Bay Area California Real Estate Blog and News

8 W Barberry Place, Novato - Pointe Marin Home - SOLD!

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Today has been a busy day and I'm pleased to announce my second closed transaction for the day, a spacious 4 Bedroom / 4 Bathroom home in Novato, California.    

Located at 8 West Barberry Place in the Pointe Marin neighborhood of Novato, this 3,551 square foot home was originally listed for sale at $1,199,000 and I worked hard to assist my buyer clients who purchased the home for $992,000.      

This was a newer construction family home located on a quiet cul-de-sac.   Property features included a large eat in chef’s kitchen with granite counters, formal living/dining room combo, soaring ceilings, beautiful travertine floors, meticulous landscaping, outdoor kitchen, and a 3 car garage.

I enjoyed helping my clients...

Marin Eichler Home Sold! 651 Woodbine Drive, San Rafael

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I'm pleased to announce that my Eichler listing located at 651 Woodbine Dr in San Rafael's Terra Linda neighborhood just closed escrow today.    I listed, staged, aggressively marketed, and sold this Terra Linda Eichler home for $670,000, or 99% of the original asking price.   

This Eichler home was situated on a spacious corner lot and featured 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, a newer foam room, upgrade dual pane windows, hydronic baseboard heat and more.     I was excited to represent the sellers of this Eichler home which represented my 11th closed Eichler transaction so far this year.

Drop me a line if I can assist you with the purchase or sale of an Eichler home in Marin...

Marin Condo Market Opportunity

A few days ago the Marin Independent Journal posted an article about home sales for the month of September – highlighting an increase in median home and condo prices.This is not a surprise given the activity in the market typically slows down every July and August.September through the end of November is when we normally see an increase in sales activity.It’s almost the last opportunity to sell a home prior to the end of the year.Once the holidays start rolling in sellers start taking their homes off the market and buyers are distracted with holiday festivities

A one month rise in home values should not be considered a trend.What is really happening in the market place?Coming into the typical cycle of...

Interest Rate Roll Downs for Recent Purchases or Refinances

SOLD! 15 Arcangel Wy in San Rafael - Updated Eichler Home in Terra Linda

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I’m pleased to announce the successful sale of my Eichler listing at 15 Arcangel Way.   I listed, staged, aggressively marketed, and sold this updated Eichler Home in San Rafael’s Terra Linda neighborhood for $802,500.

This represents my 10th closed Eichler transaction in Marin County this year, further strengthening my position as the #1 agent for Eichler homes sales in Marin County for 2010.    Additionally, I have a few other Eichlers in contract right now which I'll share with you once those transactions close.

If you're thinking about buying or selling an Eichler home (or any modern home in...

SOLD! 8 Eucalyptus Rd, Belvedere - Luxury Modern Home in Marin

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I'm delighted to announce that earlier today one of my buyer clients closed on the purchase of a luxury modern home in Belvedere which was located at 8 Eucalyptus Road.   Originally listed for sale at $8,000,000, I was able to assist my clients in locating, negotiating for, and purchasing this modernist home in Southern Marin for $7,140,000.

8 Eucalypus Road was a custom-built modern home featuring 4 Bedrooms / 5 Bathrooms and dramatic, sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, and Sausalito.  Other property features included an Infinity Pool & Spa, lush landscaping, contemporary Terrazzo & hardwood flooring, Maple veneer wood paneling, Thassos marble counter tops, 4 fireplaces, modern kitchen & appliances, and more.   3 car garage parking....

848 Appleberry Drive in San Rafael - New Eichler Listing Coming This Week!

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I have a new Eichler listing that will hit the Marin mls later this week however I wanted to share some general information regarding this property right now since I know many of our client and Marin Modern website visitors like to keep a pulse on the Eichler real estate market in Marin.

Located at 848 Appleberry Dr in San Rafael's Marinwood neighborhood (also referred to as "Lower Lucas Valley", this light filled courtyard-style Eichler home features 4 Bedrooms, 2 remodeled bathrooms, new tile flooring, new paint, new light fixures, and an updated kitchen with center island, bartop and new appliances. Spacious front and back yard; 2-car garage parking....

10 Mt McKinley, San Rafael - Eichler Home Just Listed

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I'm pleased to present my latest mid-century modern Eichler listing in San Rafael's desirable Upper Lucas Valley neighborhood.

Hitting the market this week, 10 Mount McKinley in San Rafael, is an original 5 bedroom / 2 bathroom Eichler home which will definitely appeal to Eichler purists!  The home features a desirable "double-A-frame", atrium-model floorplan with walls of glass throughout.    This light-filled Eichler home has many original details as well as a number of recent upgrades and enhancements including new concrete flooring, new paint, updated appliances, and a newer roof.    Additionally, the home sits on a spacious and private 8,976 square foot lot (per tax records) with ample...

An Italian Villa's Garden & Modernism - Presentation at the Tiburon-Belvedere Library this week!

And now for something completely different . . . An Italian villa's garden!
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You may be asking why I would suddenly depart from mid-century modernism to talk about a garden that was started in the 1400s. Well, mid century modernism never would have happened without gardens like this one. Here are three reasons why I am dicussing this garden.

First, I am going to be giving a slideshow presentation about the garden at Villa Gamberaia (outside of Florence, Italy) on Thursday, October 7th at 7:30pm. It will be held at the Tiburon-Belvedere Library on Tiburon Boulevard, and you are invited. The second reason is to let you in on a little secret about the garden - and gardening in general. More on that later. And third,...

New Appraisal Requirements Complicate Properties in Need of Minor Repairs

On June 30, 2010 Fannie Mae issued certain changes to its Selling Guide that affect compliance on appraisal reports as of September 1. Some changes are directed at minimizing the negative impact of the HVCC code that was imposed on the appraisal process in May 2009 (a good thing for consumers). Some of the other changes implemented bring greater focus to a property's condition and may potentially complicate the buying process, especially for REOs or properties in less-than-stellar condition.

One client's recent purchase was subjected to these changes, adding a layer of complexity to the transaction. The appraisal of his property - an REO in Richmond - highlighted, per new requirements, minor issues. These included a loose wire in the garage, missing faceplates on two electric sockets and stained carpeting in the master bedroom. The lender then conditioned for all items to be cured, with re-inspection and sign off by the appraiser. Initially, the lender wanted new carpeting for the bedroom, though we were successful...