Group Marin's Blog

Thank you George Lucas for your Community Spirit and Generosity

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:23:15 +0000

For everyone who travels the Miracle Mile every day, you can’t help but admire the handsome stone building across from United Market, now home to Amazing Grace Music. George Lucas, who lives nearby, rescued Amazing Grace from their dilapidated 1936 building, purchased the property, and set in motion a major renovation of the median that separates east and west traffic on the Miracle Mile. Not only did he build a new home for Amazing Grace Music, he moved it further down on the median and completely landscaped the area using a local landscape architect, Blasen Landscape Design.

The Miracle Mile is a main thoroughfare for the residents of San Rafael, San Anselmo, Fairfax and West Marin. It starts at the West End Village of San Rafael where 3rd and 4th Streets converge and ends in San Anselmo at the intersection by United Market and where the Amazing Grace Music Building is located. From 1902 to the 1940′s North Pacific Coast Railroad had tracks on the swath of land that now divides East and West traffic on the Miracle Mile connecting San Anselmo to the Sausalito Ferry. The purchase and renewal of this piece of property by George Lucas is significant to the residents of Marin who travel the Miracle Mile each day. We sit in traffic at a major intersection where the Amazing Grace Building was in total disrepair and the landscaping was non-existent.
I’m sure Mr. Lucas gets asked all the time to contribute to the many fund raisers and non-profits in Marin . We’re lucky that he cares about the community where he lives and contributes enormously to Marin’s economic vitality. If you need one more reason to move to Marin, George Lucas is it
Information provided by Janis Peterson Realtor, Marin Modern

Sherri Belluomini, 415 497-2884

Fabulous Location

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:38:11 +0000

WWW.150SEMINARYDRIVE.COM

Sherri Belluomini

415 497-2884

America’s Cup 2013

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:25:50 +0000

Marin County welcomes the 34th America’s Cup Competition coming to San Francisco Bay in 2013

Welcome to the Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau America’s Cup webpage. The Marin CVB and the lodging community of Marin would like to extend a warm welcome to the Louis Vuitton Cup – America’s Cup Challenger Series; sailing teams and staff, press and media, and visitors to Marin County for this prestigious sailing race.

We will continue to update this webpage as a resource for information on the America’s Cup being held on San Francisco Bay in 2013, and races prior to the event in 2012.

visitmarin.org

Sherri Belluomini

415 497-2884

Finding the Value of a Home Through the Internet

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:48:53 +0000

Question: Can I find out the value of my home through the Internet?

Answer: You can get some idea of your home’s value by searching the Internet. A number of Web sites and services crunch the numbers from historic public records of home sales to produce the statistics. Some services offer an actual estimate of value based on acceptable software appraisal standards. They also depend on historic home sales records to calculate the estimate.
Neither of these services produces official appraisals. They also don’t factor in market nuances or other issues a certified appraiser or real estate professional might in assessing the value of your home.

Sherri Belluomini 415 497.2884

Upcoming Events -Tiburon Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Please join us for the March Mixer at The Boathouse, 35 Main Street, Tiburon on Wednesday, March 28 from 5:30 to 7 pm. Members $10.00. Non-members $15.00. We look forward to seeing you there.

Some other not to miss events in March:

The 33rd Opera Night at Servino Ristorante will take place on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, at 6:30pm. Angelo Servino is presenting a fabulous line up: Jacqueline Goldgorin, Soprano; Benjamin Bongers, Tenor; and Cesar Cancino, Pianist. For reservations call 415 435 2676.

Ruth Livingston Studio is featuring the works of Mill Valley ceramicist, Alice Corning, during the month of April. Please come to the gallery opening Saturday March 31st, from 3:00–5:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Ruth LIvingston Studio, 74 Main Street, Tiburon, California 94920 | 415 435 5264.

The Tiburon Wine Festival takes place on Saturday, May 12, from 1 to 4 pm. Tickets are on sale at the Tiburon Chamber, 415 435 5633.

Tiburon Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Sherri Belluomini 415 497-2884

Are Greenhouses the New she-Cave?

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:01:43 +0000

Our quest to help women find space of their own has gone outdoors. Do you have a special space?

We’re still kinda obsessed with finding space for women to kick back and relax on par with the guys’ “man cave.”

Now, the Wall Street Journal says the backyard greenhouse has become the she-space where retired baby boomers pester orchids and read, sip some Pinot, and generally relax.

The WSJ greenhouses are the high-end kind — glass walls, brick siding, price tags reaching $100,000. They’re really a detached sunroom with year-round conditioned space.

But you don’t have to raid the college fund to approximate this deluxe space. Gothic Arch Greenhouses’ Cape Cod model ranges from $3,800 to $16,800.

Information provided by houselogic.com

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Sherri Belluomini 415 497-2884

Spring is almost here

admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:22:05 +0000

A few very encouraging reports broke last week that buyers and sellers should be aware of, as the markets are certainly showing signs of heating up well before the spring season:

Ø The New York Times reports that San Francisco is one of three markets in the USA where rents are rising sharply. San Francisco Bay Area average rents rose over 5% in 2011. Rising rents in an environment of historicall…y low interest rates will convert renters to buyers before rates rise! We expect our markets to feel this impact before Q4 ‘12.

Ø The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 60% of the new job growth in the past two years went to people under the age of 35. This will create further shifts in the geographic (neighborhood) and demographic mix of first-time buyers and then naturally move up buyers.

Ø Warren Buffett commented on CNBC that single-family homes bought on a distressed basis now, and financed over a long term at these historically low interest rates, are a “very attractive asset class.” He added that he’d buy “a couple hundred thousand” single family homes if it were practical to do so and noted, “It’s a leveraged way of owning a very cheap asset … I think that’s probably as an attractive an investment as you can make now.” We clearly see investor activity peaking in most all of our markets.

Information provided by Brent Thompson, Pacific Union

Sherri Belluomini

415 497-2884

PMA rates Update as of 2/10/12

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:54:10 +0000

Conforming Loans (up to $417,000) (1-0 Points)

30 year fixed 3.875% 4.000% 5 year fixed rates 2.125% 2.375%

7 year fixed rate 2.375% 2.625%

High Balance Conforming (Over $417,000 up to $625,500) (1-0 Points)

30 year fixed 3.875% 4.00% 5 year fixed rate 2.375% 2.625%

7 year fixed rate 2.625% 2.875%

Jumbo Loans (over $625,500 up to $2.0 million) (1-0 Points)

30 year fixed 4.00% 4.250% 5 year fixed rate 2.250% 2.625%

7 year fixed rate 2.625% 3.00% 10 year fixed rate 3.125% 3.375%

FHA loans Conforming loan amounts (up to $417,000 to $625,500)

30 year fixed n/a 3.875% 5 year fixed rate n/a 2.750%

VA Loans NEW (up to $1,500,000)* 1 Point 0 Points

30 year fixed 3.375% 3.875%

*some down payment may be necessary

Sherri Belluomini 415 497-2884

Big Banks Make $25Billion Mortgate Settlement

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:30:47 +0000

* Under the settlement servicers will provide cash for foreclosure victims.

* Individual homeowners should receive an average $1,500 to $2,000.

* The biggest long-term effect maybe new mortgage servicing rules.

Despite continued distress in the housing market and gridlock on Capitol Hill, it looks like struggling homeowners will be getting a little more help in the months ahead.

Today, the Attorney General announced a $25 billion legal settlement of investigations into improper foreclosures, mortgage modification misconduct and other abuses against U.S. homeowners by mortgage servicers. The lone holdout was the state of Oklahoma, which did not join the other 49 states included in the settlement.

In exchange for resolving those cases, the nation’s top five mortgage servicers — JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Ally Financial and Wells Fargo, which service about two-thirds of U.S. residential mortgages — agreed to significant concessions.

Under the settlement, servicers will provide cash for victims, fund billions of dollars in mortgage write-downs for underwater homeowners and agree to new guidelines for mortgage servicing designed to prevent future abuses.

February 10, 2012

Information provided by

Chris Davis & Linda Munoz

Private Mortgage Advisors

Sherri Belluomini 415 497-2884

www.150seminarydrive.com

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:47:13 +0000

Enjoy picturesque views from this charming one bedroom one bath condominium in Seminary Cove. Sunny and bright end unit with two decks for bar-be-ques or relaxing in the peaceful surroundings. Features a fireplace, washer/dryer, one car covered parking, personal storage room, pool and spa. The convenient location is just a short distance to the Strawberry Shopping Center, restaurants, boutiques, transportation with easy freeway access, Bayside trails for running/walking