Marketing luxury homes requires attention to detail and unique resources and talents. Frank Howard Allen Realtors? inclusion in the Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection?s stable of extraordinary property purveyors underscores the esteemed regard of Frank Howard Allen Realtors in the real estate community, and more importantly, provides tangible and unique benefits to sellers and buyers of Marin’s finest homes.
The luxury properties featured in this esteemed network are among the most exclusive in the world and include fine homes ranging from traditional homes here in Marin, to sweeping estates, to exotic retreats, to country manors, and urban pied-a-terres. Of the 1,000 most expensive homes in the United States, 250 of them are in the Luxury Portfolio network.
Sellers of Marin Luxury Homes and Estates
Luxury property marketing is a world unlike that of general home sales. And Frank Howard Allen Realtors is at the forefront of marketing such exclusive homes. Our listings are marketed not just in Marin County (indeed, local newspaper advertising is a relic of the past), but across the internet on sites such as fhallen.com, luxuryportfolio.com, and dozens of affiliate sites across the globe. 
Inclusion in the Frank Howard Allen Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection places your home in front of an elite, targeted audience of agents and buyers all over the world, including North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Pacific Islands. This high-powered international real estate network participates in more million-dollar-plus luxury home transactions than any other real estate organization.
Frank Howard Allen Realtors is also a member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, comprised of the best-known and most respected local and regional independent real estate names in the business, with annual sales exceeding $400 billion?more than any other real estate organization.
Through its relationship with RELO Direct, Inc., the premier relocation management company in the United States, Frank Howard Allen Realtors can provide a full menu of relocation services to corporations and their employees, as well as individuals who are moving into or out of the North Bay. The mission of the network is to aggregate the finest companies representing the gold standard of service for relocation business for the financial and strategic benefit of its affiliates, partners, and most importantly, its clients.
Buyers of Marin Luxury Homes and Estates
Finding the right Marin County luxury home?the perfect home to match your lifestyle?is no easy task. Extraordinary people expect extraordinary homes and outstanding customer support. Kyle Frazier and Frank Howard Allen Realtors make that search enjoyable and rewarding.
By partnering with the very best luxury home network in the world, Kyle can connect you with sellers of homes that meet your criteria. You can search the Multiple Listing Service via Kyle?s direct link into the service used by local realtors. You can save properties and searches through Kyle?s Property Organizer (we will even notify you by e-mail of any new listings that match your saved search criteria).
In addition, Frank Howard Allen Realtors? partnership with Luxury Portfolio allows you to search homes in different parts of the country and the world. For example, one of Kyle?s clients recently decided to buy a second home (a winter vacation home) in Arizona and Kyle was able to connect his client with a great agent (also a Certified Residential Specialist) who also believes in providing first class services?Kyle?s clients love their vacation home (a sprawling ranch) outside Tucson.
Kyle Frazier is a broker associate and Certified Residential Specialist. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a view or waterfront property in Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, a Kent Woodlands estate, a Queen Anne in the Forbes area of San Rafael, a private retreat in Ross, or something wonderful in Novato (such as the new construction in Renaissance at Stonetree, an expansive lot in Rush Creek, or horse property in Indian Valley). Call Kyle at (415) 350?9440 with any questions you may have regarding the state of the market or your specific circumstances?it is always a pleasure to be of service.
The following is a brief rundown of the absorption rates and trends (based on last month?s numbers) in Marin County:
Current Absorption Rates (single family homes):
| City/Town |
Month?s Inventory |
Up or Down? |
| Sausalito |
4.6 |
Up 1.9 |
| Mill Valley |
1.9 |
Up .6 |
| Tiburon |
2.3 |
Down .3 |
| Belvedere |
4.8 |
Up 2.5 |
| Corte Madera |
1.1 |
Down 1 |
| Larkspur |
1.4 |
Down .8 |
| Greenbrae |
.9 |
Down .2 |
| Kentfield |
2.8 |
Up .9 |
| Ross |
3.3 |
Up .6 |
| San Anselmo |
2.4 |
Up .4 |
| San Rafael |
2.3 |
Up .3 |
| Novato |
3.9 |
Up .6 |
As the chart reflects, absorption rates are very low in most Marin towns. Inventory has increased over the past month, as we enter into the buying season between school years. Marin County currently has 920 active listings, up by about 273 from a month ago). Belvedere?s 4.8 months of housing inventory is highest in the County, followed by Sausalito, Novato, and Ross. At the low end of inventory is Greenbrae with just under a month?s worth of inventory. Corte Madera and Larkspur are also seeing very low inventory and lots of interest in new listings.
Generally speaking, when the absorption rate is under 3 months, we consider the market one that favors the sellers. When the absorption rate is between 3 to 6 months, you have a more balanced market. Once you get above 6 months, however, prices tend to make meaningful strides downward. This information, in conjunction with other market statistics, is useful for buyers and sellers to help determine the relative status of the real estate market in Marin or elsewhere. If you would like to discuss the interplay of statistics and market strength, please e-mail Kyle Frazier at [email protected]
*Note: If your town?s absorption rate is not sampled above, or if you would like information on condominiums, please call me at (415) 350-9440 or go to NorthBayRE.com. If you would like to discuss how the absorption rate reflects the overall state of the market in general, or in your neighborhood, give me a call.
Marin County, California, sits just north of San Francisco?s Golden Gate Bridge, straddling Highway 101, and boasts some of the most valuable real estate in the Bay Area. Homes for sale in Marin County (cities and towns include: Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael and Novato) have, by and large, maintained their value over the past 2 years.
Warmth radiates from this very private, spacious home in one of Novato’s most desirable neighborhoods. Sweeping views, along with all-afternoon sun, sizable and irrigated raised gardens, make this home a real delight.
Four bedrooms and 2 baths. Large Kitchen with eat-in area and lots of space-saving slide out shelving. Separate Dining Room (currently used as a Library). Lots of new touches, including fireplace insert, paint, tile, garage door and opener, fencing, landscaping, irrigation, and more.
This is a truly great home for entertaining and/or family activities. The fully fenced and very private grassy front yard is a dream come true. Top-rated Pleasant Valley Elementary School.
For more information, call Kyle Frazier (Frank Howard Allen Realtors, Marin) at 415/350?9440. Or, visit 65SantaMaria.com.
If you would like to learn more about this delightful home or set up an appointment to see it, please call Kyle Frazier, the listing agent, at (415) 350-9440.
Kyle Frazier, J.D., Broker Associate, CRS
Frank Howard Allen Realtors
Email: [email protected]
Mill Valley home sales and real estate values continue their strong run. The ease of the commute to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge, along with pleasant weather, keeps prices and sales strong. Mill Valley continues to be the place people in San Francisco generally start with when they decide to move to the Marin County.
The bread and butter homes of Mill Valley are priced between $1 million and $1.5 million and sell fast so long as they are nicely maintained, updated, and/or located in the most desirable neighborhoods–there were 17 of these homes sold in May 2007. As with the rest of Marin, homes priced aggressively may get multiple offers—note: the winning bid (which is not always the highest bid) is likely to be at asking price or just above (unlike the frenzied market of several years ago when overbids were in the stratosphere). Some homes have received as many as 5-8 offers over the past month. Homes priced in the $2 million – $4 million range have stalled somewhat (with just 18% in escrow).
Mill Valley homes that sold during the past month (there were 41 home sales, compared with 42 in April 2007) averaged 67 days on market (up significantly from last month), for an average price of about $1.5 million (about $676 per square foot). In the under $1 million price range there is less than two month’s worth of inventory on the market. Homes in Almonte, Strawberry, Sycamore Park, Blithedale and Cascade Canyons continue to be in high demand.
|
Price Range
|
Total Homes
|
Pending Listings
|
|
Up to $800K
|
7 (down 1)
|
30% (down 8%)
|
|
$800K – $1 mil.
|
13 (down 4)
|
43% (down 3%)
|
|
$1 mil. – 1.5 mil.
|
22 (down 18)
|
40% (same)
|
|
$1.5 mil. – $2 mil.
|
17 (down 4)
|
37% (up 9%)
|
|
$2 mil. – $4 mil.
|
18 (down 5)
|
18% (down 16%)
|
|
$4 mil. & Up
|
2 (same)
|
0% – no change
|
Like most of Marin County’s real estate markets, the San Rafael market is performing admirably. The bread and butter homes of San Rafael are priced between $750,000 and $900,000. These homes continue to sell fairly quickly (although the definition of “fairly quickly” has been extended over the past couple of years). In fact, 30 of these homes sold last month, comprising a vast majority of the total of homes sold (there were a total of 48 homes sold last month in San Rafael). San Rafael homes priced in the $1 million – $1.5 million range continue selling at a respectable pace (33% are in escrow–down from 47% last month). As always, homes that are nicely maintained, updated, and/or located in the most desirable neighborhoods continue to sell briskly.
Homes that sold during the past month (again, there were 48 home sales, which is down by 2 from April 2007) averaged about 50 days on market (note that active homes have been on the market an average of over 50 days–underscoring the need to price homes right at the outset), for an average price of about $923,000 (about $494 per square foot). Current absorption rates are lowest (indicating the lowest inventory relative to demand) in the $1 million to $1.5 million price range. The strongest micro-climate markets include Glenwood, The Dominican, Terra Linda, Marinwood, and Upper Lucas Valley.
|
Price Range
|
Total Homes
|
Pending Listings
|
|
Up to $800K
|
46 (down 18)
|
29%
|
|
$800K – $1 mil.
|
41 (up 9)
|
21%
|
|
$1 mil. – 1.5 mil.
|
16 (down 4)
|
33%
|
|
$1.5 mil. – $2 mil.
|
12 (up 2)
|
14%
|
|
$2 mil. & Up
|
19 (up 2)
|
0%
|
This year, Marin County homeowners in unincorporated areas may take advantage of an amnesty program for un-permitted second units (so-called ?Granny Units?). The goal of the program is to increase the number of housing units and ensure that the units are in good order and meet basic living requirements. 
The criteria to take advantage of this program (which puts the price of the process at 1/2 that of normal) includes:
- The unit must have been built before June 3, 2003;
- Units must be a certain size (between 220 sq. ft. and 750 sq. ft.);
- Owners of the home must live there (the owner’s primary residence can be either the main home or second unit);
- Heat, light, ventilation, a kitchen, and a bathroom must all be in place;
- Must have a separate entrance, parking, and adequate sewage disposal;
- Only one extra unit per parcel.
While only a few owners have taken advantage of the program, more are expected to apply later in the year as owners hire contractors to meet the requirements, etc. Indeed, other amnesty programs by Marin cities have been very successful as the cost of permits can regularly be in the tens of thousands. Mill Valley?s amnesty program in 2004-2005 was very successful. San Rafael has also struck a deal with the Marin Municipal Water District reducing connection costs for second units.
In addition to saving money, owners also are exposed to relaxed standards relating to second units. For example, septic systems need only be ?adequate? and need not meet the current standards applicable to remodels and new construction. Parking requirements are also relaxed and more realistic. Also worth noting, the reduced costs under the amnesty program will also apply to new second units, but the new units will nonetheless need to meet current code requirements.
Once the program is over, the County has stated that it intends to go after the owners of illegal units. So, if you have an un-permitted second unit, now is the time to make it legal. You can apply by heading down to the Community Development Agency, Room 308, at the Marin Civic Center. You can also find more information by clicking on the County?s website (there are also workshops homeowners may attend).
The thin opening of the Golden Gate at San Francisco Bay was missed by untold numbers of ship captains for hundreds of years. Historical renditions vary, but it appears that after some Spanish soldiers discovered the San Francisco Bay via an overland route from Monterey, a tiny ship was dispatched to find the access point.
Upon entering the Bay and seeing a land formation resembling a shark, which also happened to be surrounded by sharks, the peninsula was named Punta del Tiburon (Shark Point). The boatload of Spanish soldiers were greeted by Miwok Indians—petroglyph remnants of the tribe can still be found on rock outcroppings.
After Mexico won freedom from Spain, it took possession of Spain’s California holdings and began to parcel it out to settlers who were Catholic, spoke Spanish, agreed to live on the land, and were loyal to Mexico. Soon thereafter, an Irishman named John Reed was granted rights to Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley (a large portion), Corte Madera, and Larkspur (up to Corte Madera Creek). His family held on to the land after the United States was granted rights to California in 1848.
The Tiburon Peninsula rapidly became a hub for rail and ferries and barges. Timber from Marin helped build San Francisco, especially after the 1906 earthquake. Also, the Tiburon Peninsula was home to horse, cattle, and dairy farms, packing plants for cod caught in Alaska, explosives manufacturers, kilns, and more. Although the railways and most remnants of the rail system and Navy use are gone, ferry service is now again a popular way for commuters and tourists to get to San Francisco.
The Reed landholdings were largely broken up after WWII. Joseph Eichler built a large tract of homes in Strawberry. Belveron Gardens also was built. Such homes sold for $12,500. Today, construction on the peninsula is limited primarily to remodels, with desirable parcels (and their associated tear down homes) selling for at least $1 million. Paradise Cay, with its lovely homes with private docks, is the last major landfill development on the peninsula—and is also home to the Tiburon Yacht Club.
Tiburon’s Main Street has suffered two great fires, destroying the majority of shops—one in 1890 and another in 1921 (which started when an alcohol brewing still in an “ice cream” shop blew up during prohibition). In a related vein, today’s Sam’s Anchor Cafe, with a lively outdoor eating and drinking patio on the water, had a trap door during prohibition through which liquor could be discretely transported. And when government inspectors came around, by train of course, the saloon owners were notified by telegraph so that when the inspectors arrived they would see only prayer meetings.
Tiburon’s wonderful bike paths are the product of the railways—it was a simple task to remove the rails in the 1960’s and later put down asphalt. These bike and jogging paths remain hugely popular today. In addition, when the County and State dropped plans to build a highway out to the end of the peninsula, Tiburon gained access to land that is now being used for soccer fields (McKegney Green), South of the Knoll Park, and some extra space for Blackie’s Pasture (Blackie was a well loved horse).
The number of homes for sale (inventory) continues its upward trend?countywide, there are 719 active listings (up from 647 active listings this time last month). The high point (in terms of the sheer number of homes for sale in Marin County) will likely be next month. While the number of homes for sale has gone up, it is still very low historically (especially in Greenbrae, which has only 8 active listings).
The graph below breaks down the current number of homes for sale in Marin County, California, as of May 1, 2007, along with the price ranges for each town/city. Also included is an arrow noting whether inventory is up or down over the past month:
Marin Single Family Homes For Sale
|
Town/City
|
Homes for Sale
(Active Listings)
|
Price Range
|
|
Sausalito
|
29 ? up 1 unit
|
$618,000-$11 million
|
|
Belvedere
|
17 ? up 3 units
|
$2.195 million-$18 million
|
|
Tiburon
|
50 ? up 7 units
|
$1,050,000-$13.95 million
|
|
Mill Valley
|
79 ? up 19 units
|
$649,000-$7.975 million
|
|
Larkspur
|
14 ? up 1 unit
|
$765,000-$2.8 million
|
|
Corte Madera
|
15 ? down 3 units
|
$845,000-$2.2 million
|
|
Greenbrae
|
6 ? down 2
|
$769,000-$1.85 million
|
|
Kentfield
|
28 ? up 4 units
|
$575,000-$15.95 million
|
|
Ross
|
14 ? down 2 units
|
$799,000-$22 million
|
|
San Anselmo
|
44 ? up 12 units
|
$639,000-$3.45 million
|
|
San Rafael
|
132 ? up 11 units
|
$469,000-$4.745 million
|
|
Novato
|
197 ? up 18 units
|
$550,000-$9.25 million
|
Some observations: The lowest priced home in Tiburon is over $1 million (a modest home in Bel Air Estates). If you want to live in Belvedere, you?ll need more than $2 million to buy at the entry level, with the average price being just under $5.6 million (that?s about $1500 sq. ft.); on the other hand, San Rafael and Novato offer a total of 68 homes under $750,000 (up by 14 homes from last month). The market has been very strong in Southern Marin in the entry level, especially Tiburon, Larkspur, and Corte Madera. Novato homes are selling at a slightly slower pace, but overall sales figures are impressive. Historically low inventory continues, as prices rise?the median price for Marin homes was again over $ 1million last month.
If you desire a more specific analysis of your neighborhood, please give me a call at (415) 350-9440.
