Marin Modern Real Estate Blog

Thinking about selling your home this spring or summer?  Have you thought about the repairs and improvements needed to make your home marketable? Do you know what it would cost? Do you know which improvements will yield you the best return on investment?

First of all, repairs to your home’s deficiencies should be top priority. Why? Because potential buyers will turn away by your homes deferred maintenance or they will discount your home for the deficiencies in their offer to you.   If you don’t know what your home's deficiencies are, my suggestion is to conduct a home & pest inspection, that will reveal the deficiencies of your home. The reports can be extensive, but not every recommendation for repairs need to be addressed.  When...

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Buyers interested in purchasing foreclosed properties or buying with limited down payment money have two excellent, under-the-radar programs to consider: HomePath and MyCommunityMortgage. Both programs are through Fannie Mae and provide huge advantages over more standard loan offerings. Fannie Mae HomePath Bank owned foreclosures, sometimes referred to as REOs or Real Estate Owned properties, are properties that did not sell in the initial foreclosure auction and which reverted back to the original lender or investor. Foreclosures can offer bargain shoppers fantastic deals and, as one of the largest investors in mortgages with millions of foreclosures on its books, Fannie Mae is a great place to begin the hunt. When Fannie Mae...

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Many homebuyers seek to move to Mill Valley for the family friendly community, highly rated public schools, low crime and great commute location to San Francisco. Mill Valley has a small town feel with over 25 neighborhoods.  So why would buyers discriminate buying a home from neighborhood to neighborhood? Could they be splitting hairs? It’s Mill Valley!! What more could you want in a place to call home.

It’s expensive enough to get into the real estate market in Mill Valley, why would anyone discriminate between neighborhoods? Buyers discriminate for various reasons when looking for a home; status, vibe in the neighborhood, micro-climate, access to amenities and commute. Should they really be so picky? I can see why someone would...

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Understanding Home Loans is something that has been a bit confusing for many.  It is something you "should" know about but you might not know.  Well, we all started somewhere didn't we?  Here is a brief synopsis of Home Loans which I hope will help you as you progress thru your search for a Marin home.

There are Conforming, Non-Conforming and Government loans.  The Conforming loans are supported by Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC), and this means that banks can find a ready “buyer” for the loan once it is made to you. This gives banks greater flexibility to approve loans and offer more competitive rates to the consumer. 

Conforming loans will primarily be fixed rate or variable rate loans, so you will have some options. ...

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  Continued from Part One...      So if you have the trust thing down with an Architect and have started to weigh options, what should you expect in terms of construction budgets?  The first thing is to know the difference between a "budget price" and a "bid".  I'm constantly asking clients not to use the term "bid" unless they know that it is a fixed cost and the scope for that cost is well defined and agreed upon.  Unless you have a completely finished set of plans and details, including every single light fixture, cabinet handle, tile spec, paint color, door hardware list, written QC specifications that outline reference standards of care, procedures, and general conditions, along with a planning and building permit, asbestos...

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