McGuire Real Estate

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Articles, Stories & Questions

Displaying all 20 submissions

Jack London’s Paradise: Marin County Twice last week, I found myself trying to describe to out-of-area clients, the difference between living in Marin versus their other options the East Bay or the Peninsula. This conversation comes up a lot with buyers moving here for jobs in San Francisco, as Marin tends to be a bit pricier and has a smaller supply of homes (i.e. less housing stock) than the East Bay and much of the Peninsula. I... more... Blogged on 1/19/2012	Sharon M. Faccinto
What a Difference a Small Business Can Make—Especially in Marin! The Fairfax Scoop, a local favorite and popular destination for family bike excursions in Fairfax, Calif., It’s fresh, organic, local, and delicious! Neighborhoods are more desirable to a far greater number of buyers when there is an attractive café or market close by. Whether the buyer is a single person, a family or a senior, one of the top items on their homebuyer wish list... more... Blogged on 10/5/2011	Sharon M. Faccinto
An Outrageously Special Place...Marin County How do people get by without their local newspapers? I’m so grateful to have our local Marin Independent Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle, despite the newspapers’ shortcomings. The blogosphere has much to offer, but to me, online resources are great additions to the local dailies—not substitutes. Take yesterday’s Marin IJ—a delightful 150 Year Special A... more... Blogged on 3/24/2011	Sharon M. Faccinto
Clear Your Clutter! A client of mine who loves books as much as I do recently shared a powerful tip with me. She said that circulating your books is much better than keeping them. I’m attached to my extensive library, so I was surprised by this idea. My client told me that in addition to all of the obvious benefits—less clutter build up, more spreading the knowledge, joys and insights of beloved ... more... Blogged on 2/23/2011	Sharon M. Faccinto
Marin’s “Missing Link” Opening Soon! Finally! The biggest bike improvement Marin has seen in years is about to open to the public. A former railway tunnel which was closed for years has been brought back to life, thanks to the efforts of the Marin Bike Coalition and the help of various transit agencies. The Cal Park tunnel will open to the public this week. Running between Larkspur Landing and central San Rafael, it provides th... more... Blogged on 12/8/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
All Rumors to The Contrary, Lenders Are Indeed Lending I hate to think of people hesitating to make the most of current buying opportunities simply because they’ve heard that loans are impossible to get these days. This is nonsense. Lending guidelines are stricter than they were, but these historically low rates are worth jumping through a few hoops for. Stricter guidelines have not left any of my buyers out in the cold, unable to obtain loan... more... Blogged on 12/6/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Is Your Home “Energivorous” or “Economique”? Those French. They really do have a word for everything. And when they don’t, a revered committee of elders mints a new one to become an official part of the lingua franca. The word “Energivorous,” to describe an insufficiently energy-efficient home, may not have sprung from the Academie Francaise, but it is an official word in real estate regulations now. It springs from an ... more... Blogged on 11/16/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Coastal Clean up Day, Stinson Beach The last weekend in September offers three of my favorite Southern Marin events: the Sausalito Houseboat Tour, the Mill Valley Art Festival, and the Coastal Clean Up at Stinson Beach, Muir Beach or Bolinas. With some advance planning, you can easily do all three in a day — unless you happen to be a Realtor who often works on weekends, which, of course, I am. Today, knowing the... more... Blogged on 9/26/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Get Out of The Fog! “Get Out of The Fog” This was an ad headline suggested by one of my Ross home sellers, who also was a successful copywriter. I used it in a San Francisco advertisement for his home last summer, and I must say it was effective. It gets to the heart of a certain truth: every summer I see San Franciscans who really don’t want to live anywhere but San Francisco come through my ... more... Blogged on 9/7/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Marin sans voiture (or Getting Around Marin by Alternative Transit) Many of my buyers moving from San Francisco to Marin are daunted by the prospect of getting around their new hometown with just one car – or for the truly sainted and courageous, no car at all. But it can work. Two big improvements coming up in alternative transit are going to make it easier: The SMART Train The Cal-Park Tunnel — Larkspur to San Rafael’s Rail... more... Blogged on 6/22/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Living The Good Life in…. San Quentin There are three affordable ways to get into a waterfront home with great views in one of Marin County’s most historic towns Commit a capital offense Become a prison warden Purchase a beachfront home in historic Pt. San Quentin Village. That’s what I learned at last week’s showing of Larkspur’s only waterfront listing for under a million dollars. Point ... more... Blogged on 6/21/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Sears Homes to Green Homes in Marin I recently had two clients of mine ask me about kit homes, also known as prefab homes. One San Rafael buyer asked me to help her find resources for modern green kit homes, and I thought of the beautiful modern green designs of architect Michelle Kaufmann. What I see on her site makes me think the time for well-designed, affordable kit homes may have come again. The other was about historical ki... more... Blogged on 2/15/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Raccoon Tales I’ve seen a lot of wild life in Marin: Owls in Larkspur. Wild turkeys in San Anselmo. A wild boar off Alpine Dam road. Coyotes in Corte Madera. Bobcats the size of big dogs in the headlands between Sausalito and Mill Valley. And of course the common deer everywhere from Tiburon to Novato. But in the woods or the yard is one thing; seeing them in your kitchen is another thing entirely. Early t... more... Blogged on 2/10/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Charter Schools Segregated? Not in Marin Friday’s San Francisco Chronicle featured a story about a report that charter schools tend towards de facto segregation. It’s too bad they didn’t take a look at Sausalito’s charter school, the Willow Creek Academy. Not only is this free, public, K-8 school very diverse, it may be Marin County’s most ethnically diverse school. Willow Creek gives priority to students from the Sausalito/Marin Cit... more... Blogged on 2/8/2010	Sharon M. Faccinto
Muir Woods Winter Solstice Celebration After the Gingerbread Workshop, another favorite event that falls during the holiday season is the annual Winter Solstice walk and bonfire at Muir Woods National Park on Mt. Tam, just above Mill Valley and Muir Beach. Imagine strolling slowly through the dark, incense-scented woods along pathways lit only by candlelight. Luminaria line the mostly level pathways through the worlds tallest trees.... more... Blogged on 12/1/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto
Holiday Delight for Children (of all ages) Marin has some wonderful holiday events every year, and one of my favorites is the Gingerbread House Workshop at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Little ones delight first in piecing together their own gingerbread house (from a kit), and then decorating it with icing, candy canes, gumdrops and chocolate bits. When I peeked in this week, the room was full of cheerful chatter and delic... more... Blogged on 12/1/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto
College Madness Let’s face it: the price of Marin property is directly linked to that elusive thing called Quality of Life. Economists know it, though they lump it into “demand,” along with factors like the availability of credit and jobs. All quite important, but as a Marin Realtor, homeowner and parent, I know why buyers buy in Marin in good times or bad. It’s quality of life – security, scenic beauty... more... Blogged on 11/21/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto
Mount Tamalpais Wonders The Leonids: At 4:30am this cold, clear morning, my family and I stood on a Mt.Tamalpais trailhead above Mill Valley, in the dark, gazing at the starry sky. Cold, eucalyptus and bay laurel scented air. Coffee in thermos. Kids in pajamas and down jackets. All of us oohing and aahing at the spectacular meteor display as if we were watching the Fourth of July fireworks. Every few seconds, a streak... more... Blogged on 11/17/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto
Sausalito Revelations I used to think of Sausalito as a town for international visitors and yuppies. Common misconception, it turns out. Sure, it’s a popular tourist draw, but I’m learning that Sausalito appeals to singles, downsizers and now, even families. Here are a couple of facts you may not know about Sausalito. Whence these revelations? I’ve been enjoying a lot more time in Sausalito lately for work and for ... more... Blogged on 11/9/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto
Facing Marin Traffic While the Bay Bridge was closed last week, there was an unusual amount of heavy traffic on 101 through Marin. It reminded me how lucky residents of Southern Marin normally are. Image courtesy of Peter Kaminski An easy and beautifully scenic commute to the city is the lucky lot of residents of Sausalito, Mill Valley, Strawberry, Tiburon, Larkspur, and Corte Madera, on most days. With a choice o... more... Blogged on 11/6/2009	Sharon M. Faccinto