Marin Real Estate

The city of Novato was named the the "Best Affordable Suburb in California" by Sperling's BestPlaces. Novato is definitely the most affordable spot in Marin. In addition, Sperling ranks it high because of factors like low crime and good schools. If you are thinking about moving to Novato, this 3.5 minute video is worth a look.
This story is reprinted with permission from BlogbytheBay.com, Ginger Wilcox's Marin Real Estate Blog.

Ginger Wilcox is a residential real estate agent with Pacific Union in Marin County, CA. For more information about real estate and life in Marin, visit Ginger’s Marin Real Estate Blog.

As 2007 closes out, here are my predictions for Marin Real Estate in 2008:

• Throughout Marin county, sales volume will pick up substantially in the spring.  Both buyers and sellers waiting for the shakeout of the mortgage industry will  jump back in to the action.
• Sellers in most southern and central Marin cities will be in the best position to put their homes on the market in the first half of the year.
• Sellers in Novato and parts of San Rafael need to be very realistic and aggressively priced to sell their homes.  Hang on -2008 will still be rough.
• Buyers looking in Southern and Central Marin may have a difficult time finding good properties in the first quarter.  Despite all the news reports, it is still a seller's market in many areas because there are not enough homes on the market.
• The "sweet spot" for sellers is the $2,000,000-$2,500,000 price point, particularly Southern and Central Marin.  Buyers out looking in this price point just can't find decent homes in this range.
• Well priced properties that are properly prepared for sale (staged!) will sell in 2008.  Pricing and preparation are everything.
• Buyers looking for a "deal" need to expect to do some work, and be very patient!

The majority of news about Marin Real Estate is all bad.  The latest article in the Marin IJ is titled "Wealthy Marin not immune to foreclosure crisis".  The article focus on short-sales and foreclosures in Marin.  Are they happening?  Absolutely!   According to Dataquick, mortgages were least likely to go into default in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties.  Notices of Default were definitely up- 89 in Q3 2006 as compared to 172 in Q3 2007.  It is an issue, but  the reality isn't as negative as you would think. 

The SF Chronicle came out with article today about the mortgage crunch and its impact on the Bay Area. Things are changing rapidly in the mortgage market and some people are panicking.

So are are we in a crisis?  It is a wild ride and the market is probably going to be a little shaky for the next few weeks as the dust settles from it.   If you are buying or refinancing now, here are a few tips to help you through:

Like all professions, not all real estate agents are created equal. This blog explores what to look for and avoid when you are looking for a real estate agent.

Hire a REALTOR®- First of all, what is this all capital REALTOR® stuff? Why a REALTOR® instead of a real estate agent? In a nutshell, a REALTOR® subscribes to a strict Code of Ethics and they are governed by them. Ethics are a good thing when hiring an agent!

Making a move from San Francisco to Marin can be daunting, especially if you have children or are planning to have them in the near future.  There is a lot to consider.  First steps…