Sylvia Barry, Marin Realtor

After the boom the last couple years, homeowners are doing a lot of remodeling of the properties they purchased.

With the newer, high quality, realistic looking vinyl flooring out there, here is a good article about the differences between Luxury Vinyl Flooring vs Tile if you are considering either.

The article talks about the differences in material composition, Durability and maintenance considerations, water and heat resistance capabilities, installation and cost, environmental impact; and last but not least, the resale value and return on investment.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring vs Tile Comparison Explore our in-depth comparison guide on luxury vinyl flooring vs tile to help you decide on the best flooring option for your project, including style & needs.

There are a few ways to look at this ... Good that the property value is up and our cities, towns and counties have more funds for services. The other angle is property owners have to pay more property tax.
Sonoma County's $120.4 billion assessed property value, that's 5.2% higher than last year's record $114 billion in assessed property value.
Petaluma and Santa Rosa have the greatest assessment increases, up 6.3% and 6.2% respectively.
Marin County's property assessed property value is $105.6 billion, a 4.2% increase than last year.

Record property tax collections are expected in 4 local counties Property tax assessments in Sonoma, Solano, Marin and Napa counties have reached record levels, potentially leading to higher taxes for property owners.

If you have ever had or suspect you might have a second mortgage on your home, your might want to check the property title for what encumbrances or liens are listed on the document.

This will let you know if there is still a second mortgage on the title and make sure you are current on the mortgage.

What Is a ‘Zombie Mortgage’? Has your mortgage come back from the dead? It probably wasn’t really gone, it was likely just hiding.

Having been a Realtor and have the front row seat of our Bay Area Real Estate market for the last 20 years; this is so true.

Quite a few people asked me about the market recently; especially with interest rate still lingering high and inventory low.
California’s housing market has gotten hotter with spring here and people are tired of waiting now that homebuying season is upon us!

California Dream for All Program for 1st time homebuyers applications are being accepted now through April 29 at 5 p.m. PST. A randomized drawing will select registrants who will receive the loans - this will not be first come, first served.
Read the details before applying

California first-time homebuyer program application deadline nears First-time homebuyers - the deadline is fast-approaching for California's high-demand loan program that's giving away $150,000.

This is such a beautiful shot of Sausalito, from a different angle than most.

Sausalito California 🌲🇺🇸

Appreciate this beautiful shot of Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco towards the Marin Headlands!

Golden Gate Bridge 🌉

📸: [instagram.com/marcus_aureliuz]

Opportunity for Novato Small Business Owners for Marketing Insights and Networking Event 5:30pm-7pm, Tuesday, April 30th

📣Business Owners: In honor of Small Business Week, we are partnering with the the City of Novato - City Government Economic Development Advisory Commission, Downtown Novato Business Association, and Novato Chamber to provide valuable resources and connections to help our business community thrive.

Celebrate, Mingle & Gain Marketing Insights at our in-person event on Tuesday, April 30, 5:30pm - 7pm at Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue. The evening will include a mini workshop where you will learn tips on how to stay ahead of the curve by understanding current market trends, emerging technologies, industry changes and how to adapt your business marketing strategies accordingly. Enjoy refreshments while networking with other business owners and expert small business advisors. 🛍️

Event is free and welcome to all. Reserve your spot at marinsbdc.org/event/april30.

Some good news - "Federal Reserve policymakers left rates unchanged and projected three quarter-point rate cuts in 2024 as their inflation outlook improved"

Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged and Signals Three Cuts Next Year Federal Reserve policymakers left rates unchanged and projected three quarter-point rate cuts in 2024 as their inflation outlook improved.

Pending Home Sales Fell 1.5% in October. Pending home sales dropped in all four U.S. regions

https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/pending-home-sales-fell-1-5-in-october?

Sausalito at sunrise

Mortgage rates continue their upward climb as daily rates top 8% several times over the past week. This comes as the bond market continues to price in “higher-for-longer” and rates for 10-year notes are quickly approaching 5% after remaining relatively flat through the first half of this year. Despite this, consumers remain a driving force of growth in the U.S. economy, and this was reflected in last month’s labor market statistics for California that kept leisure and hospitality at the fore. Housing supply remains depressed, and this is behind slower home sales in California, but despite the impacts to buyer demand as rates increase, home prices logged their third consecutive year-to-year increase last month.

Back to the warm trend.

6 Kitchen Cabinet Trends You’ll See in 2024, According to Top Manufacturer Planning to refresh your cook space? Check out these of-the-moment design concepts from MasterBrand Cabinets for inspiration before you pick up a hammer.

Unpermitted work can be very costly. This article talks about properties in S.F., but the general principle applies to most municipalities.

If your property has unpermitted work that was done several years ago, even though the contractor might guarantee the work as to up-to-code but just not permitted, by the time this needs to be remedied, the code might have changed and you will need to bring it up to the current code.

How to avoid a costly S.F. home buyer nightmare: Unpermitted work Buyers who discover that unpermitted work was previously performed on their home are...

Love this transformation!

If your sewer lateral is older and need replacement, make sure to apply for Novato Sanitary District's grant of up to $2,500.
My client was the first one received this grant, and we helped tested out the process with NSD!

From NSD "The Lateral Grant Program was designed to help our customers with the cost of replacing their ENTIRE SEWER LATERAL.
Check out this program before you start any work. It could save you up to $2,500 or half the cost of replacement, whichever is less.
✔https://novatosan.com/doing-business/lateral-grant-program/"

Making the decision to move to a 55+ adult living community can be a big one with a lot of factors to consider. Are you looking for an active lifestyle with loads of amenities and opportunities for social connection or a quiet place to relax without a lot of distractions?

Contemplating a 55+ Community? Making the decision to move to a 55+ active adult living community can be a big one with a lot of factors to consider.

Vegetable Garden in your backyard or front yard even.

Now THAT’S a vegetable garden! 😁🌱

Really love what KC Turner has done for our town and the music scene. Watched him since he started out 10 years ago and have been impressed by how hard he worked!
Nice to see KC Turner Presents scheduled 5 straight shows with at least 3 Sold Out already!

There are so many things we can do with our Smart Phone now a days.
Want to redecorate your home? Whether you’re looking to give your living room a quick refresh or want to completely revamp your home, these five apps can help you get started. Create a stunning look without blowing your budget — no professional interior designer needed.

5 Apps to Redecorate Your Home with Your Phone SHARE Whether you’re looking to give your living room a quick refresh or want to completely revamp your home, these five apps can help you get started. Create a stunning look without blowing your budget — no professional interior designer needed.

Want to learn how Community Land Trust works and how that can benefit local community by providing affordable housing and sustainable housing development, putting land and housing into community ownership?
Join us at the Housing and Transportation committee of the Marin County Commission on Aging meeting to hear Pam Dorr, Executive Director of the Community Land Trust of West Marin, speak about CLT, local CLTs, and CLAM projects.
Dan Steckline, Program Coordinator of the Marin County Long-Term Ombudsman Program will also provide update on County's Ombudsman program.
The meeting is scheduled for 1pm, Wednesday, 07/19. Please PM me or email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

Marin County from the Air!
See all that great outdoors Marin has to offer!

Marin from the Air

From the importance of curb appeal that gives the most important first impression to how to beautify your yard to expand your living space from inside out, here are some quick tips on what potential mistakes might be and how to remedy them.

Solutions to the 30 Biggest Landscaping Mistakes Learn how to avoid common landscaping blunders and how to remedy the ones that may already be creeping into your yard.

From series.

Visit Marin! You only live once "It's been said, 'you only live once, but, if you do it right, once is enough.'We'll drink to that.Visit Marin--Just a little out there"

Yes, Marin County home prices continue to creep back up.

Jordan Levine, Chief Economist of CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® explains one of the major reasons why the housing inventory is low right now - the 'Lock-In Effect'. Basically, the low interest rate mortgage homeowners have been enjoying is preventing them from listing their homes for sale because they don't want to exchange into a house with higher interest rate. This has kept inventory extremely tight, Jordans said, With that, we expect "prices to continue to rise on a month-to-month basis for the next few months because of the shortage of homes for sale." Even with lower homebuyer demand, we still have more buyers than sellers. This imbalance of supply and demand has kept the median price up every month this year.

Marin real estate: Median home price creeps up to $1.79M The county’s figure for May was the latest in a series of month-over-month gains, but the market remains below the $2 million threshold it broke last spring.

"Driving the lack of listing activity is what realtors call the “mortgage lock-in effect”: When mortgage rates are high, property owners, who likely have a lower mortgage rate, are hesitant to sell and take on a new mortgage unless they really have to."

Homes for sale in the Bay Area are at their lowest level in 20 years. Here’s why Over the past year, the Bay Area saw its lowest number of homes listed for sale in at...

Since Marin is so close to Wineries around the region, I thought some of you would be interested in this home, which was built by Don and Nancy Sebastiani in 2012. The property is just down the road from Sebastiani Winery, founded in 1904 by Samuele Sebastiani. The Sebastiani Winery played a pivotal role in establishing Sonoma as one of the world’s premiere wine regions.

Winery family’s Sonoma home listed for record $15 million. Here’s a peek inside Don and Nancy Sebastiani’s four-bedroom, 10-bathroom “Fleur de Lys Estate” is 11,892 square feet. If sold for asking price, it would be the most expensive home sale on record in the city of Sonoma.

One of the top topics in real estate is the Homeowner Insurance Policies – It is official that State Farm stopped writing new homeowner insurance policies in California, Allstate announced the same a week later; similar to what happened to many areas in CA after major wildfires, now to the entire state.

We anticipate fewer insurers with higher premiums for now. It is important to develop strategies early in the purchase process to minimize the effect, allowing more time to find insurance (Farmers and AAA come to mind, and the FAIR Plan) and consider the effect of higher PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) on your monthly payment.
https://news.yahoo.com/allstate-state-farm-wont-offer-120428467.html

estate

Allstate and State Farm Won't Offer Homeowners Insurance in California—Here's Why The growing trend could affect more than just California residents.