Marin Luxury Homes Report (December 2008)
Marin County, California, Luxury Homes Report (December 2008–Sales and Inventory Analysis) Ponzi schemes, equity markets, banking woes, mounting unemployment, diminished home values and equity, generalized fear, and a palpable spending paralysis continue to weigh down and negatively impact luxury real estate sales in Marin County, California. I struggle to find the appropriate adjective to describe Marin County’s current luxury home market. Torpid? Sluggish? Drowsing? You get the idea. The same holds true nationwide as caution and prudence carry the day (click here to view the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing’s Housing Report dated 12/12/08).
There are 85 homes on the market between $2 million and $4 million. As predicted in last month’s update, November sales slowed significantly following the mid-September meltdown in the financial sector–there were only 5 sales (down from 19 in October). Each of the following cities or towns had one sale: Mill Valley, San Rafael, Tiburon, Belvedere, and Kentfield. The average days on market for the homes that sold was 80 days and the average sales price was just over $2.58 million (roughly $849 per square foot), with an average of 3,209 square feet. Belvedere and Tiburon have 5 and 3 homes, respectively, currently in escrow.
Marin Cities & Towns |
$2 Million — $4 Million |
$4 Million & Up |
||
Active |
Pending |
Active |
Pending |
|
Sausalito |
6 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Belvedere |
7 |
3 |
9 |
0 |
Tiburon |
24 |
5 |
11 |
0 |
Mill Valley |
15 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Larkspur |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Corte Madera |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Kentfield |
8 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Greenbrae |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Ross |
5 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
San Anselmo |
11 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
San Rafael |
10 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Novato |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
The above graph identifies the numbers of active listings and homes in contract in the Marin County luxury and ultra-luxury home market segments. Note that all homes in contract are included in the category “Pending” even though some are technically “Contingent” properties (e.g., the buyers have not removed all contingencies). This information is limited to Marin County’s Highway 101 corridor towns and cities that consistently maintain a monthly inventory of luxury and ultra-luxury homes (Western Marin coastal homes are not included). Call Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Broker Associate, Frank Howard Allen Realtors of Marin, at 415/350-9440 for more luxury home market information. You can also e-mail Kyle at mailto:[email protected].