Italian Street Painting Returns to San Rafael, CA 94901: June 29 & 30 2013

I am thrilled that it is back as Italian Street Paining Marin.

The Italian street painting festival returns to San Rafael this weekend June 29th & 30th (10-6 p.m.) after being gone for two years. A few blocks in downtown San Rafael will be shut down and freshly paved so artists from all over the world can partake in the 16th century art form Madonnari-chalk street painting.

I have been coming every year to view the amazing artwork that graces the streets for just a few short days. The amount of talent is staggering! In fact it is hard to believe that in a matter of hours under the hot sun such impressive masterpieces are created.  It used to be a free event, but due

The perfect home in a great location! This single level home has an ideal floor plan with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an attached 2-car garage and lots of upgrades. The upgrades include a beautifully remodeled kitchen that opens to the living room to create a "great room" with sliding glass doors to the patio for entertaining.  The home has dual paned windows throughout, ceiling fans in all the bedrooms and living room, a new furnace with air conditioner and new electrical panel. All of this plus a nicely landscaped front and backyard.

Fabulous location!  Loma Verde is in the Southern most area of Novato, surrounded by hiking trails, easy access to 101, and close to shopping and restaurants.

Offered at $585,000

The first Sunday Open House will be June

340 Olema Road in Fairfax has a Super Excited New Owner! Welcome home to 340 Olema Road, Fairfax CA. This unique, completely remodeled ranch style home once housed the Mayor of Fairfax. The previous owner purhcased it in 2011, gutted it and gave it a whole new look. From the beautiful and inviting red door to the tree fort in the back yard and everything in between was given new life. The owner/contractor transformed this neglected home into a contemporary masterpiece.

The property sits on almost an acre of flat land in Fairfax with close proximity to town and a quick drive (or bike ride) to San Geronimo, Woodacre, Tomales and Pt. Reyes Station.

My clients first looked at the property several months ago when it was being promoted off market.

Best Value in Tiburon with Views! This Tiburon Hill Estates condominium checks all of the boxes: Great light and views - check! Convenient yet quiet location - check! Excellent Tiburon public school system - check! And don't forget the in-ground lap pool, which is one of the largest community pools in Marin.

32 Andrew Lane #125 is a bright & clean 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo with a huge walkout private terrace that has distant views of San Francisco.  Upon entering, the first thing you will notice is the southwest facing wall of windows, which frame the Mt. Tam & Richardson Bay vistas. This clean move-in ready property has been well maintained and freshly painted. There are hardwood floors in the main living & dining areas & kitchen; both bedrooms and

Teaming up with my San Francisco Modern colleague, Rebecca Brooks, we were able to assist our clients, Jamie and Natalia, sell their loft in San Francisco so they could buy their dream home in just 45 days.  What started out as "let's go look at homes in Marin one Saturday," turned into, " we've found our dream home, want to make an offer but we don't have our loft in San Francisco sold let alone on the market...and we need the money from the sale of our loft to buy our dream home."

A little background is in order.  Jamie and Natalia are both architects and love the aesthetic of their live/work loft with the high ceilings and open space. After their daughter was born, it was too small and they reluctantly decided it was time to head to the

Looking for an Eichler Home offering The Ultimate Year Round Vacation?  

If so, you don't want to miss my upcoming Eichler listing located at 1002 Del Gando Road, San Rafael!  Rarely does a home of this caliber hit the market in Terra Linda. This private 4 bed/2 bath 1795 (+apx 375 bonus space) square foot (per tax records) Eichler home has everything a homebuyer could ever want.

The home has been painstakingly maintained and updated with nothing spared. Enter into the home and prepare to be wowed as you walk into a grand entryway with skylights, custom lighting, high ceilings, and beautiful tile floors. Home has a built in entertainment system hook ups, pre-set lighting controls, and a large built in media center with bookshelves. Enjoy the remodeled

At Marin Modern we often receive inquiries from potential Houseboat homeowners. One of the most important elements of owning

a floating home is the financing. It is not the same as a regular home because a floating home is not "real property". (Though, you

are required to pay property taxes- at a reduced rate compared to similarly priced single family homes).

I called Heather Ziemer, Vice President of Financial Benefits Credit Union about Floating home financing.

(Their number is: (510) 433-9200. They are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.)

 Here is what she had to say: Expect to pay a higher interest rate and you will need 20% down payment. Variable rates are

currently (June 6, 2013) at 5.25% for a thirty year term. It adjusts twice

As most borrowers know, stated income loans were largely eradicated from lenders' offerings back in 2008. Since then, a few investors have offered "asset depletion" programs that derive a supporting monthly income figure by dividing a set schedule of monthly payments against a borrower's assets. The borrower is not required to cash in their assets as they're only used to demonstrate an ability to service the proposed mortgage and housing payments. Moreover, the borrower isn't required to show an employment history or to verify any source of income. In general, these asset depletion programs have been offered as adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) with shorter, fixed rate terms.

Interestingly, Fannie Mae offers an asset depletion program with