An Experienced Mortgage Advisor Shares Her Tips We sat down with Susan Willis, a Senior Mortgage Advisor at All California Mortgage, who we’ve been happily recommending (along with her business partner Lisa Fonarow) to our clients for three decades. Susan has been in the loan business since 1988 and a mortgage consultant since 2001. We asked her about choosing a mortgage advisor and tips for Continue Reading
History and Prevention of Wildfires in Marin
Marin’s natural beauty can be attributed in part to its wooded slopes and valleys. Given the recent increase in California wildfires, clients often ask us about wildfire hazards in Marin. Although insurance companies have become cautious about insuring homes in the county because of the large fires further north in the state, wildfires have not often occurred in Marin. Most fires were in Continue Reading
Splitting Lots in Marin County Under SB9 – What you Need to Know
SB9 allows simplified lot splitting in single-family zones California Senate Bill 9 (SB9) allows a property owner to subdivide a parcel that is in a single-family zone into two lots. SB9 is meant to help ease the state’s critical shortage of affordable housing by encouraging the building of small houses on smaller lots. The new lots can be smaller than the required minimum size (usually 7,500 Continue Reading
Why You Use a Title & Escrow Company when Buying Home
Title and Escrow Services In Marin County, title companies handle title and escrow services needed for buying a home. The company, chosen by the buyer, provides two essential services: Escrow: Escrow is a service which manages the funds and documents involved in a property transaction. An escrow company is licensed and regulated by the State of California. Escrow begins when a seller accepts Continue Reading
Accessory Units (ADUs) in Marin County
Solving the Lack of Housing in Marin: Implementing Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) The California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (“HOME”) Act, also known as SB 9, paves the way to increased housing in residential Marin neighborhoods. California needs more affordable housing, estimated to be 2-3 million new homes by 2025. The law focuses on more housing in single-family neighborhoods. Almost 66% Continue Reading
Are You Buying a Condo or a PUD – Why Does this Matter?
Both are Common Interest Developments Condominiums and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) are both Common Interest Developments, which refer to types of land ownership. These forms of ownership share certain characteristics: Common ownership of residential property; for example, building structures, landscaping, and recreational facilities. Mandatory membership of all owners in a Continue Reading
Where are the best home values in Marin?
Over the years the answer has remained the same: the further north from the Golden Gate Bridge, the more you can buy for your dollars. Median home prices decrease with the distance north from San Francisco, with homes in Novato selling at about half the cost of homes in Mill Valley. Here are prices in 2023: Notable difference in home values as you go north! San Rafael and Novato are on Continue Reading
How Smart Staging Pays Off
How Smart Staging Helped Sell a Larkspur Home for a High Price Here is another case of how Smart Staging a home for sale brought the sellers more than they ever expected. The list price was $2,150,000. After one week on the market, we received four offers including a successful offer at $2,500,000. Before and After Photos Here are pictures taken before and after Smart Staging of the Continue Reading
How to Obtain Fire Insurance for Your Home in Marin County, CA
California’s Homeowners’ Insurance is Changing The landscape for homeowners’ insurance in California has been treacherous recently. Many major insurers, including State Farm, Allstate, Farmers Insurance, and United Services Automobile Association, stopped writing new policies because of wildfire exposure. Homeowners have had to turn to the State’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan Continue Reading
Nine Favorite Luxury Retreats Near Marin
Want a break but don't have time for an extended trip? We can recommend nine of our favorite local resorts that are just right for a short trip from Marin and San Francisco. These destinations, from Sausalito to Napa, are perfect for unwinding without the stress of planning a long vacation. Here are our recommendations, from near to far. Inn Above Tide, Sausalito 30 El Portal, Sausalito, Continue Reading
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