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
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
Providing Marin County’s Drinking Water
Marin County Water Providers Marin County has two cooperating agencies that supply our drinking (potable) water to most of our ca. 260,000 residents: Marin Water (previously known as Marin Municipal Water District or MMWD) serves southern and central Marin from Sausalito through San Rafael and the San Geronimo Valley in West Marin. North Marin Water District (NMWD) serves the City of Continue Reading
Green Building in Marin
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
Senior Exemptions to Reduce Your Property Taxes
How Senior Homeowners Can Lower Their Property Taxes When you sell your home and buy another home anywhere in California, Proposition 19 allows homeowners 55 or older to save on property taxes. You can continue to pay the amount of your existing property taxes if you sell your home and buy a replacement house of equal or less value. If your replacement home has a higher value, you can still save Continue Reading
What to Look for in HOA Documents
Evaluating the Finances of a Townhouse or Condo Association If you're buying a townhouse or condo in Marin County, one significant task that demands your diligent attention is a review of the Homeowners Association Documents (HOA docs). When you buy a townhouse or condo, you're buying into a community. Because of this, understanding the financial health of the HOA, monthly fees, and specific Continue Reading
Mill Valley Responds to Sea Level Rise
Mill Valley Marsh and Sea Level Rise The Bothin Marsh Open Space Preserve in Mill Valley, California is a 106-acre wetland on the northern arm of Richardson Bay. The marsh is fed by the Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio stream, originating in downtown Mill Valley, and Coyote Creek, originating in Tamalpais Valley. Today, the preserve is home to hundreds of birds and wildlife species, and provides Continue Reading
Meeting the Housing Needs for Seniors in Marin
Marin’s population is growing older, and as Marin realtors we are assisting more clients 65 year and older to find the best living situations. Here the statistics on age from the US Census. Median Age of Marin Residents Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Median Age In years 29.8 33.7 38.2 41.3 44.5 47.1 In 2020 the median age for California was 36.7 years and for Continue Reading
What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (aka second unit, backyard cottage, or granny unit) is an independent living facility for one or more persons, located on the same lot as a single-family or multi-family home. ADUs can be attached to the primary residence, detached from the primary residence, or within the walls of an existing home. An ADU must have a full, separate kitchen (including stove, Continue Reading
Do You Need Flood Insurance in Marin?
Is Your Marin Home in a Flood Zone? 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. Areas that are prone to flooding in Marin are areas along creeks and low areas along the bay. There have been only a few years of serious flooding in Marin. However, the increase in Continue Reading