Price Reduction - 25 Balra Dr. Novato, CA 94947 - Home for Sale -  8/1/11 This delightful 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 1947 square foot home has been nicely remodeled with newer floors, cabinets, vanities, jetted tub, stainless appliances, lighting, windows and doors!  An attractive floor plan features a remodeled kitchen and breakfast room opening to living room, dining area and large backyard. The living room has a beautiful granite wood-burning fireplace with gas starter.  All four bedrooms are on their own wing and are more spacious than expected with lots of light.  The private low-maintenance yard offers space for gardening, a play area, barbeques and a sparkling in-ground pool, perfect for hot summer days!  This gorgeous home is situated on a corner lot with spectacular views and locat... 08/01/2011

Price Reduction - 25 Balra Dr. Novato, CA 94947 Home for Sale This delightful 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 1947 square foot home has been nicely remodeled with newer floors, cabinets, vanities, jetted tub, stainless appliances, lighting, windows and doors!  An attractive floor plan features a remodeled kitchen and breakfast room opening to the living room, dining area and large backyard. The living room has a beautiful granite wood-burning fireplace with gas starter.  All four bedrooms are on their own wing and are more spacious than expected with lots of light.  The private low-maintenance yard offers space for gardening, a play area, barbecues and a sparkling in-ground pool, perfect for hot summer days!  This gorgeous home is situated on a corner lot with spectacular views and located in So... 07/22/2011

"Home Staging Tips ~ What's your Opinion?" As a Home Stager many times while previewing a clients home I am asked my opinion about their home.  Home Stagers are trained to see a home with buyers eyes and are able to see things that possibly a homeowner who lives in the home might not see.  One of the questions I was recently asked was, do I need to remodel my bathrooms?  The home was vacant and was built in the 50's and had a beautifully remodeled Kitchen.  The bathrooms were in fantastic shape.. it was hard to believe their age.  They were very well cared for. In my opinion... there was no need to invest in remodeling the bathrooms.  They could be Staged to look great and the investment in staging this home would be much less then the investment in remodeling.  Here are some before and... 07/19/2011

As of July 6, 2011 36% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of July 2011 64 homes (28 of which were distress sales) sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $486,066. The average original asking price of these homes was $531,694. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $70,000 to a high of $1,350,000. Of the 64 homes that sold 2 sold at their original asking prices and a whopping 15 sold for more than their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 102 days to sell. To see everything that is currently for sale through our MLS click here. To see some of the many fun things to do in the area click here. To learn more about the area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or contact me directly. Dr. Insomnia'... 07/08/2011

276 San Carlos Way, Novato, Ca wil be open Sunday, July 10th from 2 to 4. Come by and see this beautiful home listed for $479,900. This home features hardwood floors and new interior paint throughout. It has four bedrooms, two baths and per public records is 1,882 square feet, built in 1965 with a 8,233 square foot lot.  To see pictures please go to my web site, www.dareweb.biz. If you can't make the open house, please give me a call, 415-513-7300, for a private showing. Connie Medeiros, Broker #00682423 07/08/2011

Does your City require an inspection before you sell your home? Surprise!! Oh wait ... when you are selling your home surprises are the worst thing in the world. Imagine your home is on the market, you receive a purchase offer and accept it. Then the buyer's agent asks for the City inspection report for their review. The what? What are you talking about? Well, some Cities require a mandatory re-sale (also known as point of sale) inspection prior to the sale of a home. One such City is Novato, California. If done correctly, the seller or seller's agent fills out Novato's "Application for Residential Property Inspection and Report". The application and payment (currently $274 for a single family residence, $236 for a condo) must be received by the City before they will schedule an appoint... 06/28/2011

This was originally posted on May 21, 2011 Novato.Patch.com While dramas are playing out on different stages, and emotions run high in Novato causing much debate and anguish among Novatans on issues related to safety, schools and the city, a handful of volunteers quietly ran one of the most successful fundraisers for Novato schools. With 257 registered riders from 16 public schools and 2344 donors; the Tour of Novato and FunFair fundraiser, held on one glorious April day, raised over $93,000 for Novato public schools! It was quite an amazing sight witnessing the excitement going on around the registration table.  Riders signing in, taking off for a fun and healthy hour or two to fundraise for their schools.  Bicycles, unicycle (one), double bicycles, bicycles with backseat and trailers;... 06/26/2011

I showed two 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath  condos in Novato (Marin County), both priced under $200,000. Both had been remodeled and had tasteful new kitchens and updated baths. One is a short sale, the other a regular market sale. One was 1116 sq.ft, the other 1344 sq.ft and both in a nice complex with lots of green lawns and trees. Both seem to be excellent values & I was surprised that they were listed under $200K. Let me know  if you'd like more info about these. Peter Nielsen, Peter@MarinRealtyExperts.com 06/21/2011

As of June 7, 2011 a very encouraging 40% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of May 2011 42 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $456,323. The average original asking price of these homes was $497,841. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $120,000 to a high of $989,000. Of the 42 homes that sold (18 of which were distress sales) 3 sold at their original asking prices and 7 sold for more than their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 112 days to sell. To see everything that is currently available for sale through our MLS click here. To see some of the many fun things to do around in our neck of the woods click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website, ... 06/07/2011

25 Balra Drive Novato, CA 94947 Home for Sale This delightful 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 1947 square foot home has had a wonderful remodel with newer floors, cabinets, vanities, jetted tub, stainless appliances, lighting, windows and doors!  An attractive floor plan features the remodled Kitchen and breakfast room opening to the living room, formal dining area and backyard.  The living room has a beautiful granite wood-burning fireplace with a gas starter and the 4 bedrooms, on one wing, are more spacious than expected with lots of light.  The private, low-maintenance yard offers space for gardening, a play area, barbecues and a sparkling pool, perfect for hot summer days!  This gorgeous home is situated on a corner lot with spectacular views and located in Southern Novato, close to shoppin... 05/29/2011

"Home Staging Tips ~ Making a Connection with Buyers!" As a Home Stager I try to make a connection with potential buyers with every home I stage.  Creating an environment that allows buyer's to see themselves living in a home that they are previewing.  In one of my previous post's I talked about how using the same color throughout your home gives it a cohesive look and allows the buyers eyes and minds to rest without an emotional jolt of different colors from room to room.  You want to create a sense of peace and calmness throughout your home.  Besides color one other way is to create vignettes that tell a story or create a scene that will again let the buyers see themselves living there.  It could be an outdoor setting by the pool with some lounge chairs and a pitcher, drinking glasses... 05/27/2011

Home Staging Tips ~ Lighten And Brighten Your Home When Selling It! Studies have shown that by Lightening and Brightening your home you can improve the value and can increase your salability.  HomeGain conducts a Nationwide Study each year on the Top 11 Do-It-Yourself Home Improvements to make that can add thousands of dollars to the sale of your home and what kind of a Return on Investment (ROI) it can make.  Lightening and Brightening came in as #2 on their 2011 Survey.  Whether it's updating your Light Fixtures or Painting a Room a Lighter Color to Lighten and Brighten the look, it will help potential buyers see themselves living in the home.  A home should feel and look Light and Airy.  It should have the feel of being Open and Spacious which will give the appearance of more Square ... 05/23/2011

As of May 6, 2011 39% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of April 2011 46 homes (19 of which were distress sales) sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $492,549. The average original asking price of these homes was $536,804. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $120,000 to a high of $1,020,000. Of the 46 homes that sold, 3 sold at their original asking prices and 6 sold over their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 104 days to sell. To see everything that is currently available for sale through our MLS click here. To see some of the many fun things to do around in our neck of the woods click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website, or feel free to contact ... 05/09/2011

"Mother's Day ~ Special Event's For Someone Very Special" Enjoy your day with Mom on Mother's Day (May 8th) by spending the day with her.  Here in Marin County, CA there are several places to take Mom that will make her happy.  Here are a few family friendly spots to take Mom to Brunch or if you feel like being outdoors why not take Mom on a picnic at one of the near by parks.  Family Friendly Mother's Day Brunch in Marin County, CA Audubon Canyon Ranch ~ in Stinson Beach, CA is offering a Mother's Day BBQ on Sunday from 11 am-2 pm.  Call 415.868.9244. Brick $ Bottle ~ in Corte Madera, CA features a Mother's Day brunch from 11 am-3 pm.  Call 415.924.3366 for reservations. The Club at McInnis Park ~ in Lucas Valley, CA hosts a Mother's Day Brunch buffet from 10 am-2 pm.  Call 415.491.595... 05/04/2011

Novato, CA - Farmer's Market Every year Novato, CA holds the Farmer's Market on each Tuesday from May through September.  The Novato Farmer's Market is a fun place to be on Tuesday's from 4:00pm to 800pm.  The Farmer's Market really enhances the charm of Downtown Novato located at Grant Avenue between Reichert Avenue and Machin Avenue.  This is a family and community event and  will open for the first time this year on May 3rd, 2011 in Old Town Novato. You won't want to miss the abundance of seasonal produce from regional farmer's.  Come enjoy the prepared foods and live music each week at the Novato Farmer's Market!     " You never get a second Chance....  to make a Great First Impression!"   Linda D. Pufford, ASPM, IAHSP Accredited Staging Professional MASTER Real Estate/Home Staging ... 05/02/2011

"Novato, CA ~ Marin County ~ Home Stager's Personal History" Although I was born in San Francisco, CA and lived there several years of my life, I also lived and grew up in Novato, CA about 30 miles North of San Francisco on HWY 101.  My parents moved our family there because they felt it was a great place to raise children in a small community like Novato.  I went to school in Novato and later college at (IVC) Indian Valley Collage.  I lived in Novato with my husband after I was married and later my daughter was born at Novato Hospital as well.  Novato has really been a great place to live and it has a lot of History of it's own. Over the next few weeks I would like to share with you some History of a place I call home.  As I share the History of Novato I will also add a few personal no... 05/01/2011

As of April 8, 2011 40% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of March 2011 43 homes (20 of which were distress sales) sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $539,274. The average original asking price of these homes was $598,577. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $99,100 to a high of $1,105,000. Of the 43 homes that sold 1 sold at the original asking price and 9 sold over their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 129 days to sell. To see everything that is currently available for sale through our MLS, click here. To see some of the many fun things to do in our neck of the woods, click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or contact me directly. Stafford ... 04/08/2011

Febuary 2011 resulted in excellent home sales numbers for Novato (34 homes sold in February, compared with 22 trades in January). It appears that this momentum is carrying into March as buyers act quickly on well-priced and/or unique opportunities. The average sales price of Novato homes in Febuary 2011 was $534K. These homes averaged 156 days on market, were about 2,092 sq. ft., and averaged roughly $267 sq. ft. Novato's  absorption rate (e.g., number of months' inventory of homes for sale based on last month's sales totals) is an astonishingly low 3.35 months' worth of available inventory overall (114 single family homes are currently for sale in Novato). Of note is the fact that 44% of all Novato homes priced under $1 million are IN ESCROW! Below are the percentages of homes in escro... 03/18/2011

Febuary 2011 resulted in excellent home sales numbers for Novato (34 homes sold in February, compared with 22 trades in January). It appears that this momentum is carrying into March as buyers act quickly on well-priced and/or unique opportunities. The average sales price of Novato homes in Febuary 2011 was $534K. These homes averaged 156 days on market, were about 2,092 sq. ft., and averaged roughly $267 sq. ft. Novato’s absorption rate (e.g., number of months’ inventory of homes for sale based on last month’s sales totals) is an astonishingly low 3.35 months’ worth of available inventory overall (114 single family homes are currently for sale in Novato). Of note is the fact that 44% of all Novato homes priced under $1 million are IN ESCROW! [Click HERE for the rest of the article, co... 03/14/2011

As of March 7, 2011 40% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of February 2011 49 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $475,186. The average original asking price of these homes was $536,551. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $150,000 to a high of $1,135,000. Of the 49 homes that sold (34 of which were distress sales) 5 sold at their original asking price, 3 sold over and the remaining 41 sold for less. It took these homes an average of 172 days to sell. To see everything that is available for sale through our MLS click here. To see some of the many fun things to do around in our neck of the woods click here. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog, visit my website or contact me directly. Dr. I... 03/08/2011