400/month.

Headed home and up Sierra, a street I hadn't put my feet on yet.  But, to my amazement that is one of only a small handful in San Anselmo that I haven't run....and conquering Fairfax & Ross is only a step behind....

Inside...to beat the heat!

Stop, Pull Over & Run. 

Can't swim without discovering water.  Can't pedal without strapping your bike to your car.  But, you can run at the spur of the moment.  A simple pair of running shoes and off you go.  That is the beauty of it. 

With a bit of time to kill the other day, I found myself heading down SFD and got it in my head to just pull over.  I stopped.  I ran.  With school out of session, the campus of Marin College felt like an oasis of serentity.  The brochure sits on my desk in my home office and I vowed that one day soon I'll take a class there.

Passing the Ross Valley Police & Fire Department, Sean Penn and his wife popped into my head as they always do.  Rumor has it they bought the house right across the street because she had something tramatic happen to her and needed the police close by.  Are these lovely celebrity friends of ours still married or filing for divorce---I just can't keep up!?

The rico taqueria on the corner (although delicious) made my stomach turn a bit.  Not quite ready for a good, greasy, authentic mexican meal while putting one foot in front of the other.

Later, after heading down McAllister, I found myself at Bacich and ran right passed the house for sale directly across the street from the school.  Talk about having no excuse to get your kid to school at time!

Almost with a mind of their own, my feet led me to the track at Marin Catholic.  Quite honestly, I'm not sure I've run on a track since college.  I always found that type of running repetitive and boring.  But, not today!  This vibrant blue track, feeling like a new sponge under my toes, gave givingly with each step.  With dead on Mt. Tam views, I was reminded of how blessed I am to live in Marin County.

So, I recommend...if you have it in you today...just stop, pull over and run.

Kira was off at a listing appointment, the girls were restless and I was getting cranky so I thought an outing would do us all a bit of good. So off we went down the 30% grade driveway and through the park carefully avoiding the playground or I was sure to be doomed. I maneuvered the Bob around all the cars and abandoned shopping carts at Safeway and back up and around to the Robbins Nest pre-school.

Mina, our soon to be three year old, wanted to show her school off the Coda, the soon to be two year old, so that’s what we did. It was fun to watch Mina dragging her little sister around by the hand, “this is my class, I play in this sand box, Coda want to go down the slide?” she is a great big sister (most of the time).

I have to say, I have grown a bit spoiled of the amazing views of Tam we all get from our beautiful town of San Anselmo, but today I took notice, and said my thanks for being lucky enough to live in Marin. Actually I said thanks for everything in my life, my health, my loving family, friends, the Giants victory, all the important stuff. What a perfect Sunday after noon.

TAM REALTY & DEVELOPMENT INC.

peak 2571'

David Nolen Swaim