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1120 Mission Ave. in San Rafael has a new owner! I am pleased to announce that I have assisted another buyer client in finding their special place in Marin County. This, fairly new, downtown San Rafael townhouse shows like a designer's dream: granite kitchen, hardwood flooring, crown molding and tasteful décor. Set in a small complex near town and open space makes this one a winner.
I knew when I first saw this unit that it would be perfect for my client who asked to be close to a cultural environment as well as open space and in turn-key condition! By listening...
My father is
a contractor and I have always lived in the midst of renovations. Â The process of seeing dilapidated houses
turn into beautiful craftsman homes was always exciting to me. Now, as a
Realtor spending time with clients who are looking for "fixer uppers", I can
provide some additional firsthand insight from my father who is an experienced
professional.
How many
homes have you bought and what were the conditions?
We bought 4
houses. 3 were "handyman" specials and 1 was brand new. The first house we bought had dropped
ceilings in the kitchen that I tore out. There was a rickety porch that I had to
completely redo. There was a dry rotted deck that was failing apart. I tore it
off and scrapped it and made a brand new back porch and stairs down to the
yard. There was an unfinished
walkup attic that I renovated and made into a 4th bedroom (with a closet and storage...
 
Before: Kitchen looks dirty & dated.                 After: Kitchen looks clean & fresh.
As a realtor, I have helped many homeowners prepare their home for sale. Every property is unique, but these basic guidelines and tips will help make your property shine.Â
Homes that look good and are priced right sell fast and for the most money!
Tip #1: De-clutter entire property. That includes the yard, the closets the garage and most importantly the whole interior of the house. Less is more!
...
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I'm pleased to announce the sale of my Eichler listing at 635 Wakerobin in San Rafael which just closed escrow today for $550,000. This was a very original 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom Eichler home in Terra Linda and I enjoyed assisting my clients with the sale of their home.
If you are thinking of selling your Eichler home, let me put my experience as the top Eichler agent in the Bay Area to work for you.    Call me directly at 415-EICHLER (342-4537) for a no-obligation listing consultation. Additionally you can request a free estimate of your home’s market value by visiting www.EichlerValue.com.
RENEE ADELMANN, Eichler Owner & Realtor...
After 4 long months of patiently waiting for my client's short sale offer to be approved by the seller's bank, my clients had the pleasure of moving into this wonderful, turn key, townhome near downtown Novato just this past weekend. List price for this 3 bedroom/2bath home with 2car garage - approximately 1,800sqft was $415,000. I negotiated a $405,000 sales price on my buyer's behalf along with a substantial credit towards their closing costs.
The Novato condo / townhome market is hot hot hot right now. If you want to learn more about the Novato condo market, email me or call me. I am happy to share my knowledge with you and assist you in your next home purchase.Â
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35 Bryn Mawr Drive, San Rafael CA 94901 - Coming Soon!
Inventory in the Marin County housing market is historically
low as we head into our busy spring season. Spring is a great time to list and
sell a property for a few key reasons:
- Weather - it's just more fun and convenient to
house hunt when the weather is dry and warm.
- Timing - Finding the right property in the spring
means getting into contract and closing escrow by Summer, getting settled
during the summer months and hit the ground running when the new school year
starts.  Â
- Taxes - Post tax season. Budgets in place and
2012 plans being made.
- Renewal - Spring is just a good time for fresh
starts!
35 Bryn Mawr Drive in San Rafael is in the final stages...
I am pleased to announce the sale of 103 Pixley Avenue. This condominium is centrally located in
Corte Madera, a stone's throw from the Town Park, and walking distance to the
Town Center Shopping Center. While it's
not far to get to the highway, the complex is in a wonderfully private setting,
set back from the street and up a long driveway where the residents enjoy warm
sunny weather, when the sun is out, and views of the surrounding Corte Madera
hills.Â
My client, the buyer, had had her eyes on this Corte Madera condo complex for a
couple of months prior to making an offer; she had not yet been ready to move forward
on an available unit at that time. After
touring a dozen or so properties in cities throughout Marin, however, she kept
coming...
Changes recently implemented
by HUD will increase the cost of upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums
for FHA insured loans with case numbers assigned on or after April 9, 2012. A
second round of increases will go into effect for jumbo FHA loans assigned on
or after June 11 with loan sizes ranging above $625,500 up to the maximum loan
size of $729,750. These increases are geared to replenish the FHA's mortgage
insurance fund, which was recently assessed at having a 50% chance of
falling to a zero balance, potentially requiring a tax payer bailout.
The FHA does not make loans.
Rather, it insures loans that meet its guidelines, which are extremely lenient
with respect to a borrower's credit worthiness. FHA loans allow for credit
scores as low as 620 and require minimal down payments of just 3.5% that
can be gifted by a family member. There are no reserve requirements and higher
debt ratios are permitted than by conventional loan programs. These lax
requirements have earned FHA loans the moniker of "new sub-prime." As of
December 31, 2011, 9.6% of FHA loans were deemed...
