Ginger Wilcox, Marin County Realtor

Did you know there are nearly 40 marinas in the San Francisco Bay Area? Sausalito has one of the largest and busiest maritime areas in the region with almost a dozen marinas and boatyards. Sausalito is located on the south shore of Richardson Bay. Richardson Bay is located between Sausalito and the Tiburon Peninsula.

Sausalito was originally the home of the north Pacific whaling fleet. Sausalito has a long history of boat building and built many ships used during World War II. Sausalito and Marin County are definitely water communities- with prominent water views throughout the county and yacht clubs a plenty.

Otis Redding wrote his famous song, "Sitting on the dock of the Bay" while living on a houseboat at Waldo Pier in Sausalito.

If you are an avid boater, Sausalito is the place to be...

This story is reprinted with permission from BlogbytheBay.com, Ginger Wilcox's Marin Real Estate Blog.

If the current proposal is signed into law, it may allow for Marin homeowners to refinance their current jumbo loan rate into a conforming loan rate. The spread between the two types of loans is approximately 1% for a 30 year fixed loan.

The proposal would also allow buyers in the market, looking to finance a property with a loan of $729,950 or less, to make the purchase more affordable than it otherwise would have been under the current law.

If the legislation passes as proposed, I expect to see increased refinancing by Marin homeowners and more activity in the housing market.

Visit Ginger's Marin Real Estate Blog for more information about Marin Real Estate and life in Marin County, California.

Marin County has a free library system with eleven branches. We typically go to the Corte Madera library, probably because of it's convenient location near the 101 freeway and close to the Safeway at Corte Madera Town Center.

The kids love picking out their own books at the library. Sometimes my six year old will pick one out for me. We head over to the mystery and suspense area and she looks for anything pink. Amazingly enough, she has selected some great novels for me- pink and all. The librarians are always on hand and very helpful with recommendations on age appropriate books. Fortunately their selection criteria extends beyond the color of the book.

Most of the libraries have story time for children as well as classes for adults, including computer classes! Marin.org keeps a calendar of Marin library events. I was surprised to learn you can take basic classes on Microsoft Word or using email- for free - at the Corte Madera library. The Fairfax library has a book club and the Pt. Reyes library has knitting.

If you are looking for Marin County history, the Anne T. Kent California Room at the Civic Center Branch is the place to go. Resources available include books, maps, photographs, oral histories, early voter registers and more.

I am an avid reader and buy a lot of books on Amazon, but the Marin County library is such a great resource that we sometimes forget about. My kids love the library outings, the books are free and you can even check out DVDs too.

The last couple of days have been super cold- a brisk 48 degrees today.

I really don't mean to rub it in. We have had our share of rain and even hail, but I was able to snap this picture on a gorgeous sunny day last weekend. The path is a popular walking and biking path in Mill Valley that goes into Sausalito.

One of the things I love most about living in Northern California is being able to go outside and enjoy the beautiful outdoors twelve months a year. Marin County is an outdoor mecca with many hiking and biking trails that are available all year round. Check out Marin Trails for some great information on hiking and biking in Marin.

Yesterday I took the family to see Jack and the Beanstalk in San Francisco. The play is put on by the Children's Theatre Association of San Francisco (CTA).

The classic fairytale is delightful for young children, who are encouraged to clap, and express their delight in the performance. Even my youngest stayed in his seat, enthralled in the performance. The CTA is a non-profit that was founded in 1934. The CTA charges for weekend performances, but offers the performance for free to local elementary school children during the week.

Performances are held in the Florence Gould Theater at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The small theater is perfect for this type of play. It is a beautiful and intimate setting and every seat is a good one. Tickets are only $12.00 ( a bargain in San Francisco) and parking is plentiful and free.

The play is very simple...,don't expect to hear Pavorotti, but it is a very special treat for children all the same. Both my husband and father-in-law complained about the lack of men in the all-women cast (the Giant and the role of Jack were played by women). This didn't bother me, but I knew going it what to expect. Despite that, everyone had a great time. We loved watching the children's faces light up as the cow danced and as the Giant chased Jack through the audience.

I will definitely be on the lookout for future CTA productions. If you are looking for a fun, family friendly event- this is well worth the trip across the bridge!

Visit Ginger's Marin Real Estate Blog for more information about Marin Real Estate and life in Marin County, California.