Short sales and foreclosures are the latest buzz words in the industry and whether you are a buyer or seller it is important to understand what they mean before jumping in. A short sale is a transaction in which a lender allows the real property securing the loan to be sold for less than the remaining mortgage amount due and accepts the proceeds as full payment of the loan. A lender may accept a short sale when the borrower is in severe financial straits and market conditions make a short sale the best choice to mitigate the lender's damages. This saves the lender the costs of foreclosure and the borrower avoids having a foreclosure on his or her credit report.   If you are a homeowner and for a myriad of reasons, are now in the situation that you can't…

Here is a quick, proven guide to how to sell your Marin County, CA home in three days: 

Look at the comparable listings currently for sale and the comparable sales in the last three months. Compare the per square foot value and the amenities like view, yard and condition. Throw out the top one and the bottom one and price at 5% below the current in escrow properties.

Make sure you stage and prepare the home for maximum emotional appeal. You will be competing with many other homes that have done this as well. Take exceptional photos and market to top agent networks and on the internet with the photos. Expose on all possible real estate sites for maximum exposure. Be prepared with answers to any question the buyers may have about the house including…

Currently there are 16 homes on the market of which 6 are in escrow. 10 homes have sold since April 1st at an average price of $1.3 million. In case you don’t remember our last report in March, there were 14 on the market and only one in escrow. The average sold price has stayed the same. Our great neighborhood with its renowned quality of life is increasingly attracting the buyers who want that and an excellent school district.

We just sold a home at 380 Fawn Drive without it ever hitting the market! We get the calls from the agents and buyers who want the inside track on Sleepy Hollow homes and sometimes selling off the market can work best for a seller. 

Currently, we have 227 Van Tassel Ct. listed which is a stunning 5 bedroom home on 3 acres for…

So the market flushed with success in June and July. More sales, inventory of homes available dropped and a generally more optimistic picture of the market for real estate in Marin was upon us. After such a poor first quarter it has inspired sellers to think about selling again.  Now we are in July, heading into August and things have slowed again. Remember that this is vacation time for many Marin residents, both buyers and agents and also some sellers too. We are sure that come mid August there will be more activity and sales will pick up.

We are seeing definite price drops in all areas. While Marin is not as affected by the recession as many areas and we have few foreclosures the few we do have affect the values. Keep in mind that appraisers have to…