GREEN REALTOR NEWS | Vol. 35
Photo Contest | Market Update | Recycling Resources
Carole Weiner of Novato was our first photo contest winner of 2024! This photo is of the beloved and recently shuttered Century Cinema on Tamal Vista Boulevard in Corte Madera. The cinema opened in 1969 and closed permanently in 2020, partially as a result of the pandemic. Fun fact: it was rumored to be one of Steven Speilberg’s favorite movie theaters! Like the Century Cinema, Carole’s medical office, Inn Fusion, also closed with COVID. However, you may see her at Gordon Medical Associates in San Rafael and back practicing as a nurse/healer again while also envisioning a great future in her personal life too! Go Carole!
Scroll down to the bottom to see if you can guess the location (hint: it’s always in San Francisco or Marin) of our February photo. The first person to email me with a correct answer wins a $25 gift certificate to local green business Sports Basement!
Vanguard Properties Top Producer!
2023 was a tough year nationwide for the real estate industry. Elevated interest rates, uncertainties in the financial markets, unfavorable media portrayals, and a noticeable scarcity of property listings resulted in a marked decrease in sales volume. The San Francisco Bay Area was not immune to this. Locally, the overall number of sales was down 34%. In April, I changed brokerages to Vanguard Properties, a tremendous advantage, but one that entailed learning new technology systems, meeting new people, and revising quite a few things. Despite that, thanks to my fantastic clients, friends and colleagues I was a company Top Producer!
Helping people buy and sell homes is a business built on relationships. People invite you into some of the most pivotal moments in their lives, where we are not only working on some of their biggest financial investments, but their biggest emotional ones as well. The trust this requires is not something to take lightly. My business comes primarily from previous clients, referrals from friends, and referrals from other agents who have become friends. Even better than the official recognition of Top Producer is a sweet note I received from a client after our closing: “Thank you for being the most patient, helpful and sweet realtor ever! We couldn’t have navigated this difficult process without you. We are grateful for you!”
Thanks so much to all of you who trust me, refer your friends, chat with me about the market, and share your own valuable insights. Because of you this is a tremendously rewarding profession and I’m proud to be a part of it!
Market Update
As we step into 2024, the real estate landscape is undergoing a significant transformation fueled by heightened buyer demand. This surge is creating a noticeable imbalance with our current inventory of available listings and is resulting in substantial increases in the median sales price for both single-family homes and condominiums compared to the previous year. In the financial arena, mortgage rates have demonstrated relative stability over the past six weeks, hovering in the mid-six percent range. This stability provides a favorable backdrop for both buyers and sellers as they navigate their real estate decisions. Furthermore, the overall economic and labor market conditions remain robust, with wage growth outpacing inflation, ensuring a foundation for resilient consumer spending.
On the ground, we’re witnessing positive trends as open house attendance is on the rise. There’s a notable influx of new listings entering the market, and the number of homes entering into contracts is increasing rapidly. These indicators point to a more dynamic market, suggesting a busy spring selling season on the horizon. Often our best market intelligence comes from our painters, stagers and property inspectors since they are frequently the first to know about properties getting ready to come on the market. Stagers are busy and starting to be booked out for the next couple of months - a good sign that we’ll soon have more inventory.
Click the buttons below for the full market reports
Harvest Eco-Salvage and Make it Home Bay Area
As we all know, the real estate and home remodeling industries can involve a lot of waste. As a Green Realtor, I’m always on the lookout for local resources that can re-use or recycle some of the things we discard. Here are a couple that I learned about recently that seem worth a look.
Last week on Broker Tour at a major fixer property in Sycamore Park, the listing agent shared information about Harvest Eco-Salvage, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping usable and recyclable building materials out of landfills. This organization deconstructs and recycles buildings, then provides the donor with a tax-deductible donation value based on the real estate value, not the thrift store value of the donation. Salvaged materials are sent to thrift stores where they can be passed along and recyclables are sent to local facilities. They claim that they are able to reduce the impact of teardowns or major remodels on landfills by 90% per project. Founded in Scottsdale, AZ, they currently have programs in Northern and Southern California, Portland, and soon to be in Austin, TX. Curious? Click on the button below to learn more.
Founded by an interior designer who saw how much waste was created by moving and redecorating, Make It Home Bay Area repurposes donated items to furnish homes for people transitioning out of homelessness or aging out of the foster care system. They collect gently used, repurposed furnishings and household items, then create a full household tailored to the new residents and styled with a designer touch. The designers set up a model of the rooms in the warehouse, take photos, then movers bring it to the home and help set everything up. So far they’ve furnished 1,723 households and diverted 1,895 tons of waste from landfills. They serve all Bay Area counties from their locations in San Rafael and Walnut Creek. More info on the button below. Watch their video about “Our Why.” Very heartwarming and inspirational.
Photo Contest
All of the beautiful photos in our contest are provided by Green Realtor News’ Artist-in-Residence, Esther Vermeer. Esther is a Mill Valley resident with a background in branding and graphic design. Originally from the Netherlands, she moved with her family to Montreal, Canada for a while and came to the Bay Area 14 years ago, where she has since established herself in the world of interior design. She loves to journey around California and discover the lush natural beauty the state has to offer. You can reach her at esther@prevalentprojects.com.
If you know the location email me at lucinda@lucindaotto.com. The first person with a correct guess wins a $25 gift card to Sports Basement.
I hope you enjoyed the Green Realtor News! If you know anyone buying or selling, or if you are curious to hear more about the market, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to help you or your friends make moves. As one of my happy clients loves to say:
Everyone Needs A Lucinda!
