Great Value in Larkspur

We saw a great starter family home in an excellent location in Larkspur today. It is a small house but you can walk to downtown Larkspur, the neighborhood is very nice, and there is a nice backyard area. The home has high ceilings, skylights, a one-car garage with extra storage, and it looks like the owners have made a lot of improvements recently, including new heating and central A/C, a new Trex deck in the back, a very nice kitchen, updated electrical, etc. It just had a good feeling to it and is surrounded by nice homes. Only 2 bedrooms and 1 bath but it seems like a good deal at $779,000.

Amazing Historic Sausalito Home...the only private Sausalito home on the National Historic Register

We just listed this fantastic Old Town Sausalito Victorian home for rent... the only private home on the National Historic Register in Sausalito, built in the late 1800's. It is worth a gander if you have not checked it out. Here is a link to the listing on Postlets. And here is a description: Located in Old Town Sausalito, this pre-1900 Victorian gem is on the National Register of Historic Places. A charming three bed, two bath home with hardwood floors, a wood-burning fireplace, bay views, and a short walk to downtown Sausalito and the ferry. Outside are mature blooming gardens, a white picket fence, two patios, and an off-street parking space. Downstairs are a bonus room & walk-in basement for art studio or storage.

New Rental Listing in Tiburon - Amazing Views

We just listed this fantastic short or long-term rental in Tiburon. Very pet-friendly. Here is a link to the listing via Postlets and here is a more thorough description: 2 beds, 1 bath...Sweeping views of the bay, the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Tiburon from this romantic pet-friendly cottage hideaway in Tiburon. Watch the sailboats and enjoy the sun from your giant deck before you retreat to a wonderfully private, quiet, and bright one bedroom furnished home with a separate office, studio, or guest room. Other features include a remodeled kitchen and bathroom, a living room that opens onto the large deck, a gas firestove, and an outdoor dining area. There are also two storage areas and a new washer and dryer included. Less than a ten-minute walk to downtown Tiburon and the waterfront.

New Listing- Classic Mill Valley Home on Cascade

This great home, situated up a grand driveway on an estate-size lot of 2/3 an acre, sits up amongst the redwoods and is just blocks from town. Rumor has it that this 3 bedroom, 2.5 house was once owned by members of the Jefferson Airplane, though we are having a hard time confirming this rumor. But what a great home! Built in 1906 this is really true vintage Mill Valley. Several levels of property, brick patios, a large fountain area, and the majestic redwoods really make this a great home for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Listed for $1,995,000 by David Pfeiffer in our office at Pacific Union.

Home of the Week- 429 Green Glen Way

The first open house for this fantastic property was just yesterday, and for the 20 minutes we attended it felt like about 30 people came through. That is because for the price- $848,000- you can't do much better than this right now in Mill Valley. Even though this is a smaller house, there are three bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, an amazing open kitchen and living room, expansive decks with a view of Mt. Tamalpais, and the house has been carefully remodeled with some really great finishes including stainless steel countertops, a Dacor 6 burner cooktop, 2 fireplaces, a whole bunch of skylights, timbertech decking, and beautiful brazilian cherry floors. The lot is over 10,000 square feet and has a play area in the back for kids and a fenced in area in the front which would be good for dogs. Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a bath, with the master bedroom opening out to the front deck, and downstairs there is another bedroom and bath which could work as an au pair unit, a guest bedroom/office, etc. Like 18 Hazel it is definitely not for those looking for a McMansion. But perhaps due to all the outdoor space (which makes it feel almost like a mini-estate) and the great layout of the house it definitely feels bigger than it is and we guess this will be in escrow within a week. Listed by Lars Jakobsen, Coldwell Banker Mill Valley.

July 21 UPDATE: As predicted, we have been told this property now has an accepted offer- so just over a week!

Not listed yet- Amazing deal coming up at 18 Hazel

There is an amazing deal coming up at 18 Hazel- a great cedar-shingle home set in the Redwood trees, walking distance to town via the Dipsea Stairs, built in 1928 but remodeled more recently, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,345 square feet, on a street-to-street lot.... all for only $869,000. We saw it yesterday, and think it will probably sell quickly at this price. When you walk in there is an open kitchen and a living room, with a porch off a dining area. It is not a huge house but it is in a really beautiful location, and big houses are bad for the environment, right? So you can be a tree hugger and actually hug the redwood trees on your lot knowing that you are doing a good thing for the planet by not living in a McMansion. It is a quick walk down to town and a vigorous, heart-pounding walk back up the Dipsea stairs, so you can also keep in top physical form while you get your Peet's coffee. Bob Marks in our office has the listing and it will be open this Sunday, July 12, from 1 to 4pm and reportedly will be on the MLS next week, if no one buys it before then.

Home of the Week: View home in Sausalito for only $775,000?

OK- so this is not in Mill Valley, but we figured it is close enough since it is the next town over, and this one is definitely worth mentioning as you cannot find a home with these kind of views and this kind of setting for this kind of price- $775,000. We are guessing there will be a bidding war on this one, as it is a probate sale so they are listing it low to garner multiple offers. (Sealed bids due July 30th...) But it was fun to see and is in a really nice neighborhood in the Sausalito Hills with amazing views of Mt. Tamalpais and the Bay and just blocks from restaurants in the non-touristy part of Sausalito on Caledonia. Small homes seem to be a theme these days but that is where a lot of the deals are and Al Gore would be proud of you for limiting your carbon footprint. Click here to see the website Thomas Dreyer at Alain Pinel created for this great home at 139 Santa Rosa.

Sunday Open Houses!

Click here for the Marin IJ list of Sunday Open Houses!

Just Listed Today-75 Woodside- Great deal for only $1,095,000

Wow- we have been keeping our eyes on this for the past couple of weeks, knowing it was coming up. The 4 bedroom, 2 bath home at 75 Woodside in Mill Valley is in a great location, close to town and Whole Foods, totally unique, with a large upper area with a master suite, office, and media room, a large kitchen, patio, deck, grassy (and mostly level) yard, and gazebo. The home was originally built in 1911 and apparently had a second story added- check out the very interesting windows in the front. Looks like a great deal for only $1,099,000. Our colleague Kathee Shatter at Pacific Union has the listing.

Dipsea Race- A Mill Valley Tradition

It was a lot of fun watching the start of the Dipsea Race yesterday morning from downtown Mill Valley. Jovana and I helped keep people off the beginning of the race course while our dog Clyde seemed to encourage the dogs who were running up and down the starting stretch out of control! The race is the second oldest footrace in the United States, and follows the Dipsea trail from downtonw Mill Valley, over the hills, through Muir Woods, and down into Stinson beach- a 7.5 mile trail full of steep uphills on stairs and trails and some very steep downhills as well. We have done the trail and it is hard to imagine that some people even participate in the upcoming "Double Dipsea" which does it from Stinson Beach to Mill Valley and back! The fun part is to watch the staggered start where 7 year old girls and 81 year-old men start before the pack. The Marin Independent Journal article about the race says that the seven year old girl we watched start first held her lead all the way to Muir Woods! Pretty exciting.

Mountain Play- Theater at the Top of Mt. Tamalpais

This is not real estate related but this is a Mill Valley institution and worth mentioning as it is one of the many things that make Mill Valley unique. The Mountain Play started this past Sunday, and friends said that the play this year, "Man of La Mancha," was great. For those of you who do not know about the Mountain Play, every year the Mountain Play Association puts on a different musical in the Mountain Theatre- an amazing and scenic ampitheatre at the top of Mt. Tamalpais. People make a day out of it, bringing lunch and drinks in coolers, and there are puppet shows for kids prior to the main event. There are bus rides up from Mill Valley, and bus rides back, though many choose to hike back down into town- the hike is about 7 miles and takes about 2 hours but is a fantastic hike. The bus brings your cooler back so if you are ever walking around Mill Valley and see a bunch of coolers by the Depot they are likely waiting for their owners who are hiking down the hill. We are headed to the June 13th show at 1pm if anyone wants to join us. You can buy tickets and learn more at the Mountain Play site right here.

Home of the week: New listing at 154 Ethel- Only $699,000!

Who says you can't be in a great neighborhood in Mill Valley for only $699,000? This little gem was just listed this week. It is in a great location, literally steps from downtown. Ok... there are a LOT of steps. And they are steep. And the home is pretty darn small. But this is a great pied-a-terre for someone who wants to be a block or two from downtown Mill Valley and living amongst the redwoods. Great views, totally fenced in and good for someone with dogs. There is a creative vibe here that is hard to find in other homes. Location, location, location- they always say find the cheapest home on the best block and this could be one of those examples. Pros: location, views, charm, amazing price. You can walk to get a coffee at the Depot or Peets...and you will get in great shape! Cons: lots of steps, location can be foggy, parking can be an issue, and getting in shape while getting home is less fun when you are carrying four grocery bags. Listed by Sandra Fitting, Bradley Real Estate.

35 Carmelita - Just listed- Vintage Farm House just blocks to town

We just saw this home today. It was just listed and is a vintage farm house, circa 1907, with upgraded bathrooms and an updated kitchen. For any buyers looking for vintage charm, a GREAT location, and a big backyard for kids, dogs, BBQ's, etc. this is a great home. 4 beds, 2.5 baths, 1,729 square feet, listed at $1,330,000. Not sure if it is true but the listing says that Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, and Mama Cass "may" have lived here at one point. (If Janis Joplin lived in all the homes people say she lived in she might not have had any time to make any music!) It definitely has the vintage charm... Listed by Iga Schaffer, McGuire Real Estate, and open Sunday May 17th from 1 to 4pm. Update: Reduced to $1,280,000 - we are surprised this isn't in escrow yet given the location, yard, vintage charm, etc.

321 Corte Madera - hard to find a better deal in Mill Valley- Open Sunday 1-4

Open Sunday from 1pm to 4pm - 321 Corte Madera
This home is turning into one of the best deals in Mill Valley- a great location, walking distance to downtown, surprising amounts of sunlight in this location, and a pretty easy conversion to a single family home. The home was divided into a legal duplex by an owner, but was also remodeled tastefully. The home feels like a new home with all new windows, new appliances, etc. but buyers have not been able to wrap their heads around how to convert it back to a single family home. Right now it has two kitchens, two living rooms, and two laundry areas. Today we walked through and really spent some time figuring out the best way to convert it- and it can be done, adding a large master bedroom, master bath, and walk-in closet pretty easily. This would make it a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home. Because other buyers have not been able to figure out how to make this one work, it has now been reduced to a very competitive price- $1,124,000. Stephanie Witt has the listing and the home is located at 321 Corte Madera in Mill Valley. Update: Reduced to $1,089,000 - for this price we can't find a comparable home in this kind of location.

More positive Trends for real estate in Marin

With some healthy stock market gains for three months and less fear in the business and real estate sector it really looks like sales are picking up in Marin. We have been seeing multiple offers on some well-priced homes, and quick sales on great homes in great locations, like Stephanie Witt's listing at 43 Park Avenue in Mill Valley, which sold just days after listing, and 389 Throckmorton in Mill Valley, which went into escrow within about a week of listing. (see more on 389 Throckmorton below)

Dana Kunz, the Vice President of Business Development at Pacific Union, has been doing a great job analyzing the data recently, and a lot of it can be seen at her blog here.

In this chart, with data compiled at the end of April, you can see that home sales are up again in Marin for the second month this year. Sales in the lower price ranges have been selling briskly, and recent data shows that sales in the $1 Million to $1.5 Million price range have also been picking up. Take a look at Dana's blog for a much more detailed analysis of home sales in Marin, including some local Mill Valley statistics.

Even in this market, this downtown Mill Valley home won't last...

Wow. We just took a look at one of our favorite homes we have seen in Mill Valley- it is in a great location, classy, fun, half a block from the library, two blocks from downtown, and yet feels like it is its own little compound. The owners only bought this home a couple of years ago, and listed it at a very competitive price to get it sold, and we think with all they have done tot he house it will sell fast. 5 beds, 3 baths, 3,260 square feet, and listed at $2,450,000. There are a lot of fun elements to the home- bold use of paint, an upstairs loft/office/exercise room that can only be accessed via steep stairs that alternate and feel like they were made for a ship, guest rooms with built-in beds that would be fun for kids, a fantastic built-in seating area in the kitchen, and a home that seems to just surprise you with each room. The home is listed by Patricia Oxman at Frank Howard Allen and the address is 389 Throckmorton. Even if you are not buying in that price range try to take a look at it because it is a really special home.

Update - looks like this amazing home went into escrow within a week! We will see if it sticks but it was not a surprise to see this in escrow so fast! Update 2- it stuck! Sold in a week!

609 Northern- Mill Valley- "Little City Farms" new home

The owner of this home just finished construction last Fall. He built this home to live it, and it shows, with quality finishes and some really good design choices. Then he got a job in Canada... so no one has ever actually lived in this home. We watched as about 30 people came through this past Sunday and they all loved it. The home is on a great lot in the "Little City Farms" area of Mill Valley. A seasonal creek runs through the backyard, and the home has an amazing master suite and a screening room which could also be used as a great office or playroom for kids. 5 beds, 3.5 baths, 3,150 square feet, and listed at $2,080,000 by Carol Augustus at Pacific Union.