Time to Buy a Home in Marin?

Some of our buyers have asked, “Is this is a good time to buy?”  Looking at the long range picture of home values in Marin, we think this is not only a good time to buy but an opportunity for buyers.

These are confusing times for buyers. Some economic indicators are not great, and the media continues to support a pessimistic view. While some house prices are coming down–we think of this as an adjustment to a previously runaway market–others are not. This is definitely a great time for buyers!

Downtown Mill Valley

A Strong Market for Buyers

As the summer progressed, the market grew increasingly favorable for buyers. The Marin Heat Index, which uses MLS sales records to estimate real estate market conditions, shows that only Corte Madera and Greenbrae have balanced markets—favoring neither buyers nor sellers. For all other cities, the market strongly favors buyers. This means more houses to choose from, lower sale prices, and longer times required to sell.

Thoughtful Sellers Can Do Well

Sellers can sell in this market if they follow these guidelines:

• Make your house attractive to the largest number of buyers. A beautiful, updated house can sell easily. Often investing a modest amount can bring very good returns. We can help you with this. Also, see our July 8, 2010 blog, “To Stage or Not to Stage,” to learn what is involved in preparing your house for sale.

• Price your house realistically. We are no longer riding the crest of the real estate wave, but Marin homes are holding value well. The peak of the market was in 2007. If we look at summer sales, for July and August, the median price of single family homes dropped 22% from 2007 ($799,000 versus $1,028,000). If you can adjust to this reality, you can sell your home in a reasonable time. We can advise you on your specific needs and how to best price your house.

The fall market is a good time to sell before the holidays and winter weather. Call us!

The Big Picture of Home Values

Lake on Mt. Tamalpais

If you look at the history of prices of Marin homes, home values increased steadily (and often dramatically) from 1965 tom 2007.  The first significant drop was in 2008, then again in 2009. However, prices have recovered in 2010:

Average sale prices for Marin homes (from the Marin MLS):
2009                            $851,000

2010 (so far)                $918,000

This is an 8% increase over 2009!

Factors in this increase appear to be the diminishing number of low-cost foreclosure properties and the sale of more high-value properties.

Marin remains one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, and people want to live here. Coupled with little new construction and expansion of the market, Marin homes should remain good investments for many decades.

Madeline Schaider is an Expert on Eco-Homes

Madeline Schaider is a certified EcoBroker®. Madeline can help you take advantage of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design for your home and investment properties. Please ASK Madeline about ways to save energy in your home!

Energy Tip 1: Buy Energy Star Appliances

Buying Energy Star Qualified appliances can save a significant energy compared to your present appliance:

• Washer/Dryer, 50%
• Water heater, 50%
• Dishwasher, 25%
• Refrigerator, 15%

Energy Tip 2: Not All Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are Equal

Compact fluorescent bulbs can save 75% compared to standard light bulbs. If you order bulbs online, you can discover a much better selection and better prices that you find at any of the local stores. You can buy a wide range of sizes and wattages from the equivalent of 10 to 600 Watt, standard light bulbs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs come in a spectrum of colors. You are not limited to the dull color that you associate with many compact fluorescents. Color is measured in degrees Kelvin and ranges from warm or soft white (2700K to 3000K) to brilliant (daylight) white (5500K). For reading you may want a daylight bulb (about 5000K) but for the bathroom or dressing area a soft white (3000K) or cool white (3500K).

Compact fluorescent bulbs are also rated by the quality of the light that they produce. A Color rendering index (CRI) greater than 80 indicates a bulb with colors close to natural light.

Recommendations:

• Avoid most dimmable fluorescent bulbs. One of the better brands is Ushio.
• Look at the dimensions of the bulb. Some are smaller and may be a better fit in your lamp or light fixture.
• Look for quick-starting bulbs.
• Here are brands that are generally recommended: Sylvania, N:Vision, TCP, and Eiko

This web site is informative and has a large selection at good prices: Servicelighting.com. lightbulbemporium.com is another good source of compact fluorescent bulbs.

Marin anticipates summer (starting June 21) with festivals and abundant farmers markets from Marin City (Sausalito) to Point Reyes Station.

Festivals This Weekend

Here are special activities this weekend, June 12 and 13:

Fairfax Festival

Fairfax celebrates summer this coming Saturday and Sunday, starting with a parade Saturday morning at 10 am, followed by music, art exhibits, and more. For the details, see the 33rd Annual Fairfax Festival.

San Rafael Italian Street Painting Festival

A wonder of chalk art underfoot this Saturday and Sunday in downtown San Rafael. For information see Bella Terra.

Novato Art, Wine & Music Festival

Food, wine, and art on Grant Avenue (between Redwood and 7^th), Saturday from 10 am till 7 pm and Sunday from 10 am till 6 pm.

Open-Air Music and Community Parties

Corte Madera.Town Center in Corte Madera presents a Summer Music Series on Sunday afternoons beginning June 13^th through October 10^th, from 2pm to 4pm in the central courtyard.

Sausalito. Jazz and Blues by The Bay. Friday, June 11 through August 27. You can reserve a table or sit on the grass to enjoy a dinner picnic and the best music in Marin. A delightful event. 6:30 to 8 pm. Take a coat, as the bayside location may be either warm or cool. 

Tiburon. Friday Nights on Main. Friday nights from June 11 through August 20, starting at 6 pm dine on Main Street and enjoy live music. The street is closed to traffic and the local restaurants serve on tables in the street. You can drive into downtown   Tiburon, go by bicycle, or walk along the Bay from Blackie’s Pastureon Tiburon Blvd. This is a delightful family gathering place.

Farmers’ Markets

Marin Farmers’ Markets with fresh produce and food items take place weekly all summer long or all year, depending on location. Here is a summary of most of these open street markets:

Marin Civic Center Farmers’ Market. The largest market in Marin is held every Thursday and Sunday year round from 8 am till 1 pm. It is in a parking lot adjacent to the Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center in northern San Rafael. These markets have a great variety including produce, flowers, baked goods, fresh fish and meat, and take-out food.

Corte Madera Farmers’ Market.  Wednesday from noon until 5:00 pm in the courtyard at the Corte Madera Town Center, all year.

Fairfax Farmers’ Market.  Wednesday 4pm – 8pm through September on BolinasRoad.

Marin City Farmers’ Market. This is the newest framer’s market, held every Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm, through September.

Mill Valley Farmer’s Market.  Throughout the year on Friday from 9 am till 2 pm in the Alto Shopping Center on E. Blithedale Ave, near the new Whole Foods Market.

Novato Farmers’ Market.  Tuesday 4pm – 8pm through September 28th, 2010 on Grant Avenue.

Ross Valley Farmers’ Market. 3-7 pm Thursdays through October 1 in the beautiful Marin Art and Garden Center on Sir Frances Drake Blvd opposite the Ross City Hall and Fire Station.

San Rafael Farmers’ Market.Every Thursday night from 5 to 8 pm part of Fourth Street is closed off from B St. to Lootens Place for this bustling farmer’s market, plus entertainment. Though October.

Point Reyes Farmer’s Market.  Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm at Toby’s Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station, through October. This is worth the trip to enjoy the Point Reyes countryside.

Tam Valley Farmers’ Market.Tuesdays, 3-7 pm at the TamValley Community Center on Tennessee Valley Road.

Marin’s Distinguished Schools

Each year, the California Department of Education selects the highest achieving public schools in the state as Distinguished Schools. Schools may apply for this award only every four years. Here are the Marin schools on the list for the last four years:

Elementary and Middle Schools

* Note that Sausalito appears here with the best. For many years, Sausalito had the reputaion for weak public schools.

High Schools

All of the Distinguished high Schools are in the Tamalpais Union High School District. Go to this link to see which towns are served by each school.

* Independent study/ alternative education

The selections are based on API (Academic Performance Index) scores, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores, and Closing the Achievement Gap for disadvantaged subgroups, where applicable. For more information about these criteria, see the California Department of Education web site.

Marin Has Plenty of Water

The unusual springtime rains filled the Marin reservoirs to overflowing by April 3, 2010. 

The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) reported: “Rainfall for April 2010 (through April 29) was an unusual 9.71 inches. Average for the month is 3.61 inches. April’s abundant rainfall brought our year-to-date numbers to well above the total annual average. Rainfall to date is 55.77 inches; average for this date is 50.38; annual (July 1-June 30) average is 52 inches.”

We will not have drought conditions this year. And with many Marin residents and business becoming aware of water conservation, water use has decreased by about 10% in the last year. Unless we have a severe shortage of rain over the next few years, our water supply should be adequate.

Great Water Quality, Too

When I moved to Marin in the 1970’s the local water tasted like water from fresh mountain streams! Since then, the state has required more water treatment to assure public health, but our water is still very good. For the details, see the annual report from MMWD on water quality.

Ross is a very special kind of small town. There are only about 800 homes with a median sale price of $2.12M in 2009.  There are some grand old homes, many over 100 years old, which range in price up to $14M (10 bedrooms and 9 baths on 3 acres, sold in 2010).

Here are two houses for sale now in Ross:

Grayoaks, by architect Bernard Maybeck, 126 Winding Way, $2,995,000

IDX Courtesy of Donna Goldman, Alain Pinel Realtors

20 Glenwood Ave, $14,850,000

IDX Courtesy of Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian, Decker Bullock Sothebys International Realty

Ross residents collect their mail at the post office on the “Common,” the town square.  The few shops on the Common include a grocery shop, Sam the Butcher (now an art gallery), two restaurants, a coffee shop, and a boutique selling fine women’s handbags.

Ross began in 1857 when James Ross, a Tasmanian immigrant and liquor supplier to the Gold Rush, bought the land that now includes Ross.

To learn more about Ross, you can visit the Ross page at LivinginMarin.com.

How Small is Marin?

Recently we showed clients several houses in Ross. In the process, we learned that Ross has only about 800 homes in 1.6 square miles, which surprised many of our friends. It is difficult to determine judge the number of homes, since the town is heavily wooded and spread out, hiding homes from view.

We wondered about the sizes of other towns. The San Francisco Chronicle conveniently published on April 11, 2010 these numbers derived from sf.blockshopper.com:

You can see that the villages of  West Marin, Ross, and Belvedere have the smallest numbers of homes. Most Marin cities have from 2,300 to 5,200 homes. San Rafael and Novato are tied for the largest number, at about 19,000.

Marin Mini-News

Larkspur Landing Development Terminated

The agreement to build 126 townhomes and condos, and a 100-room hotel at Larkspur Landing has been terminated by the developer, Campus-St. James. The developer had planned to purchase and develop 9.5 acres from the by the Ross Valley Sanitary District (RVSD). Kelly Dunleavy discusses the complications, involving contaminated soil, in the Twin Cities Times, April 7, 2010.

Our Neighbors, the Coyotes

Marin has a good number of coyotes living in its hills and open space. Paul Jones reports on ways to coexist with coyotes in the San Rafael News Pointer on April 7, 2010.

Wetlands Restoration in the Point Reyes National Seashore

The addition of 9.3 acres completed the 563-acre wetlands restoration area in the Point Reyes National Seashore. The land was acquired by an exchange with the Giacomini family, original owners of the wetlands area. Andrea Blum reports on the latest in the wetlands project in the West Marin Citizen.

It certainly looks like Marin has stayed on the crest of the real estate market in these chaotic times. While prices in many neighborhoods are back to 2004 levels, these prices are not bad compared many areas around the Bay. However, Sellers who bought their homes in the highly competitive markets of 2004-2007 may now have to sell without a profit, or even at a loss.

In some cities, like Corte Madera and Mill Valley, many homes bring close to asking price and multiple offers. Others, which are either overpriced or in poor condition, are selling slowly. High-end properties, over $2-3M, are coming down in price, as buyers in this range are fewer or less motivated to buy.

An interesting article by Carolyn Said appeared last Sunday in the SF Chronicle that reinforced our observations. Areas “where prices were over $600 per square foot at the peak [summer 2006] generally have fallen about 10 to 20 percent since then—which makes them success stories” Looking at Marin home sales in the last six months, Mill Valley, Tiburon/Belvedere, Corte Madera/Larkspur, and Kentfield/Greenbrae appear to fall into this category.

Clearly Marin remains a very desirable place to live. There are many savvy buyers waiting for the right houses at reasonable prices. They seem to be acting quickly and decisively.

Outstanding Marin Schools Attract Buyers

In a recent Madeline Schaider Real Estate Newsletter, we discussed the high quality of Marin public schools. Last weekend  in the SF Chronicle,  Jeremy Schnitker claimed that homeowners in some Marin cities, like Corte Madera, pay 50% more for a house to be able to send their children to the public schools.

If you would like a copy of our bi-monthly newsletter, please send a request to info@livinginmarin.com.

Also, be sure to visit the Marin school pages at LivinginMarin.com.

Marin’s population is growing older, and as realtors we are assisting more clients 65 year and older to find the best living situation. Here are some interesting census numbers for Marin, from ABAG, the Association of Bay Area Governments.

Median Age of Marin Residents

This is almost a 50% increase in the medain age. In the same time span, from 1970 to 2008, the percentage of Marinites who are 65 years and over doubled, from 7.4% to 15.5%.

The Good News

All of us at Madeline Schaider Real Estate—Madeline, Beat, and Alan—have had consistently successful and gratifying experiences helping clients move out of houses that no longer fit their life styles and into appropriate houses or better living situations. In some cases, we help them stay comfortably and safely in their own homes. We have the experience and the patience.

Everyone Wins

We get to be part of their lives and appreciate their rich experience and knowledge. The beauty of Marin has attracted many interesting people over the years, and they remain interesting. Our clients benefit by living better lives.

Success Stories With Seniors

One day in the Corte Madera Post Office, Madeline met Don, a retired and disabled Novato resident. He said, “Would you sell my house? I have been trying to get out of there for 11 years!” Madeline and Beat helped make the house presentable in a few weeks, and quickly received several offers from buyers. Don was finally free, with about 20% more than he expected to get for his house.

Blanche came into our office one day asking for help with a repair to her house. Madeline and Alan looked out for Blanche till her 95^th year, helping her stay comfortable in her home. She had been a child genius, traveled the world, acquired two PhD degrees, became the family genealogist, and was a great storyteller. We did not sell her house, but what we received in her friendship was worth more than a commission.

Great Resources for Seniors

A friend and real estate agent in Marin for more than 50 years, Bruce Wrisley, has written the most useful book on housing for seniors. He discusses all of the factors facing seniors and their options, including staying in their home. This is the best book to read if you or anyone you know is facing these challenging decisions concerning where and how to live.

You can order the regular or large print addition “Stay or Move: The Senior’s Housing Dilemma” at Amazon.com or buy a copy locally at the Book Passage in Corte Madera.

Another excellent source of information is the “Specially for Seniors” page at livinginmarin.com. Please send you questions to this blog or contact us at Madeline Schaider Real Estate.

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Good Words From Satisfied Clients

We recently sold a house in San Rafael that clients had inherited from their parents. While the sale was fast, the negotiation for the buyers’ financing took a long time and required exceptional skill and patience. Here is a note from the clients.

“Madeline,

We want to thank you so much for hanging with us and the use of your expertise to get us through this difficult sale. So many of the roadblocks we encountered could have killed the deal, and I really appreciate your confidence and upbeat personality to get us to the final sale.

If I were to create a graph of “expectations”, it would look like a Richter scale reading. So many highs, then lows, etc., all out of anyones’ control. I also want to virtually thank the buyers, who apparently REALLY wanted the house. I hope they are happy with their purchase.

I will absolutely recommend you and your team for any real estate needs that may come my way. You were professional, polished, respectful, and have a great knowledge of the Marin real estate community, not to mention all the ancillary functions (house cleaners, stager, gen. contractor, etc.). I hope you have many more successes.

Again, thank you from all of us!”

Brian, Hilary, and Tyler”

Finally, we are thinking about the resources that we are using and the environmental quality of our homes. Green building is the buzzword in Marin and across the country. You can read a concise explanation of green building on Wikipedia. Here is what it means:

• Thoughtful use of resources including water and energy
• Reuse of building materials, like lumber
• Healthy interior environments
• Reducing air and water pollution

What does it do for you?

Green building lets you rest better at night knowing that you are helping the world stay in balance. It assures a healthier environment for you and your family; for example you may use carpeting and paint that do not release chemicals into the air. And, you can save money on your heating, cooling, and water.

Green building does cost perhaps 5% more; however you may recover these costs in a few years through energy and water savings.

“The best green building is a remodel”

Our building consultant, Robert Ross, believes that the best way to save resources is to remodel according to green principles. An older house does not wind up in the dump (another environmental problem) but serves as the foundation of your green home.

If you would like to ask Robert questions about his approach to green building, send your questions to this Blog, for a quick response. Or, email Madeline and she will put you in touch with Robert. This is a service that Madeline Schaider Real Estate provides FREE to our clients.

The rains have come to Marin the way we are used to them. We normally have intermittent rains December through March, with sunny days between.  

Rain is good; it provides our drinking water. Marin has unusually good drinking water, 75 % coming from five lakes on Mount Tamalpais and two large reservoirs in north-western Marin. The lakes on Mount Tamalpais are Phoenix, Lagunitas, Alpine, Kent, and Bon Tempe. Take the time this year on a sunny or misty day to visit Alpine, Bon Tempe and Kent lakes on the south west side of Fairfax; they are spectacular.  The northern reservoirs are Nicasio and Soulajoule. The rest of our water (25%) comes from Lake Mendocino via the Russian River.

So far, the rain is doing well to fill our lakes and reservoirs. The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) reported on January 24 that water storage this year is at 82% of capacity. The average to date is 79%. The rainfall at Lake Lagunitas, high on Mount Tamalapais, has been 28 inches this rainy season, twice as much as last year. The average rainfall at Lake Lagunitas since 1879 was 52 inches. We still have time to catch up.

Waterfall Walks

One of the delightful aspects of the rain in Marin—besides the lush vegetation—is the waterfalls that cascade down Mount Tamalapis to the bay and ocean. My favorite is Little Carson Creek Falls out the Fairfax-Bolinas Road.  It is a little tricky to find the trail, but on a sunny, warm day in early springtime, it is a delightful place to sit by the water. Here is a list of the top seven waterfall hikes, courtesy of Don and Kay Martin. For a few fine photos of the waterfalls, see this “Scrapbook” blog.

Marin Water Quality

Marin water quality is very good, but not as good as I remember when I moved here in the 1970’s. While I was in graduate schools, I hiked the remote country in the High Sierra for a week or two each summer. The drinking water from the streams and ponds was unforgettable. It seems to me that Marin water used to taste like that. At some point it became not quite as good. Someone told me that State law required Marin to add more chemicals to assure water safety, and that this decreased the water quality. If you can add to or correct my recollections, please let me know.

Marin Mini-News

Pelican Sculpture in Novato

 Novato is the name used by the original, native Miwok people for the pelican. A few years ago, the City of Novato commissioned a sculpture of a pelican to be installed in a marsh-side park, at Scottsdale Lake. Tim Omarzu related the story in the Novato Advance on January 20, 2010.

Marin Independent Journal Newspaper Involved in Bankruptc

The parent company of the Marin IJ may soon file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The fate of our fine, conventional, local newspaper, which I read every morning, is at stake. Sam Chapman presented a detailed analysis in the Pacific Sun on January 22, 2010.

Harbor Seals in Drakes Bay

20% of California’s harbor seals live in the Point Reyes area. The Marine Mammal Commission is about to release its report on “seal disturbances” in the area. It should also tell us the effects of these disturbances. Andrew De Fao reports in the Point Reyes Light on January 21, 2010.

Rustic Bakery of Larkspur Opens in Novato

The Rustic Bakery at the north end of Magnolia Ave in Larkspur is opening a second store on Grant Ave. in Novato. You might not think this is big news unless you have tried their bread, pastries, muffins, salads, and more. We are lucky to have them! Tim Omarzu tells more in the Twin City Times on January 20, 2010.

Marin Home Prices at Glance: 1965-2009

Every year in January we present the past years years of home prices for each city in Marin, starting in 1965. You’ll see that the rapid rise in prices in 1998-99, the peak of the market in 2006-07, the price levels for 2009.  Please go to this page at livinginmarin.com. if you have any questions about your specific neighborhood or a specific house, send a note to madeline@livinginmarin.com.

 With our first major winter storm, it is a good day to talk about flooding. This is not a problem limited to Marin, but is a possibility wherever people live near water. Where I grew up, in Trenton, New Jersey, the major streams had been buried and diverted since the 18^th century. When the rain was heavy and the Delaware River filled, buildings flooded.

In Marin, heavy rains and runoff into our creeks can cause flooding in nearby neighborhoods. If the bay tides are high, the streams drain slower and flooding can be more severe. There have been only a few years of flooding in Marin. The Marin Sheriff’s Department has a short history. 1982 was probably the worst year, with 2005-06 next in severity.

I lived on the Arroyo Holon Creek (Baltimore Canyon) in Larkspur in 1982 when we had much rain and high tides. The house was on a beautiful sunny lot with redwoods and oaks and a bridge across the creek. Close to midnight, the water came up to my front doorstep, flooding the garden and basement. My electrical sump pump in the crawl space could not keep up, and then the power went out. Winds that often accompany winter rains had taken out a power line. The furnace was under the house. One cold night!

The next day the FEMA office gave me a check to replace the furnace. Two days later, I had a new furnace. FEMA also loaned me money to clean the massive debris out of the garden and creek and replace the broken bridge across the creek.

The severe flooding in the Baltimore Canyon creek happened primarily because of the accumulated debris in the creek Water pushed the tree trunks and random lumber up against the culvert that takes the creek under Magnolia Ave, causing the water to back up. Since that event, the creek is kept clean.

Areas that are prone to flooding in Marin are low-lying areas along creeks and marshy areas or filled marshes along the bay.

Is Your House in a Flood Zone?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published new “flood maps” (FIRMS or Flood Insurance rate Maps) for Marin on May 4, 2009. These show the flood risks, if any, of every property in Marin.

FEMA has defined the flood hazard zones by the likely hood of flooding in the next  30, 100, 500 years, and so on.

• B, C, and X zones have low chances of flooding, and do not require flood insurance.
• A and V zones have a high risk of flooding in the next 30 years. Flood insurance is required for properties in these zones.

Much of the flood zone determination has to do with the number of feet a house is above a base flood plane (or elevation). Each community determines this elevation. It may be, for example, 9 feet. This sometimes results in a peculiar situation where part of a property is in the flood plane and part is above. However, if the house is above the base elevation, no flood insurance is required.

If you would like the official flood information on your house or another property, let me know. I’ll send you a mini flood map of the property.

What Can You Do to Prevent Flooding?

If you live in a flood hazard zone (A or V, contact me to find out), you have options to prevent flooding:

• Install a sump pump under your house. Also, consider a natural gas powered generator in case the power goes out. We have a great generator expert for you, Hazelton Electric, at www.hazeltonelectric.com. Many of our clients and friends have used their services to install back-up generators.
• Have sandbags ready to block the water at critical locations.
• Raise your house above the flood plane. Some cites now require this if you do a major remodel or if you build a new house. It is a small investment relative to your construction costs, and well worthwhile.

What is Marin Doing to Prevent Flooding?

There are many solutions completed and many underway. A few years ago, Novato completed a large flood control project on the Novato Creek that  protected neighborhoods from flooding.

Corte Madera Creek Watershed, courtesy of the Friends of Corte Madera Creek

Towns along the Corte Madera creek, from Fairfax through Corte Madera to the bay, are ensuring unimpeded flow of the creek through developed areas. Creeks that drain easily are less likely to overflow. You can keep up to date with plans and ongoing programs at the Ross Valley Watershed website and the Friends of the Corte Madera Creek website.

Marin Mini-News

Community Garden in Marin City

The San Rafael-based Milagro Foundation, founded by rock star Carlo Santana, is sponsoring a community garden at the Martin Luther King Academy in Marin City. In cooperation with the Kellogg Foundation, this garden project will provide $65,000 a year for three years. Jessica Mullins reported on this program and the benefits to Marin City residents in the San Rafael News Pointer on January 13, 2010.

Conservation of Wetlands at Dillon Beach

The federal government has pledged $1M, to be matched by state funds, for conservation of hundreds of acres belonging to a campground at the mouth of Tomales Bay. Tim Henry provided an outline in the Point Reyes Light on January 7, 2010.

Marin Energy Authority Receives Support from San Anselmo

The controversy about establishing a Marin Energy Authority to provide a green alternative to PG&E continues in the county. The San Anselmo Town council affirmed its commitment on Jan. 6. Kelly Dunleavy reported the details in the Ross Valley Reporter on January 13, 2010.