Finally, we are thinking about the resources that we are using and the environmental quality of our Marin homes. Green building is a buzzword in Marin and across the country. You can read a explanation of green building on Wikipedia. Here is what Green Building means: Thoughtful use of resources including water and energy. Reuse of building materials, like lumber. Healthy interior Continue Reading
Transforming Fireplaces Helps Optimize Home Sales
Five homeowners planning to sell their Marin County properties had this in common: fireplaces that were were 40-60 years old and needed an update. Fireplaces are often a focal point of a room, so their appearance counts. Madeline Schaider Real Estate and her design team transformed these fireplaces as part of their strategy to maximize the sale price of the homes. See the dramatic results Continue Reading
Living with Redwoods in Marin
The coastal canyons on Mount Tamalpais are home to verdant redwood forests. The mild Mediterranean climate and the summer fog in Marin County are ideal for these majestic trees. Many homeowners live with and protect their redwood trees, the remnants of ancient forests. A Little History of California Redwoods The coastal redwood, Sequoia semperviens, grows well from south of Monterey to Continue Reading
Saving the Oak Trees of Marin County
Vintage oak trees are dramatic and beautiful complements to many Marin County homes. Millions of these trees, plus California bay, Douglas fir, and redwoods are under attack and have been killed by Sudden Oak Death (SOD). I found in the the Marin Independent Journal (Saving oak trees from SOD) a hopeful cure and preventative for your trees. The method, proposed by William Binzen Continue Reading
Springtime Maintenance for Your Marin Home
Spring is the time to check your house, particularly the exterior, for the effects of winter weather. Check your rain gutters and downspouts. Looking up at the gutters, do you see loose joints, holes, or rust? Clean out the gutters and repair or replace as needed to prevent leaks next year. Check the drainage from downspouts. If you can, run water from the gutters through Continue Reading
Winter Home Maintenance Marin County
We are in the middle of winter, but there is still time for home maintenance that can save you larger repair costs. Inspect windows and doors for leaks. Check the window and door sills and surrounding trim. Don’t forget to check the high windows that you can’t see close-up. Minor water stains could be due to condensation. Peeling paint, damaged sheet rock, or warped wood can indicate Continue Reading
How to Sell Marin Homes in the Winter Months
With over 26 years of selling Marin homes, we have found that the winter months can be active and productive. Due to the low supply and high demand, buyers have recently become more active during the last quarter of the year. Here are the factors that contribute to a successful sale in the winter months: Correctly price the property Most important is price. If the seller Continue Reading
Transforming Your Property Pays Off
Making your property attractive to buyers pays off in many ways: Quicker sale Possibility of multiple offers Good sale price High return on investment Here is a typical success story. The out-of-state heirs to a townhouse in Corte Madera hired us to prepare their parent's home and sell it. Though the townhouse was in a choice location, it was 20 years out of date and worn. Continue Reading
Corte Madera Extreme Makeover
Produced and Directed by Madeline Schaider Real Estate Madeline Schaider recently sold a renovated Kott house in the Chapman Park area of Corte Madera. By directing an extensive renovation of this 1956 home and gardens, the house sold quickly for $1,050,000, more than the asking price of $1,029,000. The sellers received two good offers within three days, sold their house for a good price, Continue Reading
To Stage or Not to Stage
Is it worth staging your Marin County, California home before you sell it? Many sellers at every price point object to having their homes staged. Their reasons are that it is not worth the expense, the house looks good, or buyers are still going to negotiate the price, so staging doesn’t matter. Staging Your Marin Home IS Important We know first hand that staging your Marin home is more Continue Reading
