To Buy or To Rent? That is the Question.  

After the economic downturn of 2008 many people were far too nervous about the depreciation of realty that buying was out of the question. In recent polls by the home realty site Zillow the popularity of buying is exceeding that of renting in most metropolitan areas. “In more than 75% of the 200 metro areas analyzed, homeowners would reach a “breakeven point” in three years or less”.  All in all this means that financially, owning your home makes more sense than renting if you plan on sticking around for at least a few years. Over the past year (2012) alone rents around the nation have risen 5%. The survey was Zillow’s first buy-versus-rent analysis, incorporating all homeownership costs, including down…

As all locals know, Marin County is chock full of incredible hiking trails, breathtaking redwood forests, flourishing valleys, and rolling hills. To top it all off this fortunate community is located on the Western Pacific coastline as well as the San Francisco Bay. Whether you’re an avid cyclist or sea boat captain this county really does have something for everyone. Unfortunately, though the beach boys would have you believe otherwise, not everyone can ride their surfboards to school or wake up to the sound of waves lapping against the sand. Beachfront property is a rare commodity in these parts. There are only so many water front lots and even fewer owners willing to give up that luxury. Luckily, if you are in the search of that perfect home that…

Check out which Frank Howard Allen Homes in Marin County are open this weekend. 

We have two listing that will be open on Sunday from 2-4pm.  Come by and say hello.

408 Biscayne Drive, San Rafael - $2,925,000 4bed/5.5bath Stunning Peacock Gap Home

181 Oak Drive, San Rafael - $1,479,000 3bed/2bath Beach Front Property

Further questions and inquiries about properties in your area visit MarinRealEstate.net

181 Oak Drive, San Rafael CA 94901

Dramatic setting with your own private beach! Set in an amazing enclave of homes this property has gorgeous views of the Bay and extends to the water, a beach fondly known as Pine Cove.  Drift asleep to the sound of waves, watch the gulls and shore birds circle, launch a kayak or paddleboard from your backyard.

This home has a nautical feel with charming touches throughout. There are three bedrooms and two and a half baths on three levels, decks with panoramic views are attached to each floor. The remodeled master has floor to ceiling windows with its own fireplace. Awake bathed in sunlight and surrounded by beauty!

There is an open living room and formal dining area with exposed beamed ceilings and gorgeous…

Home Values Rise for the first time in Five Years.

A CNN article  today expressed optimism in the in the increasing success of the home market across the country. Although some major metropolitan areas are still stricken with declining values, nationwide home values rose 0.2% year-over-year to a median $149,300 during the second quarter of this year. This is the first annual increase since 2007, real estate listing site Zillow reported that prices were up 2.1% from the first quarter. Even though June marked the fourth consecutive month of value increase, over all they are still down 24% from April 2007, when Zillow started tracking them. "It seems clear that the country has hit a bottom in home values," said Zillow's chief economist Stan Humphries. "The…

Our Sleepy Hollow newsletter just went out this week.  If you are not on our mailing list we thought to post here.  Take a look at the Sleepy Hollow Real Estate Market.

The Hollow inventory is very low with 7 homes on the market; 3 of those homes are in escrow.  Of the 8 homes over $1.4 million; 3 are currently active, 2 are in escrow and 5 have sold since March 1st 2012.  We are seeing a growing demand for homes in the Hollow which is a direct result of low inventory throughout Marin.  When buyers can't find what they want in Kentfield and Mill Valley the next place they look is Sleepy Hollow only to discover the tremendous value.

We just sold 140 Fawn Drive, a classic Hollow property on almost 2 acres of flat land with a beautiful pool and…

Wealth, Wisdom, and Prosperiety with these Feng Shui Home Basics!

Exploring the ancient tradition of Feng Shui we discovered the truly complex and intricate principles that govern the vibe of one’s home.  Feng Shui is about interpreting environments. Practitioners use a number of different approaches to connect with the energy or “feel” of a place, and fine-tune it to make it work for those living and working there. The theories of Feng Shui involve a very holistic view of life in which the heaven, earth, and entities of life are part of one system.

The goal of Feng Shui is to work toward achieving harmonious order with each other, ourselves, and the natural world. This philosophy is called the Way or the Tao. In order to achieve harmony, balance must…

As the hot weather sinks in and the fog creeps away everyone wants to get as much sun-drenched time in as possible. With this in mind we have compiled a list of the Bay Area's most favored beaches. Click on the name of each beach to follow individual writeups.

Also, now that June gloom has passed, check out the link below for great outdoor and indoor activities around the county!

Ronnie's Awesome List or Your Piece of Marin  

Abbotts Lagoon Beach

A one-and-a-half mile hike takes you over bridges and sand dunes to this beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore. It's home to many shorebirds, including the endangered snowy plover. A great beach for playing in the sand, but not for swimming due to dangerous surf and rip currents.

Angel…

When we get a listing that is vacant we almost always recommend staging the property.  Home Staging is the preparation of a home to sell by a trained professional who specializes in understanding the buyer demographic and preparing homes to sell. There is a vast difference between a home that was simply de-cluttered and cleaned and one that was professionally staged! Creating the “model home” look is not easily achieved without the help of someone who does this everyday for a living. Staging really helps with marketing the condition of the home and shows it in it's best light. 

 When working with realtors it important to know what you’re getting yourself into. How much they are going to spend on staging can seriously add to your overall expenditure when…