Marin Real Estate Blog

My Eichler listing at 794 Las Colindas Road just closed escrow today.  I was proud to represent the sellers of this charming Eichler in the Terra Linda North area of San Rafael which sold for $670,000 (just over the original asking price).

Built in 1955, this single-family home (3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms, 1,513 sq ft) was loving maintained by its owners and showed pride of ownership both inside and out.   Property features included a remodeled kitchen & baths, new flooring, dual pane windows, updated roof, and newer hydronic boiler.   The property was also situated on a nice lot which was well landscaped and featured a relaxing  trellis covered patio.  

I listed, staged, and aggressively marketed this listing which sold for $670,000.    I enjoyed…

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I'm pleased to annouce the addition of one of the San Francisco Bay Area's top home stagers & design professionals, Larry Taylor of Taylor Staging & Design,  as a guest blogger on our Marin Modern Real Estate website. 

In this role, Larry will serve as a contributing editor to our Marin real estate blog with a focus on all things related to home staging and interior design, a topic that many of our real estate clients, friends, and website visitors have a keen interesting in learning more about.  

We, as well as many of our Marin & San Francisco real estate clients, have had the benefit of working with Larry on numerous projects and are excited to have him share his wisdom "online" as a regular contributor to our blog.

About Larry Taylor,…

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With the first three months of 2010 behind us, I wanted to provide Eichler homeowners in Marin with a summary of the market for our homes during the first quarter of 2010.

For the first three months of the year, a total of 13 Eichler homes have sold in Marin County, all of them located in San Rafael.   The least expensive Eichler home sold for $495,000 and was a bank owned Eichler in the Terra Linda neighborhood.   The most expensive Eichler home sold for $1 Million and was located in Upper Lucas Valley.    Of the 13 Eichler sales during Q1, 2010, 6 of them were either bank owned or short sale transactions.

Eichler Sales in Marin County were generally slow during the beginning of 2010 and many of the properties sold were bank owned homes or…

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Overhaulin' your modern house?  Unlike the popular TV show's seven day makeovers of forlorn cars, you'll be lucky if you can crank out a house renovation in seven months.  That said, your newly overhauled house can turn a generic developer's box into a personalized home that will last a lifetime.  When properly done, your investment can substantially increase the value and your family's enjoyment of your property.  Believe me, it beats the time and money pit of rebuilding that '72 VW Karmann Ghia convertible you bought in college (as I painfully realized years ago.) 

   There are some analogies between car and house projects, though.  The big one is that it's all in the details.  Since Architecture is better described in images rather than…

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I just assisted one of my buyer clients on the purchase of a fabulous single family home in the Ignacios Valley area of Novato located at 2 Tomahawk Court.  

Built in 1987, this was a spacious and light-filled 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bathroom home located on a large .46+ acre corner lot in Novato with ample room for relaxing and entertaining.  The home offers amazing views of the surrounding hills and features a thoughtful split-level floorplan, high ceilings, updated bathrooms, air conditioning, 2 car garage parking, and convenient access to hiking, golfing, and more. 

The home was originally listed for sale at $718,000 and I was happy to work with my buyer clients to help them purchase 2 Tomakawk Ct for $690,000.

Please contact me if I can assist you…

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My mid-century modern Alliance listing located at 405 Hibiscus Way in San Rafael closed escrow today.   The final purchase price was $660,000.

This post-and-beam designed Alliance home featured an open and airly floorplan which offered fabulous indoor/outdoor living space.   Built in 1954, 425 Hibiscus Wy featured many of the original design details sought out by "mid-century modern minded" home buyers but also had a number of thoughtful upgrades and enhancements which improved upon the original design.

Property features included 3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms, updated flooring (bamboo), newer paint, in-floor hydronic radiant heating system, 2-car garage, and a spacious and level lot for relaxing and entertaining.    The home also provides convenient…

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When exploring loan options with new clients, a common statement I hear from them is, “I don’t want an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) or interest-only loan.” In turn, the question I ask is, “how long do you plan to keep this mortgage or stay in this home?” Although today’s historically low, 30-year fixed rates offer cheap insurance over the long run, those buying for the shorter term will likely have overpaid for peace of mind. Remember that security comes at a cost: at 5.0%, the interest payments on a $500,000 30-year mortgage are roughly 93%, or $466,278!  

Following the housing market’s recent setbacks and years of press lambasting “bad, interest-only mortgages,” there is now a general presumption that these mortgages were somehow designed to foster…

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My Eichler listing located at 770 Pine Lane in San Rafael just closed escrow on Friday.  Listed and sold in just 1 day, the sale price for 770 Pine Ln was $766,000.  

This was an extensively updated and remodeled 3 Bedroom Eichler home located in Terra Linda which featured an updated kitchen, flooring, bathrooms, lighting, paint, contemporary LG mini-split heating system, foam roof, contemporary landscaping, and a specatular swimming pool. 

The home was listed and sold in  just 1 day and I was proud to represent the sellers on this transaction.      If you are thinking about selling a home in Marin, please contact me.    I'd welcome the opportunity to assist you with your real estate needs!

Renee Adelmann, Realtor & Owner

Marin Modern Real…

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Is 100% financing still available and, if so, is it possible to get favorable loan terms with no money down? For veterans of the U.S. military, the National Guard or U.S. Reserve the answer is a definitive “yes” and the rates and terms do not get any better! Qualified veterans seeking financing in high cost Bay Area counties like Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin may be eligible for the lowest rates available on 30-year fixed mortgages up to $1,094,625. 100% financing is available for other Bay Area counties to lower maximum limits.

VA loans are mortgages guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and offered to the public through program-approved lenders. It is important to keep this in mind when shopping for a VA loan as some…

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I wanted to give our clients and friends a quick update on the Eichler real estate market in both Marin & San Francisco, California.

Spring has definitely brought out the buyers (especially in the < $800k mark) and I'm proud to say that ALL six of my recent Eichler listings have either sold or gone into contract - many with multiple offers - within just days or weeks of hitting the market.   Additionally, I've already assisted a number of buyers with their Eichler purchase this year.  

Looking at existing inventory on the Marin MLS & San Francisco MLS, there are currently:

• Twelve (12) Eichler homes for sale in Marin County, all located in San Rafael.   There are properties available in each San Rafael Eichler neighborhood including Upper…

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