Labor Day has come and gone … the kids are settling back in school … the Giants are one back, hoping that Zito will win this one tonight, finally … the season turned, in my mind, when they came back from 0 and 4 to win …. and real estate marches on.

Wednesday is the day of the Marin County southern Marin brokers’ open house tour (there’s also a tour of homes in Novato on Wednesdays). The southern tour includes Belvedere, Mill Valley, Sausalito and Tiburon … today there were 111 homes open, ten in Belvedere …. three of the ten were new to the market … and in Mill Valley there were 17 homes brought on the market in the last 36 hours.

New to the market homes are: 10 Fern Avenue, on the sheltered side of Belvedere, is a sweet two bedroom home offered at $1,495,000 by Jess Pearson of Alain Pinel Realtors; 333 Bella Vista, a dramatic, light, SF view home offered for $3,395,000 by David Kirchhoff of Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International; and the new waterfront home offered by Tracy McLaughlin, Pacific Union International – Morgan Lane at 12 Peninsula Road, close to downtown, for $3,495,000. These homes run around $900 per square foot, in case you’re interested … and then there’s David Ogden’s lagoon home, 8 Windward, just reduced (slightly this time, bigger hair cut last time) which is now $2,295,000.

In Mill Valley there were two condos I just had to see … 2 Swift Court, a two bedroom offered at $535,000 by Tania Reinhard-Miccio of Coldwell Banker, a private two bedroom with a two car garage and 19 Thoreau Circle, a three bedroom end unit listed at $629,000 by Jeff Birkenseer of Frank Howard Allen … and there were quite a few homes to see as well.

I’m searching for an expensive fixer upper and the formerly Matt Cain owned home, 517 Tamalpais, now a short sale is one that I haven’t paid much attention to as it has been in escrow for months … this is a home that rented for $3400 in ’08 after having sold for $640,000 in ’04. It has been on the market for as much as $725,000 … now reduced to $520,000 after a short sale buyer walked … listed by Marty Bautista of Frank Howard Allen.

Another fixer property in Mill Valley was 117 California … a three bedroom, two bath home now listed at $699,000 by Stephanie Wickham Witt of Pacific Union International. This trustee owned home benefited from a reduced price, staging AND a major trimming of the trees since it was last listed in the $700,000s. There’s a lot of value here.

Favorite of the day, 9 Dawn Place, a three bedroom home in the country club hills off of Vista Linda, brought to the market by Alva Falla of Frank Howard Allen for $1,595,000. Marvelous sun, privacy and what a view! Wish it would work for my client who wants land … it has 20,000 square feet, but hey! when I showed up at the ‘Honey Farm’ with nearly an acre, the die was cast. Great home with ranch style living, well staged and ready for a new owner at $1,495,000 … very wonderful.

Bargain …. 195 Buena Vista in Mill Valley, reduced by $200,000 … offered by Noella Fortota, McGuire Real Estate … last sold in ’04 for $1.2M.

And perhaps one of the great homes that isn’t an extreme bargain might render your life marvelous … so, email me, go to my website www.tomverkozen.com or call (415) 637-7974 and let’s have some fun while we shop. There are some great finds out there!

Posted by:  Tom Verkozen