San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (September 2009 Home Sales Update)

San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (August 2009 Home Sales Update)

San Rafael, CA’s real estate market is increasingly fueled by foreclosures and short sales. The entry level price band (under $600K) remains extremely hot (84% of such homes are currently in escrow) and the $600K to $800K price band has seen steady activity with 35% of homes in escrow (same as last month). Increased affordability, low interest rates (rates are down from the time of last month’s report), an increased presence of FHA loans, and a shifting mindset by both buyers and sellers, are impacting these price points in a positive manner. Additionally, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers is likely helping pull some buyers into the fray, despite the income limitations placed on this credit. It will be interesting to see if the government expands the credit to include ALL buyers and increases the credit amount to $15,000 — that would make a big difference for a lot of people. Overall, the number of homes on the market fell to 142 homes (from 159 last month).

The big news in San Rafael real estate this past month revolved around the sale of Carlos Santana’s 1.7 acre, 7,000 square foot estate, which sold for $4.185 million after a short two weeks on the market. Congratulations Carlos! Meanwhile, San Rafael listing prices experienced a brief rise earlier this Summer, but have again begun a downward shift over the past few weeks. By comparison, asking prices in Novato have been rising for several months, leading many to beleive that the bottom has formed in Novato. It does not appear this phenomenon is being replicated in San Rafael.

Thirty-two homes sold in July 2009 (down from 38 in June 2009). The average days on market was 103 days, the average sales price was $802,352, and the average home size was 1,902 square feet — roughly $409 per sq. ft. Excluding the Santana estate mentioned above, the numbers are as follows: the average days on market was 106 days, the average sales price was $693,234, and the average home size was 1,737 square feet — roughly $403 per sq. ft.

The hottest neighborhoods: Lucas Valley, The Dominican, and Gerstle Park remain very attractive to many buyers, as do Terra Linda and Peacock Gap. Finally, if you know anyone interested in a very well maintained Eichler with a wonderful outdoor living area, please let me know as I have clients considering a move if the right buyer comes along.

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael (Marin County, CA), California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate: (415) 350-9440.

San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (July 2009 Home Sales Update)

As Summer sets in, San Rafael CA’s real estate market has slowed a bit. It is increasingly fueled by foreclosures and short sales. The low end (under $600K) remains hot (67% of homes in escrow, compared with 64% in June 2009) and the $600K to $800K price band has seen steady activity with 35% of homes in escrow. Increased affordability, low interest rates (rates are down from the time of last month’s report), an increased presence of FHA loans, and a shifting mindset by both buyers and sellers, are all resulting in a strengthening market. Additionally, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers is likely helping pull some buyers into the fray, despite the income limitations placed on this credit. It will be interesting to see if the government expands the credit to include ALL buyers and increases the credit amount to $15,000 — that would make a big difference for a lot of people. Overall, the number of homes on the market fell to 159 homes (from 168 last month).

As with asking prices in Novato, San Rafael has seen an uptick in average asking prices over the past few weeks. It remains to be seen if this is a leading indicator regarding sales prices.

Thirty-eight homes sold in June 2009 (down from 40 in May 2009). The average days on market was 82 days, the average sales price was $832,221, and the average home size was 2,241 square feet — roughly $384 per sq. ft. The hottest neighborhoods: Lucas Valley, The Dominican, and Gerstle Park remain very attractive to many buyers, as do Terra Linda and Glenwood. Finally, if you know anyone interested in a very well maintained Eichler with a wonderful outdoor living area, please let me know as I have clients considering a move if the right buyer comes along.

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael (Marin County, CA), California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate: (415) 350-9440.

San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (June 2009 Home Sales Update)

Moving into the Summer, San Rafael CA’s real estate market is increasingly fueled by foreclosures and short sales. The low end (under $600K) has been hot (64% of homes in escrow). Meanwhile, the $600K to $800K price band has seen a surge in activity with 38% of these homes in escrow, up from 29% in May 2009. Increased affordability, low interest rates (although not as low as they were), an increased presence of FHA loans, and a shifting mindset are all resulting in a strengthening market. Additionally, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers is likely helping pull some buyers into the fray, despite the income limitations placed on this credit. It will be interesting to see if the government expands the credit to include ALL buyers and increases the credit amount to $15,000 — that would make a big difference for a lot of people. Overall, the number of homes on the market fell to 168 homes (from 179 last month).

Forty homes sold in May 2009 (up from 26 in April 2009). The average days on market was 99 days, the average sales price was $763,000, and the average home size was 1,902 square feet — roughly $411 per sq. ft. The hottest neighborhoods: Lucas Valley, The Dominican, and Forbes remain very attractive to many buyers, as do Terra Linda, Trestle Glen, Los Ranchitos, and Glenwood. Finally, if you know anyone interested in a very well maintained Eichler with a wonderful patio, please let me know as I have clients considering a move if the right buyer comes along. 

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael (Marin County, CA), California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate: (415) 350-9440.

San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (May 2009 Home Sales Update)

As noted last month, San Rafael CA’s real estate market is increasingly fueled by foreclosures and short sales. The low end (under $600K) is just on fire with “fire sale” prices. We are currently experiencing an amazing 69% pending ratio for homes priced at or below $600K (up from 31% in February). San Rafael’s bread and butter homes, priced between $600K and $800K continue selling at a moderate pace with 29% of homes are in escrow. Increasing affordability, low interest rates on conforming loans, an increased presence of FHA loans, and a shifting mindset are all resulting in a strengthening market. Additionally, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers is likely helping pull some buyers into the fray, despite the income limitations placed on this credit.

 

Overall, the number of homes on the market rose slightly with 179 homes (up from 174 last month and about 135 last year at this time). What is striking is the comparison between this month in 2006 and today. See below for more on this.

Twenty-six homes sold in April 2009 (up from 19 in March 2009). The average days on market was 118 days, the average sales price was $680,000, square footage was 1,791–roughly $383 per sq. ft. By contrast, in 2006 46 homes sold for an average price of $1.1 million (about $497/sq. ft.). Moreover, the homes sold in half the time (53 days). While the times have changed, the hottest neighborhoods have not: Lucas Valley, The Dominican, and Forbes remain very attractive to many buyers, as to Terra Linda, Trestle Glen, Los Ranchitos, and Glenwood. Finally, if you know anyone interested in a very well maintained Eichler with a wonderful patio, please let me know as I have clients considering a move if the right buyer comes along.

Price Range	Total Homes	Pending Listings
Up to $600K	48 (down 4)	69%
$600K - $800K	86 (up 21)	29%
$800K - $1 mil.	48 (up 7)	29%
$1 mil. - 1.5 mil.	47 (up 4)	6%
$1.5 mil. - $2 mil.	19 (down 2)	16%
$2 mil. & Up	11 (down 2)	9%

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael (Marin County), California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin: (415) 350-9440.

San Rafael CA Real Estate Market Report (April 2009 Home Sales Update)

 

San Rafael CA’s real estate market is increasingly fueled by foreclosures and short sales. We are currently experiencing 44% pending ratio for homes priced at or below $600K (up from 31% last month). Although San Rafael’s low end is not as strong as Novato’s, it is certainly gathering momentum. Importantly, San Rafael’s bread and butter homes, priced between $600K and $800K continue selling — 32% of these homes are in escrow (up 1% from February 2009). Increasing affordability, low interest rates on conforming loans, and a general shift in mindset are helping many buyers in the lower price ranges attain home ownership. Additionally, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers should also help pull buyers into the fray as value priced properties come onto the market. It is a sign of the times: San Rafael currently has 10 listings under $400K and another 9 homes under $500,000 (this is a giant increase from 5 in January 2009). Overall, the number of homes on the market continues to rise with 175 homes (up from 153 last month and about 135 last year at this time).

Nineteen homes sold in March 2009. Seven of the homes that sold last month were priced below $605K. Moreover, not a single home in San Rafael CA sold for $1 million — strange… The average days on market was 118 days, the average sales price was $680,000, square footage was 1,791–roughly $383 per sq. ft. San Rafael’s strongest micro-climate markets in were Terra Linda, Lucas Valley, Dominican, Trestle Glen, and Peacock Gap. Finally, if you know anyone interested in a very well maintained Eichler with a wonderful patio, please let me know as I have clients considering a move if the right buyer comes along. 

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael, California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin: (415) 350-9440.

San Rafael Real Estate Market Report (March 2009 Home Sales Update)

Following Novato’s lead, San Rafael’s real estate market is gathering momentum at the low end as foreclosures and short sales drive the market. We are currently experiencing 31% pending ratio for homes priced at or below $600K. Although not as strong a market segment as Novato, I would still characterize it as competitive price band.

Importantly, San Rafael’s bread and butter homes, priced between $600K and $800K continue selling at a rapid clip — 31% of these homes are in escrow (up 2% from January 2009). Low interest rates on conforming loans are helping many buyers in the lower price ranges attain home ownership. Meanwhile, rates for conforming jumbo loans are a bit higher and apparently not being embraced by buyers as the San Rafael housing market is flat above $1 million (see lower chart). But, the $8K tax credit for first time home buyers should also help pull buyers into the fray as value priced properties come onto the market. Amazingly, we have 15 homes currently being marketed under $500,000 (there were just 5 last month), and another 16 under $600,000. Overall, the number of homes on the market remains relatively low, with 153 homes (up from 142 last month). 

As many inquiries come in regarding the distressed market, the chart below illustrates the number of, and percentage of, distressed sales so far in 2009.

SFH Sales - January 1 - March 6, 2009
		Total		Distressed		% of Total
Marin County		142		46		32%
San Rafael & Novato		73		34		47%
All Other Cities		69		12		17%
Source:  BAREIS March 8,2009

Roughly 50% of the sales in Marin County this year were in San Rafael and Novato. Of these San Rafael and Novato sales, nearly 50% were distressed sales. In all other cities the distressed component of the market is roughly 17%. 

Despite the relatively high ratio of pendings in San Rafael, only 12 homes sold in February 2009 (granted, that is a short month), which is 33% lower than January 2009. The average days on market was 148 days, sales price was $673,000, square footage was 1,846–roughly $394 per sq. ft. San Rafael’s strongest micro-climate markets in were Terra Linda, Lucas Valley, and Peacock Gap. Finally, if you know anyone interested in an Atrium Eichler on a quiet cul-de-sac, please let me know as 25 Calafia Court in Terra Linda is currently active.

Price Range	Total Homes	Pending Listings
Up to $600K	42 (up 2)	40%
$600K - $800K	61 (up 9)	29%
$800K - $1 mil.	35 (no change)	11%
$1 mil. - 1.5 mil.	33 (up 6)	0%
$1.5 mil. - $2 mil.	11 (down 1)	10%
$2 mil. & Up	16 (up 3)	0%

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael, CA, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate: (415) 350-9440. 

San Rafael Real Estate Market Report (February 2009 Home Sales Update)

Following Novato’s lead, San Rafael’s real estate market is gathering momentum at the low end as foreclosures and short sales drive the market. With 40% of the homes for sale under $600K currently in escrow, we are looking at a pretty strong seller’s market in this competitive price range. Homes priced between $600K and $800K are also selling at a rapid clip — 29% of these homes are in escrow. While interest rates on conforming loans are super-low (again down to 4.75% as of today), the rates for conforming jumbo loans are a bit higher and apparently not being embraced by buyers as the San Rafael housing market is flat above $1 million (see below chart). At this time it is unclear what new benefits, if any, home buyers may reap from the new Stimulus Bill (click here for my recent article on this topic ). There are currently 5 houses on the market under $500,000, and another 19 under $600,000. Overall, the number of homes on the market remains low, with 142 homes (up from 114 last month). 

18 single family homes sold in January 2009 (same as January 2009), the average days on market was 105 days. These homes averaged about 1,864 square feet and sold for an average price of about $662,000–roughly $366 per sq. ft. San Rafael’s strongest micro-climate markets in were Terra Linda, Peacock Gap, and Lucas Valley. Finally, if you know anyone interested in an Atrium Eichler on a quiet cul-de-sac, please let me know as 25 Calafia Court in Terra Linda is currently active. 

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael, California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Frank Howard Allen Realtors Marin: (415) 350-9440. 

San Rafael Real Estate Market Report (January 2009 Home Sales Update)

As I noted last month, San Rafael’s home sales figures remained remarkably consistent throughout the year. Until November 2008, that is. And although 28% of San Rafael listings priced under $800,000 are in escrow (still a buyer’s market), the remaining price bands are suffering further at the hand of the financial crisis. For example, in the $800,000 to $1 million range, we see just 12% of homes in escrow. Beyond that, the market is virtually flat-lining with just one home in escrow over $1 million. We can only home that the new year and all-time low interest rates shake some buyers off the fence–it does appear that banks are beginning to open their purse strings again, albeit only for those who are minimum risk borrowers.

There are currently 19 houses on the market under $600,000, and another 21 under $750,000. Overall, the number of homes on the market remains low, with 114 units currently offered for sale. I do expect a large uptick in listings come the new year as sellers who decided to sit out this past year begin testing the market early and buyers begin to take advantage of the ever-lower interest rates, which some predict may go down as far as 4%.  

Eighteen San Rafael single family homes sold in December 2008 (19 sold in November), the average days on market was 121 days. These homes averaged about 1,888 square feet and sold for an average price of about $695,000–roughly $377 per sq. ft. San Rafael’s strongest micro-climate markets in were Terra Linda, Peacock Gap, and Lucas Valley. Finally, if you know anyone interested in an Atrium Eichler on a quiet cul-de-sac, please let me know as I have one coming on the market in the next couple of weeks.

 

 

If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael, California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Frank Howard Allen Realtors Marin: (415) 350-9440. 

San Rafael Real Estate Update (December 2008)

The San Rafael real estate market has been the model of consistency this year–up until last month. Although 29% of homes are currently in escrow in the low end (under $800,000), the rest of the market is at a standstill. In the $800,000 to $1 million range, we have 14% of homes in escrow. And when it comes to the higher end of the spectrum, the market is virtually flat-lining with just one home in escrow over $1 million. Nobody can recall a time where the market has exhibited such an utter lack of vitality. 

There are currently 20 houses on the market under $600,000, and another 25 under $750,000. As reported the past few months, it is apparent to me that buyers seem unimpressed with our San Rafael housing inventory and that these buyers are exploring Novato. Click HERE for my this month’s market report provided by www.Novato101.com. Perhaps this is in part due to the fact our San Rafael inventory is very low–just 141 units are currently on the market. I do expect a large uptick in listings come the new year as sellers who decided to sit out this past year begin testing the market early and buyers begin to take advantage of the ever-lower interest rates, which some predict may go down as far as 4%.  

Of the 19 homes that sold in November 2008 (26 sold in October), the average days on market was 123 days. These homes averaged about 2,159 square feet and sold for an average price of about $954,000–roughly $434 per sq. ft. San Rafael’s strongest micro-climate markets in November 2008 included Terra Linda, Peacock Gap, and Lucas Valley. For those of you who missed it last month, check out the October 2008 edition of Architectural Digest for some sublime examples of modern architecture, including an amazing prefab green home built by Marmol Radziner in the Utah desert.

 If you have any questions regarding the current real estate market in San Rafael, California, please contact Kyle Frazier, Marin Realtor & CRS, Frank Howard Allen Realtors Marin: (415) 350-9440.

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