Question about properties in Marin County (San Francisco, San Rafael: real estate market, apartment, renting)

[Nm123]

Am working with a realtor in Marin County and some of the properties she has sent me are just...well no words. Most of these properties were built from 1916 to 1936 and look it but that is within my price range since Marin is so expensive. The properties are in Novato, Fairfax, San Rafael and Mill Valley...my question.... are these places mixed e.g. some expensive properties mixed in with these older places or or some of these cities on the down slide? Know of course depends on neighborhood but usually in most places neighborhoods are mixed...the point is would not want to improve some property when surrounding area is in decline. Yes have to move to Marin because of job.

[tanglenet]

If your realtor is not answering these questions, you are working with the wrong realtor. If you do not like the places you can afford, I would also change your mindset about buying and considering renting if you "have to" live in Marin.

[Nm123]

Of course have talked with realtor but actually thought would get some honest answers on this site but alas all I get are rude responses ......cause all of you are sooooooo cool.

[mayorhaggar]

I don't really get your question because your sentences are goofy but I have seen 1 bedroom shacks in Sausalito that were selling for a million bucks...nuff said.

Most parts of the Bay Area I find that prices are generally high and don't really vary a lot, but prices will be higher of course for a place that is much bigger and/or is newer with newer amenities. Somewhere like Rockridge is all single-story craftsman houses built on the same size lots, with a small number of two story houses and apartment buildings mixed in.

[OrangeCoriander]

I don't really understand exactly what the poster is asking, either, but it was suggested he talk to his realtor. After all, isn't the realtor being paid to know about the neighborhood and pull comparables and give you statistics on the neighborhoods? Just as you said on this thread and another one, Marin is very expensive. I've been reading this forum for months and I don't recall many posters talking about Marin, so I might assume there just aren't many of us living there--because it is crazy expensive, after all. If you truly don't see anything you wish to buy, consider renting until you find exactly what you're looking for.

[CarlosAtun]

Many of the houses you may be looking at particularly in Fairfax and Mill Valley were probably originally built as summer cottages/cabins for people who came over from San Francisco in the summer for warmer, fogless weather. In the pre-Golden Gate Bridge era those houses were located near the train line that ran to the Sausalito ferry. Center Blvd. from Fairfax to San Anselmo and Miller Ave. in Mill Valley were formerly the train track. Nothing wrong with them, just not modern McMansions but they are located in established, convenient neighborhoods and have a certain charm.

Marin real estate is costly per square foot and lots are small for a variety of reasons. Proximity to SF for employment, abundant natural beauty, lots of outdoor recreational opportunities, and good schools make the county appealing to many, but the lack of developable land (most of the county is parkland, open space, ag zoning, or watershed) and limited water supply dependent on rainwater held in local reservoirs mean that there haven't been large cookie cutter housing developments built in decades.

Hope this helps explain the situation. Basic economics - supply and demand. Neighborhoods are not in decline. It is unfortunate that many local real estate agents are not long time residents and have not familiarized themselves with the history of the county.

[haltseven]

It's astonishing what you can buy for a million bucks in Marin. The key to understanding the Marin real estate market is that the land is priceless, not the homes on the land. There's a lot of funky, awry and flat out maligned architecture around here. As another poster noted, a lot of the older homes were originally meant to be little summer shacks. There's quite a bit of really whacked ugly 70's architecture, especially in the hills of Southern Marin. There are also unbelievably cute craftsman homes and jaw-dropping contemporary designs. The mantra to all of this is that you are paying out the nose to live in a county that consists of 90% protected land that YOU get to play in! Who cares what the house looks like, if you love the outdoors?

I would suggest against purchasing on busy thoroughfares, just because those tend to be spots that stay lowest in cost.