Marin Modern Real Estate Blog

I just listed an updated 2-story Kenney built home located at 1052 Lea Drive in San Rafael which features a spacious and desirable 4 Bedrom / 2.5 bathroom floorplan (2,406 sq ft per tax records). 1052 Lea Drive features a number of updates include dual pane windows, remodeled bathrooms, updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, contemporary lighting, 6 separate decks in great condition, flat lawn / play area with vegetable garden, automatic sprinklers, extensive yard drainage, and structural reinforcement.  The home also has 2 car garage parking. 

The home is located in a quiet and secluded neighborhood in the hills of Terra Linda. Oak trees, nature, and privacy are key features of the back yard.   Walk to local parks, open...

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This is a continuation of a previous blog, where I wrote about landscape ideas for an Eichler home in Marin. Last time, we focused on the front. And now, on to the courtyard!   One the most important exterior parts of many mid-century modern house is the courtyard space. Not every home has a courtyard, of course, and some have atriums, which is generally an indoor space.  

Wiki had this to say about courtyards: "Courtyards—private open spaces surrounded by walls or buildings — have been in use in residential architecture for almost as long as people have lived in constructed dwellings. The central uncovered area in a Roman domus was referred to as an atrium. Today, we generally use the term courtyard to refer to such an area,...

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There’s still a buyer’s market in Marin County as reported in the Marin Independent Journal. The supply of properties has doubled since January, and condos are more difficult to buy due to lender guidelines (down 20% year over year). Plus, there are fewer qualified buyers at every price point. However, homes that are free and clear are in high demand because the transaction can be closed in 30 days, as opposed to more than a year for some distressed properties. Remember, real estate is very localized. Towns with more low-priced homes have more properties in contract than towns, or even neighborhoods, with a greater concentration of high-end homes ($2 million or more).  It's been a stronger buyer's market in towns that have...

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One of the more common requests I get from borrowers shopping for a mortgage is for a “no points” loan. “Points” represent fees paid to buy down the mortgage rate, with each point equaling one percent of the loan amount. Typically, paying a point should reduce the mortgage interest rate by 1/4 percent. (For more information comparing points versus no points mortgages, please see my January 19, 2010 blog.) While there is a general perception that paying points is bad, doing so can offer clear advantages and many borrowers would benefit from significant savings over the life of their loan. Nonetheless, a no points mortgage does reduce one’s closing costs. But there is another option that lowers costs even...

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I have an exceptional Eichler listing will be hitting the market later this week with the first public open house scheduled for this Sunday (August 8) from 1-4pm. Located at 15 Arcangel Way in San Rafael, this amazing Eichler home has had over $190,000 in upgrades and it shows! If you are looking for a move-in ready Eichler in Marin you should run - not walk - to the first open house this Sunday. Property features include:

4 Bedrooms / 2 Bathroom atrium model Eichler (1,814 sq ft) Newer foam roof with high-end UNICO heating & Air Conditioning System Remodeled modern kitchen with gas cooktop Remodeled bathrooms  New oak flooring in living areas and 100% wool carpeting in the master bedroom New...

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