Novato, CA

Bel Marin Keys (Novato, California) Real Estate and Homes for Sale

Novato’s Bel Marin Keys provides a carefree and luxurious waterfont lifestyle in Southern Novato, just 30 minutes from San Francisco.

Few places are as magical as Bel Marin Keys. This unique community of approximately 700 homes consists of a series of channels and lagoons flanked by homes and surrounded by open spaces. Not only can you enjoy the lagoon, but if that proves too confining, you also have nautical access to the San Francisco Bay (Giants game anyone?).

Homes in Bel Marin Keys range in size from about 1,750 sq. ft. to about 2,250 sq. ft. and are priced generally from about $600,000 to $1.5 million, depending on size, upgrades, and location. Click HERE for details relating to one of my listings. There are playgrounds, parks, boat launches, trails, and tennis courts all right in Bel Marin Keys. Just a couple of minutes outside of the neighborhood is the Bel Marin Keys business district (an easy bike ride to work) and the Hamilton Marketplace shopping center (featuring a Safeway, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Peets, banking, and more).

My name is Kyle Frazier and I am an expert on Bel Marin Keys real estate and have sold many homes here. I am a broker and certified residential specialist with Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate, the most respected real estate firm in Marin County.

Please e-mail me at Kyle@Novato101.com or call me at (415) 350-9440 if you would like to discuss Bel Marin Keys or Novato, in general. It is always my pleasure to be of service.

www.Novato101.com

Pointe Marin, Novato, California (Homes & Real Estate)

Pointe Marin is a newer housing development in desirable Southern Novato, Marin County (which is about 20 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and the varied offerings of San Francisco, California). It is favored by families and retireess alike and is undoubtedly one of Novato’s most sought-after neighborhoods.

This Novato neighborhood is quiet and relaxed, with wide streets and lots of cul-de-sacs. Many of Pointe Marin’s homes back up to open space and all are within close proximity to shopping, transportation, HWY 10, hiking trails, water, sports field, parks, and schools.

Pointe Marin is also close to prestigeous Marin Country Club, Stonetree Golf Course, the Indian Valley Campus of Marin Community College, and several other sporting and recreation highlights. In addition, the recent completion of the Hamilton Marketplace with an upscale Safeway, Peets, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, two restaurants, a gas station, banking, and more, brings lots of vitality and convenience. Trader Joes, Whole Foods (scheduled for completion in 2009), Boca, and downtown Novato are all just minutes away.

Commute times to San Francisco vary, but generally it takes about 35 to 45 minutes during peak traffic hours (work is currently being finalized, expanding HWY 101–when completed in December 2008, it is estimated that commute times will be reduced by 15-18 minutes).

Many Pointe Marin residents work at Hamilton Landing or in the Bel Marin Keys business park. In addition, Southern Marin residents have embraced Pointe Marin as an excellent option when it comes time to sell their larger and more expensive Southern Marin homes and downsize (thereby allowing them to carryover their tax base under Prop. 60).

My name is Kyle Frazier and I am an expert on Pointe Marin and have sold many homes here since it was built–indeed, I know of no other agent more active in Pointe Marin. I am a broker and certified residential specialist with Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate, the most respected real estate firm in Marin County. Please CLICK HERE or call me at (415) 350-9440 if you would like to discuss Pointe Marin or Novato, in general. It is always my pleasure to be of service.

Hamilton Field, Novato CA Real Estate and Homes

Hamilton Field in Novato (Marin County), California, is a model community filled with a vitality and energy all its own. Since its inception as a planned community about ten years ago, Hamilton Field has seen vast improvements and is now a magnet community for folks of all different ages and backgrounds.

Hamilton Field is a jewel. The former military base, which was used by the Army and Air Force from the 1930’s to the 1970’s, is now a delightful community of over 1,000 homes. It is, to my mind, one of the very best communities in Marin as it has everything you need within easy walking distance (including shopping, dining, and all kinds of outdoor activities from swimming to skateboarding and biking to birdwatching).

The 408-acre Hamilton Field site in southern Novato sits east of HWY 101 at the Hamilton exit in desirable Southern Novato. The property is punctuated by old military buildings, most of which have been renovated and are used for community purposes, such as a theater, museum, and more.

The most impressive remnants of the military base are undoubtedly the old airplane hangers. The original hangers have been renovated and are now called Hamilton Landing. They are home to dozens of businesses, including Birkenstock, Disney’s ImageMovers, and many others.

Hamilton also features over 70 acres of parks and open space and 50 acres of community facilities, including: a library, art center, theater, soccer fields, baseball field, many open fields for picnics and romping, trails, open space, an ampitheater, pool, YMCA, and a skate park.

Hamilton Field’s housing units are situated in several neighborhoods: Bayside, Hamilton Meadows, Hamilton Park, Southgate, Traditions, Inspirations, Sunny Cove and Newport. Each neighborhood has a different feel. Hamilton Field is considered desirable by many because all the homes are relatively new, with the earliest being built in 1999 and the most recent being finished in the past couple of years. Newer homes simply have fewer problems. My many clients in Hamilton Field simply love where they live. Driving through Hamilton Field always brings a smile to my face because of all the people out and about enjoying the sunshine.

If you have any questions about Hamilton Field or if you would like a tour of the different neighborhoods, please let me know. Click Here for more information about Novato and Hamilton Field. My name is Kyle Frazier. I am a broker and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) with Morgan Lane Marin Real Estate. And it is always my pleasure to be of service. I can be reached at (415) 350-9440.

The Novato single family home market seems to be forming a bottom. Prices appear to be leveling out and the percentages of entry level homes in escrow are very high. I know that many foreclosure sales and short sales are getting multiple offers. I have several clients who have faced as many 9 to 20 offers in competition for a single family home. This activity bodes well for sales in the higher price bands.

Moreover, in June 2009, Novato had 38 sales (up from 32 in June 2008). Indeed, this reflects an upward trend over the past few months—May 2009 had 44 sales. Of course, many of these are bargain priced homes such as REO’s or short sales. But, nonetheless, the inventory is rapidly being absorbed as there is extraordinary pent up demand.

Perhaps more significantly, the average sales price of Novato homes jumped up to $666,124 in June 2009. This is an increase from $564,770 in May 2009. While there was one $2 million plus sale (an off market sale), which supported this increase in average sales price, even stripping that outlier sale from the equation, the revised average sales price was over $622,000—a strong bump upwards.

We believe that the move up market has begun to find its legs in Novato and that there are definite signs of improvement in this very important market segment. Interestingly, and in line with recent months, the move-up price bands are selling as well as the entry level price bands:

As of today, here are the percentages of homes in escrow in each price band:

Foreclosures continue to be the big story in 2009. According to Realty Trac, 1.5 million homes either received a foreclosure filing or were seized by banks. And keep in mind, there was a 3-month moratorium on foreclosures for three months! As usual in Marin County, Novato continues to lead the way with the most foreclosed homes.

While this is devastating to a family, the other side of the coin is that people who have been priced out of the market for years, now have a chance to own a home.

But foreclosure is the big story and try as they might, no one seems to have a workable solution to the problem. Loan modifications are spotty at best, and the unemployment freight train keeps rolling along. One in six members of the workforce in the U.S. is either unemployed or underemployed. That's astonishing!

My only bit of advice: If you're in trouble on your mortgage, don't just sit there! Help is available, and you could be pleasantly surprised at how close a solution could be.

As always, you can reach me through my website at www.BestHomesMarin.com.