Renee Adelmann

If you live in Marin County, or are contemplating a move to the gorgeous bay area on the other side of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, one thing you will not want to miss out on is the large bicycling scene. In fact, mountain biking as a sport is said to have originated down the sides of Marin County’s own Mount Tamalpais. However, if you are not quite up to heavy mountain biking trails, there is no reason to despair as Marin County has a trail for everyone from a very young beginner to an experienced adult.

Due to the non-profit Marin County Bicycle Coalition, bicycle trails around town are well maintained both in state parks and alongside the coastal and mountain areas. For families who want to add a little bicycling into their day, the Cross Marin Trail is an excellent place to end. Not only does it run through the Samuel P. Taylor Park, but runs down to Marshall Beach and ends at the Tomales Bay State Park. All of these areas of equipped with plenty of shady and sunny picnic areas where you can let your campers regroup and replenish themselves.

If you like the idea of a little off-road biking that you can handle without the thicker tires of a mountain bike, you might want to check out the trails along the Point Reyes National Seashore. Before you begin your trek, you may want to grab a map from the visitor’s center so you can decide if you want to travel along the coastal scrub, through the forest, or glide along the beach bluffs.

Finally, for those who are in Marin County for some serious mountain biking, you may want to head to the more extreme sections of the trails mentioned above and consider also making treks across the Mount Tamalpais woodlands, the trails overhead of San Pablo bay at the China Camp Sate Park, or the tighter ridge trails in Novato at Mount Burdell. There are of course many more trails than just these, but your best bet for finding Marin County’s best kept mountain biking trail secrets is to head over to the local bike shop for tips.

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Contact me for assistance buying or selling Marin real estate or visit our website to search the Marin County MLS for current listings.

One of the increasingly popular ways to live in the densely populated city of San Francisco is in a residential or mixed-used live/work loft. Although lofts can be traced back to the early 1900's, it was during the 60's that loft living really started to become a fashionable way to live. This loft-living movement was led by progressive artists who loved the idea of loft living because of the tremendous amount of open space and structural design that can inspire art itself.

San Francisco has always been known for its lassiez-faire attitude and its casual laid back sense of style, so it is no surprise that the idea of loft living in renovated factories and buildings, or newer construction loft residences, has grown in popularity over the years. Loft living is essentially living in a wide open space that may be divided by structural components such as timber or concrete bams and exposed ventilation ducts, but is mainly all livable space. Without walls and other dividers throughout most lofts, you have a tremendous amount of usable floorspace. Additionally, the large and open floor plan of lofts is frequently complimented with large industrial size windows which illuminate the space, and if you live in a city like San Francisco which sees a lot of sun (and fog!), you want all the sunlight you can capture inside your home.

In addition to residential loft living, lofts have strong appeal to San Francisco artists who use their loft homes as galleries as well as well as people who are just starting out with their own businesses and require dedicated home office space. Additionally, since lofts have so much open space, some families view lofts as a viable housing option for raising children in a crowded city like San Francisco.

Before you start previewing lofts for sale in San Francisco in the various San Francisco neighborhoods, there are a few key terms you will want to know when it comes to looking at available lofts. The term hard loft means the entire area will be open besides the bathroom and often the original architectural elements are left in place, although decorated to match the live / work space. A soft loft on the other hand, has walls dividing the area that do not reach the ceiling, but still help provide family members with separate living spaces. Most homebuyers and renters have a strong preference for the type of loft space they desire and sharing your preferences with your real estate agent will enable them to find the perfect loft living space for you in San Francisco.

Contact me if I can assist you with your home search in either San Francisco or Marin County, California. Whether you are looking for a San Francisco loft or a modern home in Marin County, I would welcome the oportunity to assist you.

San Francisco Bay Area home owners can learn tips and ideas for making their home more green and ecofriendly by attending a FREE event this week in Mill Valley, California.

This North Bay workshop, which is being hosted by the Eucalyptus Knoll HOA in Mill Valley,  will include presentations from:

• Carol Misseldie, Sustainability Coordinator for the town of Mill Valley
• Mark Guthrie, Water Conservation Specialist from the Marin Municipal Water District

Discussion topic will include tips and ideas for making your Bay Area home more green and ecofriendly.  

This Green Workshop will be held at 8pm on Thursday, November 13, 2008.    The venue for this event will be the the Shelter Bay Clubhouse which is located at 2304 Shelter Bay Ave in Mill Valley.  You can also obtain more information about this workshop by calling 415-457-8811. Hope to see you there!

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Let the Marin Modern Real Estate Team assist you in locating homes for sale in Mill Valley, California.  Whether you are interested in a single-family home, condominium, or buildable land in Mill Valley, we would welcome the opportunity to assist you with you San Francisco Bay Area real estate needs.

Modern and eco-minded architectural enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area should not miss our upcoming event entitled "Building an Eco-Friendly & Modern Prefab Home in Marin County".

This 2-hour event for consumers is being sponsored by Marin Modern Real Estate and San Francisco Modern Real Estate and will feature experts in the field of architecture, building, real estate, and finance. Attendees will learn about the practical aspects and steps involved in buying and building a green, prefab home in Northern California.

The keynote speak for this event is from the internationally recognized architectural firm Michelle Kauffman Designs / MKD Architecture. Additional speakers will include representatives from Marin Modern Real Estate and JCF Advisors.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. If you are consumer interested in attending this event, please mark your calendars for November 6, 2008 and visit our website for additional information and to register.

We look forward to hosting this exciting meeting for our home buying clients. Please contact us if we can help you find a green, environmentally friendly home in Marin County or visit our website to explore your housing options in both Marin & San Francisco, California.

Marin County California is well-known throughout the world as the birthplace of the mountain bike.   In addition to the areas fame for this popular invention, the entire county of Marin has always been a bikers paradise,  whether its mountain biking, racing, or simply riding casually throughout our scenic landscape with friends and family.

For bicyclists in Central and Northern Marin, the number of bicyle paths in the area is about to make an exponential leap, thanks in part to a $2.8 million federal grant received by the town of San Rafael, California.

These recently allocated funds will be utilized to fund new bike paths which will connect the Terra Linda area of San Rafael to the Marin Civic Center via several major streets including Las Gallinas Avenue, Merrydale Rd, Northgate Drive and Freitas Parkway.   Additionally, these new paths will meander thru the Northgate Mall in San Rafael, which is currently undergoing major rennovations.   Southern San Rafael will also enjoy new several new bike paths.

Congratulations to the city of San Rafael (and Marin County) for securing these funds to help make our community more bike friendly and less dependent on motorized transportation.   We look forward to enjoing these new bike paths!

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If you want to live modern in Marin, contact the team at Marin Modern Real Estate for assistance with your real estate needs!  Additionally, visit our Marin real estate blog for great information regarding community news, local real estate trends, and more.   We look forward to serving you!