I am fortunately enough to be one of San Marin High School (Novato, Marin County, CA) Robotics Club, Penguin Empire team's mentors.  This rookie team won the 2nd place in the First Robotics Compeitition (FRC) Davis Regional event in March, 2008; an exciting event - Check out the Video. The chief mentor, Dave, in search of inspriring Robotics videos for the students and mentors alike, came upon a video of this robot.  Thought you'd all love it.The Coolest Robot Ever! is the title of the email from Dave; and I would have to agree with him :-)   Duke would want one.   04/10/2008

As of April 5, 2008 only 21% of available listings in Novato are in escrow.For the month of March 2008 45 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $705,528.The average original asking price of these homes was $769,364.It took these homes an average of 108 days to sell.Of the 45 homes that sold, 4 sold at their original asking price and 1 sold over.For more information about this area, visit my website, or feel free to contact me directly 04/05/2008

Novato Real Estate Market Overview, Week of March 19, 2008It's been almost two months since I last posted the market statistics for the Novato Real Estate Market (part of Marin County).  There is a noticeable improvement on the market - Other than a couple of price ranges, most of the others increased sales pending percentage anywhere form 10% to 20% increase in sales for various price range even as the inventory has grown.  My office reported an active March, a lot of buyers out there looking for 'bargains' in Marin county, and Novato is where  you will find it!We are Optimistic! Want to know the market statistics or go out and see a house or tow?  Just give me a call!categoryTotal Units/In Escrow% Active% PendingAll SFD's and CID's376/8278%22%SFD's264/4981.5%18.5%CID's112/2271%29&  $0... 03/21/2008

  As a National Mortgage Banker, Ascent Home Loans has provided innovative lending solutions for over 10 years. With our state of the art technology, I can give you quick loan decisions when you need to refinance, or fast pre-approvals that will give you that edge when negotiating for a new home. At Ascent Home Loans of Santa Rosa CA, I want to help you make the right choices when it comes to selecting the correct mortgage for you and your family. How do I do this?  I listen to my clients. With the right questions being asked, a client can provide a wealth of information on their future home loan and investment needs. I unlike other lenders, help you choose the right loan program that best fits your needs, not ours. Now, I can be like other every other mortgage company and tell you we h... 03/21/2008

With less than 30 days left until April15th, many Novato homeowners are scrambling to get their paperwork together for their tax preparer appointment. In all the frustrated and anxiety filled moments before the meeting, many homeowners may forget a few of the tax deductions they may be allowed. As a reminder, here are just a few that may help you with your income taxes this year. Be aware that before you make any of these deductions, you need to speak with a tax professional first before doing so. 1. PMI - Private Mortgage Insurance is an extra insurance that lenders require when a homeowner puts less than 20% down payment on a home. in essence, lenders would prefer an 80% Loan-to-Value, however those borrowers with an LTV higher than 80% must pay an insurance premium each month. But th... 03/21/2008

As of March 8, 2008 22% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of February 2008, 26 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $662,735. The average original asking price of these homes was $744,147. It took these homes an average of 104 days to sell. Of the 26 homes that sold, 2 sold at their original asking price and 2 sold over. For more information about this area, visit my website, or feel free to contact me directly. 03/08/2008

With the new stimulus package being nearly passed by the President, now is the time to start thinking about refinancing out of those higher interest option arm rates or purchasing a new home. We all know how California has suffered through this housing slump, mainly because of our higher median home prices. The majority of Californians could not even think about refinancing their homes due to the fact that our homes are still to far above the conforming loan limit of $417,000. While we sat and watched many parts of the country such as the Midwest and Southern portions of the US refinance into lower conforming rates, we were basically held hostage by the secondary markets where loans are bought and sold. Since the credit crisis became news, the secondary market has virtually closed down ... 02/09/2008

As of February 2, 2008 18% of available listings in Novato are in escrow.For the month of January 2008 only 14 homes sold in Novato, for an average final selling price of $661,143.The average original asking price of these homes was $750,571.It took these homes an average of 133 days to sell.Of the 14 homes that sold, all sold for less than their original asking price.To learn more about this area, visit my website, or feel free to contact me directly. 02/02/2008

Novato Market Overview, Week of January 23, 2008At the end of January, 2008; Novato is still in a buyers market.  The good news for the sellers is that the inventory is about 1/4 (90+ units) lestt than that four months ago, in September, 2007.  The % in Pending also increased in almost all categories, even though some are very slightly. My office reported a healty January, both in # of listings and # of getting into escrow.  A very positive and encouraging sign for all! Buyer's Market    < 25% Neutral                  25% - 40% Seller's Market    > 40% categoryTotal Units/In Escrow% Active% PendingAll SFD's and CID's286/3486.4%13.6%SFD's206/287%13%CID's80/285%15%  $0 -$500K SFD14/379%21%  $500,001-$600K30/893.3%16.7%  $600,001 - $700K31/487%13%  $700,001 - $800K31/293.5%16.5%  $800,001 ... 01/25/2008

My home town, Novato, the north most suburb in Marin county, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, has just earned the distinction of the "Best Affordable Suburbs in California in 2007" from Business Week. We have lived in Novato for the past 10 years, and I can attest to the Marin IJ Article "Novato a 'besaffordable' town" When you drive towards Novato from 101, you will go through a section of 101 framed by breathtaking hills on both sides of the highway.  Then the hills open up to unveil Novato.Look around, there are open spaces all over with many hiking/biking trails, Rush creek is near by with dedicated marsh area for local birds and wildlife.  Indian Valley, Green Point, Black Point are all famous for the surrounding view and horse properties; Marin Country club has a warm micro c... 01/23/2008

Mobile Notary Novato, Marin & Sonoma County 24/7 Mobile Notary Services, Spanish, Edocs, Novato, San Rafael, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Penngrove, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol. http://aSpanishMobileNotary.com Tel 800 314-9814 01/17/2008

As of January 5, 2008 only 11% of available listings are in escrow, indicating a Buyer's Market.  Novato has been hit hardest of all Marin County cities, and this is where the best deals can be found. For the month of December 2007 32  homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $670,075. The average original asking price of these homes was $729,345. It took these homes an average of 98 days to sell. Of the 32 homes that sold, 3 sold AT the original asking price and 2 sold OVER. For more information about this area, visit my website, or feel free to contact me directly. 01/05/2008

As of December 6, 2007 only 12% of available listings in Novato are in escrow.  That means that 88%, and growing, are available.  It is definitely a Buyer's Market in Novato.This current market is an excellent opportunity for buyers to get into Marin County.  Many of these sellers truly need to be rescued.  If you have been considering making a purchase, contact me and I'll assist you every step of the way.  (And, now, for the rest of my market report...)For the month of November 2007 33 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $651,899.The average original asking price of these homes was $721,976.It took these homes an average of 104 days to sell.Of the 33 homes that sold, 5 sold AT their original asking price and all others sold for less.For more information on this ... 12/09/2007

To Preserve north Novato, Marin, CA - we went to bat at the City Design Planning Workshop, and WE WON!!! Although I live in the immediate area, but I  got involved in San Marin Improvement Association (in Novato, CA) three years ago because of my son's high school wanted to be more community minded.  I was on the San Marin Site Leadership team in charge of PR plan and that's one of the steps we decided to take.  A small organization / watchdog for a pretty large neighborhood.    I only attended the meetings to start with and tried to get the high school involved in what SMIA is doing (Halloween Parade, Easter Egg Hunt, etc).  Then I started to get more involved.  A recent notice was brought to my attention where it said a developer who bought an empty lot right in the middle of San Mari... 12/05/2007

As of November 3, 2007 only 11% of available listings in Novato are in escrow, indicating a very strong Buyer's Market.  So, come MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER!For the month of October 2007 28 homes sold in Novato for an average final selling price of $695,961.The average original asking price of these homes was $743,098.It took these homes an average of 99 days to sell.Of the 28 homes that sold, 2 sold AT their original asking price and 3 sold OVER.  All other sold for less.  So, come, MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER.For more information about this area, click here, or feel free to contact me directly. 11/03/2007

With all the newspapers, TV News and stories on the internet in regards to what's going on in mortgage industry, sometime it might be a little scary to even think about getting a loan.  Loan programs have changed or have been entirely discontinued, everyone has heard about the sub-prime problems, in fact you may have a sub-prime loan right now as you're reading this. Mortgage companies all across the US have closed their doors. Actually, things are not as bad as they seem. There are still plenty of loan programs available to current homeowners, investors and first-time buyers. Despite what the news reports have been implying, there are actual senior loan officer's across the US, including myself,  who are reputable and are willing to take the time to talk to their clients and help them ... 10/21/2007

This article concerns itself with the relative price and value of one of Marin's most affordable towns-Novato. In other parts of California (and certainly across the country), real estate prices are down by 30% and foreclosures sky-rocketing. Yet, such phenomenon are very limited in Marin. In fact, much of Marin is experiencing a remarkably resilient home sales market trending upwards (even if just incrementally) in price.  Yet, in Novato (Northern Marin) many home buyers (especially those in the entry level and move-up markets) are firmly entrenched in "wait and see" mode. They are waiting to see what happens with prices. They are waiting to see what happens with interest rates. They are waiting to see what everyone else does. But, time may be running short. Some time soon people will ... 10/11/2007

As of October 4, 2007, 10% of available listings in Novato are in escrow.For the month of September 2007, 21 homes sold in Novat for an average final selling price of $719,579.The average original asking price of these homes was $$770,706.It took these homes an average of 69 days to sell.Of the 21 homes that sold, 5 sold AT their original asking price and 1 sold OVER.For more information on this area, click here, or feel free to contact me directly. 10/07/2007

Below are a few factors which point to Novato as a place with a bright future.1) The widening of HWY 101, now in its final stage, is on target for a Fall 2008 completion. Because of current construction, traffic going south on HWY 101 can be bad. Traffic woes are expected to be reduced dramatically (by as much as 20 minutes from Novato to San Francisco -- and this is 20 off the commute time pre-construction when traffic was much lighter). I think this factor alone will propel prices upwards once work is done.2) Schools. Marin has many great schools and school districts. Novato is no exception. When its schools are compared to the rest of Marin County, the test scores are very similar. Although Novato's schools don't have the "reputation" of some of Marin's other (in some cases, comparat... 09/25/2007

Novato is famous for it's small town feel and low crime rate. Although Novato officially has a population of over 50,000, but because of the appeal of different areas (such as San Marin, Country Club, Pacheco Valley, Pleasant Valley, Hamilton, Indian Valley, ..,etc); each area has it's own charasterics and own concentration of residents. This is a family-oriented town and it always seems to me that I know almost everybody in town.Kids feel safe to go from one place to the other and they enjoy a lot of outdoor activities from soccer, to swimming, to horseback riding, to tennis, to baseball, .., etc. This is a wonderful and safe town for kids and families 09/11/2007