Destroy the Comps in San Anselmo

44 years young and never on the market before!

All that means is that you can low-ball this San Anselmo POS (3/2, 1200 sq ft, built 1961, asking $799,000) to death as the current owners can afford deep price cuts. This is the perfect opportunity for someone to destroy the comps.

Great-Home-Fixer-Rebuild in San Rafael

This is a great home in a good location. Fixer or rebuild.

Ok Mr. Real Estate Man, I believe you, what ever you say. Here's my bucket of money and over there is my box of stupid. And are these things ever not in a great location? Just wondering.

This Great-Home-Fixer-Rebuild in San Rafael comes in at 3 br 1 ba, built 1900, 1104 sq ft, and is asking $700,000. I cannot for the life of me think of a better way to spend $700,000. Really.

Funky But Livable

Dynamic duo!! Live in one side and rent the other! Cute stand alone 1914 circa house on quiet lane. Sunny flat lot, tons of parking, funky but livable and very loveable. Not permitted second unit, easy conversion back. 2nd unit is adorable and private, updated kitchen and bath. Take it to the next level and build up, many possiblities for builder, buyers, etc. Check it out!!!

At least it's livable. This POS is in Kentfield and comes in with 2 br 2 ba (I guess one of each in each unit), N/A sq ft, built 1914, asking $619,000.

Kentfield POS For You Condo Losers

In the heart of kentfield, down a little lane sits this 1 bedroom, 1 bath clean, cute little stand alone cottage. Keep as is or develop into something bigger. Great light, private, wonderful country sink in kitchen, enclosed sunroom possible second bedroom currently being used as storage. Sizable laundry room. Close to all conveniences. A must see for condo buyers, developers....

All you Marin wannabes now listen up. This POS is your only chance to be part of the Kentfield elite. And you loser condo folks? Now you can be a real house owner of your own. 1 br 1 ba, N/A sq ft, built in 1920. Asking $595,000. No worries. Really. It's good.

Uh, It's In San Rafael, How's That?

Looking for potential? Great opportunity for your buyers to see this charming cottage being sold as is. Current owners using possible second bedroom as dining room. Sun room or office, utility room plus one car garage and lush garden areas make this a hidden treasure. Close to downtown, dominican univ, bus plus easy access to 101. Bring all offers!

This "hidden treasure" (or is that "golden turd") in San Rafael comes in at 2 br 1 ba, 703 sq ft, built in 1930, asking $535,000. This just came on the market so you better rush. Don't be priced out of the market. Get in now or you may never be able to. Just bring your bucket of money and your box of stupid and you're good to go.

Size Doesn't Matter in Marin

A reader brought this Mill Valley POS to my attention (thank you). All I can say is: 2 br 1 ba, 903 sq ft, built in 1948, asking $849,000 ($940/sq ft). The listing agent even has the audacity to proclaim that this POS is "perfect for entertaining". Ha! Yes, maybe for three guests. The system is so out of whack. Why would anyone want to reward these people by paying that obscene price? Well, that's just me.

Marin's new motto should be "Size doesn't matter".

(Sorry about the bad picture. It was the only one that I could find that showed anything of the exterior of this cottage.)

What a Deal in Mill Valley

Wow, marvelous mill valley for less than $700,000...Great home, great price!!

2 br 2 ba, 1104 sq ft, built in 1980. Sits practically on top of Shoreline Hwy. Asking: $699,999. If they had asked just $1 more then it would no longer be a "great price". These are truly some savvy Marin sellers.

Affordable Housing, Marin Style

I've blogged this one before. It's the cheapest property currently listed in all of Marin; this is what is meant by "affordable housing" in Marin. Your kids will love this place. For some reason it's been on the market for 157 days now. I don't understand why. Really, this is such a sweet house by Marin standards. The asking price hasn't been reduced in all this time and for good reason...this place rocks.

Sow's Ear in Mill Valley

Lot...S of potential for this major fixer turn-of-the-century cottage.Not for the meek...Chance to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

This $650,000 (asking) "sow's ear" is in...you guessed it: Mill Valley. It comes in with 1 br 1 ba, 909 sq ft, built in 1909. No upgrades or lifestyle clichés, obviously; it's a pig after all.

Mill Valley Artist's Shack

Artist's cottage on sunny, street to street lot with panoramic views. Good neighborhood and location, brick fireplace. Living room, dining and kitchen upstairs, bedroom and bath downstairs.

1 br 1 ba, 1070 sq ft, built 1920, asking $550,000 in Mill Valley. Are there really any artists left in South Marin? There used to be tons. So if this shack is for artists, then by the looks of it I would say it was built for "starving" artists. But if you can pay that asking price, then I guess we have to redefine what we mean by "starving". And what's this? No extra room for the artist's workshop? What kind of "artist's cottage" is this?

Sausalito Fixer

Fixer with tons of potential...

This Sausalito fixer comes in with 2 br 1 ba, 935 sq ft, built in 1904. It's been on the market for 56 days. Price Reduced: 09/02/06 -- $698,000 to $675,000. If you are thinking about buying this POS to live in, then you had better interview your potential new neighbors as it looks like you have about two feet of separation between houses. Heck, on the left side it looks like there is only just enough space to accommodate that smoke stack thingy sticking out of the side of the pinkish-brown house. And it looks like you have scaffolding going on there on the other side.

Mill Valley "Heart Throb"

Little city farms heart throb on approx. 1/4 acre flat, private, fenced lot. 1 bd, 1 ba home w/brick f/p in living room & attached 1-car garage plus serene separate un-permitted cottage has sleeping loft with view.

This 1 br 1 ba, 856 sq ft, built 1948 POS truly exists in fantasy land given that the asking price is $1,100,000. That's $1285/sq ft! So leave your brain behind and bring just your throbbing heart and a fat stack of cash for this Mill Valley joke.

Below is a shot of that un-permitted "cottage". But isn't the main "house" a cottage? If so, then this is really a glorified shack:

Thanks go out to the reader who brought this POS to my attention.

Mill Valley Possibilities Pt. 2

I originally blogged this Mill Valley POS back in mid-May, 2006. Back then it was listed at $625,000. It was taken off the market and is now back (oh boy!) with a new price tag of $615,000. Same house (nothing has been done to it during the last four months), same write-up (I guess the realtor thought she had a real winner with the original write-up), but a new -1.6% drop in the asking price. Wow, that's a really generous price reduction Mr. Seller. How about getting real?

It's a good thing I noticed this otherwise unsuspecting people might think this is a new listing with none of that 228-days-on-market stigma thing.

Uncle Ben Lives in Novato

Bring your imagination & contractor tool belt to make this bungalow yours. Beautiful level lot, mature trees, backyard privacy, borders a quiet lane & diablo ave.

This looks like Uncle Ben's Cabin. I think I can even see the moonshine jug. And the contrast between the picture of this Novato POS and the agent's write-up is laughable. It comes in at 604 sq ft, 2 br 1 ba, built 1935, asking $510,000.

There's been a large spike in the number of new listings following Labor Day, 2006. So I expect there to be a lot of new Marin crap out there to blog.