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).
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Ross, Marin’s Special Small Town
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010Marin Real Estate Comes Back to Life
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010It 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, Marin home 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.
Growing Up and Older in Marin
Monday, March 1st, 2010Marin’s population is growing older, and as Marin 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
| Year | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2006-08 |
| Median Age In years |
29.8 | 33.7 | 38.2 | 41.3 | 44.3 |
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%.
Green building in Marin
Monday, February 15th, 2010Finally, we are thinking about the resources that we are using and the environmental quality of our Marin 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
(more…)
Blogging in the Rain, in Marin
Monday, January 25th, 2010The 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.
All About Living in Marin
Monday, December 14th, 2009This is the first of many reports on life and real estate in Marin County California. I have been here since 1974 and can honestly report—as many others quickly learn—that this is paradise.
In fact, someone should have named Marin “Paradise.” Some names come naturally; here is a good example. When we first met our cat about 13 years ago, she walked over and licked Madeline’s hand. I said “This cat is an Angel,” and we called her Angel. That’s the way it is with Marin; you just know it.
Angel, our Ocicat
In our blog, you will learn about the rich physical beauty of Marin, the delightful benefits of living here, and the homes that are tucked into its tree-lined canyons, gentle hillsides, bayside marshes, and coastal beaches. We hope to inform you and inspire you.
Along the way, you will learn more about Madeline Schaider Real Estate and the people who make it work so well: Madeline, Beat, Robert, and me, Alan.
