Mark Lomas

For a lot of people, when considering moving to or within Marin County, the three most important things in real estate are schools, schools, schools. A lot of home buyers factor in the school where they are moving when they consider making a puchase. And, for those buyers without children, it is also an important factor when looking down the line for resale purposes. As the most significant investment people will make in their lifetime, when purchasing a home, schools are a very important consideraton.

Recently, the Marin Independent Journal ran an article about how the Marin County schools excelled in the 2007 to 2008 school year as measured by the federal No Child Left Behind Act with 81 percent of all students meeting requirements for academic progress.

"But seven Marin schools - nearly twice as many as last year failed to meet their mandates, according to a report by the California Department of Education. Educators say the increase is largely due to higher state and federal standards for English language learners."

For the whole article, and a chart with the Academic Performances Index Test Scores for Marin Public Schools, click on: Marin Independent Journal Article September 4, 2008 Marin Schools

And, check out my web site with the Marin Independent Journal at: Marin History

For a second year Community Action Marin, a San Rafael-based nonprofit, is offering a raffle to help fund its programs for the poor by offering raffle ticket buyers the chance to win a San Rafael "dream home" priced at $2 million. Last year's winner chose the cash over the house that was priced at $2.1 million. At the bottom of this post is all the information you'll need to participate in this event.

Community Action Marin - which operates 15 programs that focus on mental health services, early childhood development, HIV/AIDS, food programs, the homeless and more. "The fact that the local anti-poverty agency is raffling off a $2.1 million house is a little ironic," said Gail Theller, the agency's exective director. But cuts in funding by the Marin Community Foundation, the federal government and the state government left Community Action Marin with little choice, Theller said.
The nonprofit lost about $200,000 a year in funding from the Marin Community Foundation recently when the foundation's trustees decided to take money away from ongoing programs so they could finance new initiatives. In addition, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated funding for a homeless program that served the mentally ill when he sliced $703 million in health spending from the budget. That move cut $500,000 a year from Community Action Marin's budget, Theller said.

Stacy Swor, a Mill Valley lawyer who has been on the agency's board for 18 years, said, "The truth of the matter is we're being bled to death. Believe me, we've tried everything. Bake sales and car washes just don't do it these days. "People are willing to support a charity if they can see something for their money," Swor said. "What we're faced with is ongoing operational expenses, and those are expenses that are just about to get contributions for."

Although last year was the first time that a nonprofit in Northern California has used such a raffle to generate revenue, the practice has gained popularity in Southern California, where it has been used by St. Jude Medical Center, school districts and cultural organizations, Theller said. A law passed by the California Legislature in 2001 made it legal for nonprofits to conduct such raffles.
Still, the agency took no chances, Theller said. It checked with the state attorney general's office and the Marin County district attorney before proceeding with the raffle.
Last year Community Action Marin hired Neal Martin, a former high school school teacher who oversaw a similar raffle for a college prepatory school in Watsonville, to manage the raffle. Mount Madonna School sold 19,000 raffle tickets costing $150 each and raised about $1 million for the school while paying out a grand prize of about $1 million, Martin said. Community Action Marin expects to do better than that.
"We are convinced we are going to net $2.2 million," Theller said last year. This year, the same house, is offered in the raffle. (Last year the winner chose the cash option)


Because Community Action Marin is also charging $150 per raffle ticket, it needs to sell 35,000 tickets to meet their goals. The prizes will be paid for with proceeds from ticket sales. If fewer tickets are sold than expected, Community Action Marin has reserved the right to reduce the size of the grand prize - to an even split of the raffle's total profits. The grand prize winner also has the option of a $1.6 million cash prize in lieu of the "dream house."

Theller said she found the house at 204 Southern Heights Blvd. in San Rafael by mailing letters to 100 people who were trying to sell homes in Marin. If the grand prize winner does opt for the cash, the owner of the house will be paid for holding the house out of the market for six months, Theller said. She declined to say how much.
Theller said she thought it would be difficult finding a homeowner willing to take their house off the market for so long, but half of the people contacted expressed interest. The owner of the San Rafael house had priced the home at $2 million, and will be paid that amount if the prize winner chooses the house.

People who buy the raffle tickets will know that they're giving to a worthy cause, Martin said. "It's not a mystery - unlike the state lottery where the funds from the state lottery are going to end up being budgeted in the next fiscal year," Martin said.
Nevertheless, raffle winners will get no special treatment from the Internal Revenue Service. Like any raffle or lottery, prizes over $5,000 are subject to a 25 percent government tax, Martin said.

COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN'S 'DREAM HOME' RAFFLE ADDRESS: 204 Southern Heights Blvd., San Rafael
SIZE: 4,400 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms; quarter-acre lot
DESCRIPTION: Bay views, chef's kitchen, lush landscaping, library suite, all-new appliances, infinity pool, gated entry
COST OF RAFFLE TICKET: $150
HOW TO ENTER: By phone, 800-431-5166; by mail, CAM Dream House Raffle, 29 Mary St., San Rafael, CA 91949; or by fax at 415-738-7664. For More information click: Marin County Dream House Raffle

A couple of days ago I received a phone call from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle is preparing an article that will come out on September 5th regarding some of the high end neighborhoods in the Bay Area, and how those neighborhoods have been affected by the current real estate market. The Chronicle also wanted to know why people move to Tiburon and Belvedere?
I shared that I believed that there are certain mico-communities in the Bay Area that have actually appeciated during the downturn in today's real estate market. And, Tiburon and Belvedere are just such markets.
Homes here in Tiburon and Belvedere continue to appreciate because of macro economic factors unique to this area such as high desirability, natural geographical beauty, climate, lifestyle, lack of available land for new building, proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley (that are experiencing strong job markets), a stellar school system supported by the tax base, and being one of the most gorgeous waterfront communities in the world!

For the full story that appeared August 20, 2008 click here: Marin Median Home Price Slips

Check out my Marin History web site with the Marin Independent Journal: Marin History