Below is a general breakdown of customary closing costs paid by sellers and buyers in Marin County.
The Seller generally pays for:

real estate commission

document preparation fees for the deed

documentary transfer taxes

payoffs for all loans against the property

judgments, liens, etc. against the seller

recording charges to clear documents of record against the property

prorated taxes

any unpaid HOA dues

any tax [...]

This article concerns itself with the relative price and value of one of Marin’s most affordable towns–Novato. In other parts of California (and certainly across the country), real estate prices are down by 30% and foreclosures sky-rocketing. Yet, such phenomenon are very limited in Marin. In fact, much of Marin is experiencing a remarkably resilient [...]

Overall, the number of active Marin luxury homes rose slightly last month. In the $2 million to $4 million range, the number of active listings bounced up by twenty-two for a total of 145 homes. Eighteen Marin homes sold in this price range last month (and another 19 are currently in escrow–nearly 1/3 of these [...]

Between 1950 and 1975, Joseph Eichler and his company (Eichler Homes) built over 10,000 homes throughout California–including Marin County (Terra Linda and Lucas Valley),The East Bay, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Thousand Oaks, and Granada Hills. Eichler, who was a California-based, post-war builder, sold many of his homes for about $12,000. [...]

The San Rafael housing market has proven to be a mixed bag over the past few months. But, strong on the whole. Inventory has remained steady as there are currently 144 homes on the market–up by 14 from last month. San Rafael’s bread and butter homes (those priced between $750,000 and $900,000) continue to sell [...]

School is back in session and Mill Valley home sales and prices are strong. The inventory of single family homes is down to 69 units from last month’s 85. A mere 14 are currently on the market under $1 million! As always, the commute to San Francisco from Mill Valley via the Golden Gate [...]

The number of homes for sale (inventory) in Marin County, California continues marching upwards. There are 739 active listings (up by 50 from 689 active listings this time last month). As expected, we are seeing a substantial increase in the number of homes on the market this September–due in part to extended marketing periods and [...]

In Novato, more than any place else in Marin, homes MUST BE PRICED FOR TODAY’S MARKET. They must be nicely maintained, updated, and/or located in a desirable neighborhood if they are to going to sell. By all accounts, showings are on the rise. But, it seems there are lots of folks waiting to see what [...]

In Novato, more than any place else in Marin, homes MUST BE PRICED FOR TODAY’S MARKET. They must be nicely maintained, updated, and/or located in a desirable neighborhood if they are to going to sell. By all accounts, showings are on the rise. But, it seems there are lots of folks waiting to see what [...]

The history of Marin County, California is rich and varied. Below is an article written by an early settler recounting his memories of the area as a boy. The article is fascinating and informative. A brief description of the author is included at the end of the article.
Early Roads in Marin by Payne J. Shafter
I see [...]