Marin's Top Agent Has A New Look

It's big news when one of the top agents in SF or Marin real estate change their photo. As we all know, so many agents (especially the women) use photos from 20 years ago.

Miss Tracy McLaughlin, typically Marin's top agent, has apparently decided to start the new year off with a new look - We like! - The hair in front of the face definitely gives it a different look.

Thoughts???

Painted Lady Party!

Bonnie Spindler always throws the best parties - And who doesn't want to see the inside of a painted lady??? See you there...

The Ultimate Disclosure

A new autism study out today by UC Davis finds ten areas in California where autism seems to flourish...
Two of those areas, or clusters as they call them in the study, are located in the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo.

My vote, and the LA Times agrees is that it's probably more about education the environment, "In one respect, the results were not surprising because it has long been known that high-income, highly educated white parents are more likely to have their children diagnosed with autism and more likely to have them diagnosed at an early age."

Another factor is the father's age... If you've spent any time in Marin, you'll notice the average dad's age is a bit higher...

I'm not a doctor, not do I play one on TV, but if you're looking for more, head on over to Google news

Alameda's Newest Green Home

video courtesy: videofishbowl.com

Contact Pacita C Dimacali 510 205 2992 for more information

Larry Knapp Leaves Alain Pinel!

Everything OK at Alain Pinel? Larry Knapp, President and COO of APR, abruptly left the company late last week!

Senor Knapp was credited with building the company up to what it is today - What happened???? Wish I knew - Any of you Realtors in the know have the info on this?

If so, please send your tips ASAP to: videofishbowl@gmail.com OR text me at 415.465.0555

Of course, all your leads are confidential!

McGuire gets David Ogden!

Guess I spoke too soon about Frank Howard Allen being cool again - Apparently David Ogden has just left FHA for McGuire!

Nice work Heidi Pay!...

Marin by the Numbers

Most Inspiring Marin Manager

Have you seen this weekly newsletter Steve Dickason (of Alain Pinel) puts out?

It's kind of cheesy, but honestly we love it - The world of San Francisco and Marin Real Estate would be so much better if more managers were like Steve - If they were less concerned with money and their ginormous egos and more concerned with inspiring and encouraging their agents...

Pacific Union Strikes Back!

Pacific Union has recruited Brent Thomson away from FHA!!!!!!!!!

She will now be managing the Strawberry PACIFIC UNION INTERNATIONAL CHRISTY'S AMAZING ESTATES LUXURY SPECIALISTS office.

We love Brent Thomson, so we wish her lots of luck - She'll need it in that office! Honestly, if anyone is up for the job, we think it's Brent.

Curious who FHA will get to fill her shoes...

The 'Top Agent Network'

Did you see the ad in Marin Magazine (and most likely other publications in SF and the Peninsula) for the 'Top Agent Network'?

Click here to see a PDF of the ad.

Now, I'm sure the 'Top Agent Network' is a great (albeit VERY expensive) resource, but was it really necessary for the members of this group to put an ad out that makes non 'Top Agent Network' agents look bad?

If an agent doesn't sell over 'X Amount' of real estate a year or aren't to the liking of the 'Top Agent Network' powers that be are they a bad agent? I sure don't think so.

I feel sorry for the hard working agents out there who don't meet the 'requirements' of the 'Top Agent Network' or don't want to spend hundreds of dollars every year to be in it who have to explain to their clients why they aren't on the 'Top Agent Network' list.

If we are really trying to promote comaraderie in the real estate community, ads like this sure aren't helping.

Frank Howard Allen becomes cool again...

Apparently, Frank Howard Allen has become cool again - Three 'real' agents (agents who take their job seriously - not just mommies selling 1 house a year) have jumped to FHA in the past few weeks. Who you ask? Take a look...

- Jeff Sterley with Alain Pinel
- Bernard Link with Pacific Union
- Michelle Bell with Pacific Union

As of 2PM, we just got wind of another agent who has gone to FHA...

- Barry Crotty with Pacific Union (former manager for PU Strawberry)

Thoughts as to why agents would be going to FHA right now???

The VIP Event of the Week

The VIP Event of the week is at the Millennium Tower this Wednesday evening - It's the 'Icons of Design' Designer Showcase hosted by EARN and Vanguard.

Anyone whose anyone in the SF real estate world will be there - You do need to be invited by a member of the EARN Real Estate Auxiliary in order to get in, but of course we have a special connection at EARN so let us know if you want to go and we'll hook you up! (email: videofishbowl@gmail.com)

Info below:
-------------------------------------------------------

EARN and Vanguard Properties Proudly Announce an Evening at Millennium Tower

Join the EARN Real Estate Auxiliary and Vanguard Properties this fall at the elegant and upscale Icons of Design designer showcase at the Millennium Tower. THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE EVENT FOR 2009-2010 AUXILIARY MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS (UP TO 4 GUESTS PER MEMBER).

Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, wine, and gorgeous views with your guests, while exploring the new high-rise's "extraordinary venue in the sky" on the 52nd floor. Over 25 of the Bay Area's most prestigious designers have contributed their eclectic visions to the luxurious 52nd-floor condos at the Tower, and will be present at the showcase for you to meet! They include:

Martin Richards Interiors, Alexandra Owen Interior Design, Ann Brown Interiors, Ann Getty & Associates, Applegate Tran Interiors, ArtHaus, Black Mountain, Chantal Lamberto Interior Design, Closets Van Go, Eden Wright Design, Geoffrey De Sousa and Sarah Puls, Henderson Design Group, Hendler Design, Hepworth & Howard, Jeff Ryan Interiors, Jurow Design Associates, Katherine Jacobus, Kensington & Associates, Martha Angus Inc., Martin-Richards Interiors, Michael Merrill Design Studio, Inc., Nancy Van Natta Associates, Orlando Diaz-Acuzy Design, Reba Jones, Scheiber Design Group, Shelby de Quesada Interior Design, Studio Becker, Sutro Architects, The Charles de Lisle Workshop, Willem Racké Studio, Inc and Wiseman & Gale.

Enjoy the autumn sunset with your guests and learn more above these innovative designers that have set new standards for the San Francisco design scene. Experience luxury in its finest form and RSVP today!

RSVP is required to attend. Valet parking is also complimentary for all guests. Admission is free, but space is limited. RSVP here.

EVENT:
EARN at Icons of Design - Millennium Tower
Passed hors d' oeuvres and wine

DATE:
Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 6-8 pm

LOCATION:
52nd Floor of Millennium Tower
301 Mission St. (at Fremont St.), San Francisco

PARKING:
Host valet parking - complimentary for all guests.

SF Daily Pundit is Back!

The SF Daily Pundit Real Estate Blog is back by popular demand!

As always, we rely on our connections in the real estate world and of course tips from all of you, so....

KEEP SENDING YOUR TIPS!

Email them to: videofishbowl@gmail.com

Text them to: 415.465.0555

And yes, we do accept (and love) any mobile pics and video you happen to come across in the real estate jungle.

Glad to be back...

The three most meaningless words in the English language

After fighting with B of A for seven months to re-fi my mortgage, I can tell you the words, "Loan Ceiling Extended" are meaningless... But if you're into, or looking to re-fi your's the government has good news for you...

From the NY Times

BUYERS of homes in high-priced markets have some reason to cheer: the federal government recently extended through 2010 the maximum dollar amount for “conforming loans.” This will probably mean better options for borrowers who might otherwise have had to take out “jumbo” mortgages.

Conforming loans meet all the guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-controlled agencies that resell packages of loans to investors, and are therefore eligible for purchase by these agencies. Jumbo mortgages, issued in amounts above the government’s maximum, are nonconforming. Because lenders assume less risk in making conforming loans, the interest rates are usually lower.

click here for the complete New York Times story http://bit.ly/2f0cgp

Tell me somthing I didn't know...

Buyers in the Driver's Seat: U.S. Homebuyers Paid $7,039 Less Than Listing Price in July
Florida Markets Make Up 14 of Top 25 Markets Where Buyers Can Negotiate, According to July Zillow® Real Estate Market Reports

I do want to mention right off the top that there isn't a single town in the great state of California on the list, but it just goes to re-enforce what we all know, it's a buyers' market...

Amid continued falling home prices, U.S. homebuyers are negotiating even more discounts at the bargaining table, according to July's Zillow Real Estate Market Reports. Buyers paid 3.3 percent, or a nearly $7,039, less than the last listing price on homes for sale(1) during the month of July. That is down slightly from 3.5 percent, or $7,630, in June, and substantially down from 4.6 percent ($10,260) in January.

Meanwhile, 22.8 percent of all homes listed for sale on Zillow had at least one listing price reduction(2) as of Sept. 1, 2009. The median U.S. price reduction(3) was 6.5 percent off the original listing price. Homes listed for sale on Zillow during August were listed for a median 96 days(4), up from 91 in July.

Florida homebuyers had the most negotiating power in July, with buyers in the Vero Beach metropolitan statistical area (MSA) paying 10.2 percent, or a median $23,500, less than the last listing price. Buyers in the Sarasota MSA paid 8.2 percent less than list price. The Naples, Daytona Beach, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Panama City, Punta Gorda, Melbourne, Ocala, Tampa, Jacksonville, Port St. Lucie, Gainesville and Lakeland MSAs also ranked, in that order, in the top 25 markets for negotiation.

There was less or no room for negotiation in some California markets that have been hard-hit by foreclosures. In the El Centro MSA, buyers paid 1.8 percent, or a median of $2,150, more than the listing price. In seven California markets -- Sacramento, Merced, Modesto, Riverside, Stockton, Yuba City and Fresno -- asking price and sale price were the same(5).

"The strong summer selling season in 2009 has led to a decreasing difference between the last listing price and final sale price, but most buyers are still getting some additional discount at selling time," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. "We expected list-to-sale price ratios to fall as the sales volume picked up during the summer, and the California markets are showing strong declines in the discount off the last listing price, relative to levels at the start of the year. This is fueled both by increased sales and high proportion of foreclosures re-sales, which are already priced relatively low.

"The fact that many Florida markets are still showing comparatively higher differences between the last listing price and final sale price suggests that inventory levels are still relatively high, keeping considerable downward pressure on prices and encouraging buyers to seek large discounts off the listing price. Overall, buyers are finding favorable conditions for negotiating prices, and now can be a good time to buy, provided homebuyers are financially prepared with healthy down payments and intend to stay in their home for a minimum of five to seven years."

Guest Blogger - Jack McLaiughlin, the RealTime Realtor

Before we get to Jack's post, let me say this... Everyday I get Tweets or Facebook posts from agents letting me know "they're tired," the kids were up late" or "the movie really sucked."
For the record I don't care.... I suspect many of you feel the same way.... Now before you tell me to unfriend them or stop following them on Twitter I want to make a point....

Everday agents go out of their way to point out how tech savvy there are... They love to tell clients they have a Facebook page or annouce across a crowd room they Twitter... It's all fine and grand, but have a strategy. Figure out the reason you want to Twitter, or post something to Facebook... Just becuase I have a nice set of knives doesn't make me a chef...

I'll let Jack prove my point...

You Want it When?
by Jack McLaughlin

We have surrounded ourselves with gadgets, all with essentially one purpose – to collapse the amount of time it takes for us to get critical information. The Internet is the perfect delivery medium, and the goal is to get what you need, be it text, video or photos, in the precise moment when events are unfolding. You can track airline flights, stocks, satellite images and traffic, all in real time. Despite government efforts, the Iran revolution was blogged to the world in real time, using the micro blog site Twitter.

But what if you want current information on the Marin County real estate market? That’s where I come in, your RealTime Realtor. Every Wednesday and Thursday in Marin, new listings are open for brokers only, before they are available to the public. I visit the most intriguing of these homes, take a photo or two, rate the home and instantly post it to my Twitter site. My ratings and comments are candid and honest. If a home is a deal, I’ll tell you, and if it’s a dud, you’ll know that, too.

You can call me or text me for more information, and I will wait at the home if you want to see it right away. Looking in a particular town and price range? Tell me in advance and I will send you photos and data from homes that will interest you, all in RealTime. And of course, like all the best Internet services, it is absolutely free.

How do you subscribe? If you don’t already belong, take a minute to join Twitter (free) then search for MarinBroker and click on “follow”. For best results, turn ON “Device Updates”, put in your mobile number, and you will get my posts on your cell phone or other device. Do it now to get your Marin real estate data from your RealTime Realtor!

A new site offers phone acces to a real ive real estate agent... imagine that

Bug! Real Estate, San Francisco`s neoteric real estate brokerage, today unveiled
its new Web site, www.bugrealestate.com, which features user-focused tools and
information to help Bay Area buyers and sellers understand and evaluate real
estate properties. Now home buyers and sellers can get information in a variety
of ways, from having their questions answered by an experienced agent in a live
online chat session to, for the first time, being able to search for homes based
on their desired monthly payment. Bug! Real Estate`s Web site also features the
360 Degree Mash-Up, which provides highly specific local data, including FBI
crime statistics, school information and walk scores.

In the Nick of Time - real estate news for today

Everything about buying a home costs less

A new study out today by Bankrate Inc. finds closing costs coming down. According to the report the average closing fell by about 12 percent.

San Francisco though had the 4th highest closing costs in the country at $3,117, down 6 percent from the year before.

The strangest thing in the study, which you can find by clicking here, the great state of California accounts for two states, the great state of San Francisco, and the great state of Los Angeles where closing costs came in at $2,861.

Pending home sales up....

Contract activity for pending home sales has risen for six straight months, a pattern not seen in the history of the index since it began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,1 a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in July, increased 3.2 percent to 97.6 from a reading of 94.6 in June, and is 12.0 percent higher than July 2008 when it was 87.1. The index is at the highest level since June 2007 when it was 100.7.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the housing market momentum has clearly turned for the better. “The recovery is broad-based across many parts of the country. Housing affordability has been at record highs this year with the added stimulus of a first-time buyer tax credit,” he said.

Where's your iPhone app?

Online real estate broker Redfin today
announced the availability of the Redfin App on the App Store. The app lets
iPhone and iPod touch users view homes for sale on the Multiple Listing
Services (MLS) and upload photos and notes from a home tour to Redfin's
real-estate search site.

A Fast, Full-Featured Real-Estate Application for iPhone and iPod touch
Built by the team that coded Redfin's search website, the Redfin App delivers
a complete search experience built from the ground up to run fast and work
well on the iPhone and iPod touch. Users can locate nearby listings or open
houses using location-based services or search any neighborhood by name or
postal code, filtering the search by property type, square footage or the
number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

The Redfin App displays listings quickly using Google Maps, and includes every
photo and feature of the listing, all in a native format that loads quickly
and supports easy, gestured-based navigation using Apple's Multi-Touch user
interface.

Another reason as a real estate agent you to do more than offer MLS access...

First ever book suggestion

If you like the idea of reading, and reading something somewhat related to what you do for a living, my choice of the month is “Busted”

It’s told first person by the NY Times financial writer who got himself caught up in the mortgage mess...

The book is surprisingly good consider how bad the reviews are.... It offers good insight into how the mess began and who someone, in this case the writer, got caught up in the whole mess...

Here’s a synopsis from Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. As I write in February 2009, I am four months past due on my mortgage and bracing for foreclosure proceedings to begin. Thus begins this cautionary and critical examination of the housing crisis, a story that turned personal when New York Times economics reporter Andrews got caught up in the housing bubble after falling in love with a woman and a house. Bringing in $120,000 a year in salary—most of which went to child support and alimony to his ex-wife, Andrews says he was able to get a don't ask, don't tell mortgage with the assumption that his new wife, Patty, would be able to get a job to keep them afloat, an expectation that didn't work out as planned. Because of his economics journalism background, Andrews says he should have avoided the mortgage catastrophe, and he castigates himself as well as fellow borrowers, the financial industry that took advantage of them and a government that didn't put the brakes on the crisis that many economists warned about but that Alan Greenspan, the Bush administration and others ignored. This deeply personal exposé is timely and sobering in its candor.

It’s a good read....

The proof I've been looking for....

For years I've had to listen to Marin residents tell me Marin County was the most expensive real estate in America... Sort of a nutty story, but one they love to spread...

So today America's magazine of lists, Forbes put out their list of America's most expensive ZIP codes... Yep, nothing from Marin in the top ten... So lets put the story to rest today...

Here are the top ten, but the articles (click here) goes through the top 100

1. 07620, Alpine, N.J.

2. 94027, Atherton, Calif.

3. 10014, New York, N.Y.

4. 91008, Duarte, Calif.

5. 90210, Beverly Hills, Calif.

6. 92067, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

7. 93108, Santa Barbara, Calif.

8. 94024, Los Altos Hills, Calif.

9. 10065, New York, N.Y.

10. 07926, Brookside, N.J.

Have we hit bottom?

Have we hit bottom in the San Francisco real estate market? We explore the state of the real estate market in the San Francisco Bay Area: where are the hot areas? Are we trending up or down?

This video includes interviews with San Francisco and Marin County real estate agents, as well as footage from San Francisco, Mill Valley, Noe Valley and the East Bay.

California housing figures

Highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing figures for July 2009:

. C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes in July 2009 was 3.9 months, compared with 6.9 months (revised) for the same period a year ago. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.

. Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 5.22 percent during July 2009, compared with 6.43 percent in July 2008, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.82 percent in July 2009, compared with 5.24 percent in July 2008.

. The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 39.9 days in July 2009, compared with 47.8 days (revised) for the same period a year ago.
Regional MLS sales and price information are contained in the tables that accompany this press release. Regional sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS throughout the state. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums are based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes and condominiums represents closed escrow sales.

In a separate report covering more localized statistics generated by C.A.R. and DataQuick Information Systems, 23 of the 398 cities and communities reporting showed an increase in their
respective median home prices from a year ago. DataQuick statistics are based on county records data rather than MLS information. DataQuick Information Systems is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates. (The lists are generated for incorporated cities with a minimum of 30 recorded sales in the month.)

Note: Large changes in local median home prices typically indicate both local home price appreciation, and often, large shifts in the composition of housing market activity. Some of the variations in median home prices for July may be exaggerated due to compositional changes in housing demand. The DataQuick tables listing median home prices in California cities and counties are accessible through

Statewide, the 10 cities with the highest median home prices in California during July 2009 were: Los Altos, $1,425,500; Palo Alto, $1,363,000; Saratoga, $1,350,000; Newport Beach, $1,300,000; Manhattan Beach, $1,257,500; Burlingame, $1,250,000; Palos Verdes Estates, $1,132,000; Los Gatos, $1,085,000; Cupertino, $952,000; and Rancho Palos Verdes $945,000.

Statewide, the cities with the greatest median home price increases in July 2009 compared with the same period a year ago were: Laguna Hills, 40.5 percent; Newport Beach, 13.5 percent; Moorpark, 11.2 percent; Poway, 10.8 percent; San Marcos, 8.6 percent; Emeryville, 7.6 percent; Santa Barbara, 6.3 percent; Arcadia, 5.8 percent; Big Bear Lake, 5.5 percent; and West Hollywood, 5 percent.

Flat is the new up

I've been saying it for months... We've hit bottom and things will be picking up... I think it was June that I predicted the big turn around... The June numbers are out today, and here are the highlights from the S&P Case-Shiller report...

San Francisco/Bay Area up 3.8% May to June - still down 22% over one year

Of the twenty cities the report tracks, only Detroit and Las Vegas we still looking at declining prices

Dallas and Denver have reported four consecutive months of positive returns

The top twenty cities combined has a price increase from May to June of 1.4%

enough said...

MIll Valley home with spectacular views

For additional information contact:
Heidi Ellyn / Bradley Real Estate
415.786.6807

It's a buyers' market incase you forgot

This has to be one of the great dumb ideas of all time... A new website, National BLS helps connect sellers and buyers because there’s no one already doing it? Last time I checked there were about a 10,000 agents offering access to the MLS on their sites... Not to mention realtor.com redfin.com and the hundreds of MLS direct sites....

Here's what makes BLS such a stand out in the stupid category...

The idea is to make a site where sellers can find buyers to make them an offer... Hate to break the news to the sellers, but IT’S A BUYERS’ MARKET....

Quoting an article the BLS website....

“NationalBLS is the first national listing service of pre-approved residential real estate buyers. It's a marketplace where buyers anonymously post their requirements to the web and receive offers from eager sellers. It's real estate in reverse.”

Seems to me real estate has been working fine in forward, why go in reverse?

Not only are the folks at National BLS under the impression it’s a sellers’ market, they also believe finding a real estate agent is a challenge....

Even better the company charges for its services....

Here’s a link to the article, but if you’re looking for a good agent, give me a shout I know plenty of them...

Better yet, just call Nick Cooper with McGuire Real Estate (415.233.2911), he can hook ya with someone he trusts, or Nick himself... Nick Cooper is the new black, just ask the folks at C.A.R.

Mortgage Nightmare

If anyone out there is in the process of getting a mortgage, or just got a mortgage I would love to hear from you...

I'm getting close to telling the world the story of my refinance which began nearly seven months ago....

Trulia's Listing of the Week

Professional’s condo by Embarcadero

It’s the perfect condo for working professionals. Located right along the Embarcadero, it’s in the center of everything – from downtown shopping to the Ferry Building’s farmers market. The pad includes your very own walk-in closet, upgraded steel fixtures and custom bamboo floors (for that healthy green glow). Swing by for a quick peak and then enjoy a yummy weekend brunch downstairs along the waterfront.

click here for the complete details

Homeowners are hopeful for now reason

According to the Zillow Q2 Homeowner Confidence Survey, homeowners are more optimistic than ever about the future values of their homes, with 81% of homeowners believing their own homes’ values will not decline in the next six months. Still, more than half (60%) of homeowners believe their own home lost value in the past 12 months. In reality, 83% of homes lost value during that time, according to Zillow’s Q2 Real Estate Market Reports.

I can tell you first hand that my house is still dropping in value.
I'm in the SEVENTH my of refinancing my house and between the first and second appraisals the value dropped roughly $30,000... Yes, banks now require two appraisals... Once all the papers are signed, do I have a story to tell

Pacific Morgan

Others from around the Bay area telling the same story I reported last week; Morgan Lane is planing to take it's bride's name and go with Pacific Union... Got a few letters and even a call saying that come December the Morgan Lane name will be a thing of the past...

As always, if you know otherwise, leave me a note in the comments

"In the grip of indecision."

Once again I find myself offering to you the best of my weekend reads...

The NY Times had a brilliant story on those who can't decide what to do when it comes to real estate... buy, sell or just move on...

Best line from the story.... "But the fact is, no one is immune to ambivalence and confusion."

Click here for, "In the grip of indecision."

I'm not sure what to belive

This just in...

Sources who I have no reason to doubt have just told me the Morgan Lane name change is coming... The big catch, the adults in charge have decided to ditch the Morgan Lane name and go with Pacific Union... Being the responsible blogger that I am, I made a few calls... Another sources tells me the original agreement was for Pacific Union to become a franchise of Morgan Lane, but as one insider said, agreements in real estate fall like prices....

So if you know anything I don’t, drop me a note...

Trulia's Listing of the Week

Spacious townhouse in Eureka Gardens

Located right by the Castro Theatre in the Eureka Gardens complex, this 1,868 square feet home is sophisticated and spacious. With two beds, two baths, fireplace in living room, deck and dining room with stainless steel appliances, it’s more than enough space for a small dinner party. It’s also got green factor with its bamboo floors. Bonus: Super close to MUNI, shops and restaurants. Check it out for yourself!

click here for the complete listing...