Thorne Home Blog | Marin County, CA

As members of the LGBTQ community, we have come a long way! Housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited in many states, including our state of California. And while this is wonderful progress, it doesn't necessarily mean all members of the LGBTQ community feel safe and comfortable doing things like pre-qualifying for a mortgage and previewing homes with real estate agents. Naomi and I are a married lesbian real estate team. But we began house-hunting as an unmarried couple in 2011 Los Angeles. I remember the feelings of awkardness and discomfort. There was a lot of "Are you sisters?" and "Which one of you is buying?" forcing us to come out of the closet over and over again, watching the reaction of stunned individuals. At this time, gay marriage was not yet legal, so we filed a domestic partnership to receive the benefits of purchasing property together. And in general, it just felt like real estate professionals d...

There's plenty to do in Marin, from spending the day at the beach to hiking on Mt. Tam to hanging out in the downtown shops in one of Marin's many quaint towns. And with any of these activities, you'll need to eat at some point while you're out and about. Our favorite thing to do in Marin is work up an appetite with a long walk in Larkspur and grab lunch at our favorite walkable burrito spot, Burritoville. Here are a few of our favorite tried and true taquerias in Marin County. 1. Burritoville Cafe : This has been a family favorite of ours for over 20 years! As a Redwood high school student, I spent plenty of my time here. And Naomi and I hope our son will have plenty of childhood memories here as well. The menu has plenty to choose from, but my personal favorite is the kids pinto beans, cheese, and rice burrito with a side of their mild salsa. It's the perfect size and perfect proportions. Their seating area is cute and authentic with an awesome train track...

Are you thinking about buying a home in Marin County, CA? Of course you are! Marin is not only one of the most beautiful places in the world, but the people are friendly, community-oriented, and open-minded. What could be better? Once you've decided to make the move, here are a few things to keep in mind. 1. Affordability : Marin is expensive, so it's important to know which area . If you've heard about Bay Area real estate, you've probably heard about the housing shortage, multiple-offers, and buyers paying enormous amounts of $$$ over the asking price of the home. These are the realities of our market, and as a buyer, it's best to have this information up front so that sticker shock doesn't send you barreling elsewhere. The prices are high, but also keep in mind that people are willing to pay these prices not only because it's worth the daily benefits of living in Marin, but also because the appreciation is high. It is not uncommon for us to hea...

You're wondering if it's time to break up with your house and get back out there. You still love your house, but it might be time to assess whether you're still IN love with your house. You have a couple major compatibility issues, and if you've been considering a break-up, there may be something to it in your heart. Consider the qualities of your home. What are its best qualities? What are its worst qualities? Make a simple pros and cons list and be thorough. The best way to see the big picture is to write it all down in plain sight. Are the negative qualities fixable? Are they fixable, but too expensive? Maybe you love your home enough to invest the money. Let's look at an example:   In this case, there is a lot to love about this home! That said, the cons involve location, and feelings of being isolated. So while these homeowners may love their house, it may be worth breaking up for a home in a more community-friendly location with better schools for th...

SF Chronicle Article - Thorne Home Team Photo by Ramin Rahimian [ This post was written before the Shelter in Place order was imposed on March 16, 2020 ] We’re certainly living through a scary time. All of our normal daily lives have screeched to a halt, from working remotely to not attending get-togethers to not shaking a new friend’s hand. We’re all on high alert and for those of you who are in the middle of house-hunting, you’re probably wondering exactly how to proceed with your search. Should you still go to open houses? Should you attend showings with your agent? Should you just look online? In real estate, we should apply the general guidelines set forth by the experts - social distancing, washing hands, and staying home when we are displaying any symptoms of the illness. According to the World Health Organization’s website, symptoms of the Coronavirus include “respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.” If you are feelin...

Fix the worst flaw! Savvy investors know that adding square footage and renovating kitchens and baths are among the best returns on your investment. But truly, you could do those things and still have a blaring issue with selling your house. So while expensive renovations may increase the value, you’ll have a terrible time selling the house, possibly going through several price reductions, so what’s the point? Let’s say you bought your starter home when you were a young bachelor or bachelorette and it happened to be on the corner of a busy street. Hey, that’s all you could afford and you really loved the house! In this situation, you could build a master suite and renovate the heck out of the kitchen, but buyers would still put a big "X" through your house because of that busy street. So consider your home’s biggest flaw first - road noise and privacy. Perhaps your money is best spent on the tallest fence allowed by your local ordinance. Or perhaps you could plant ...

When you’re selling your house, it can feel like a monumental task to prepare it for market. To get top dollar, you have to declutter, make repairs, clean, stage, and emotionally prepare for a huge life change.  So finding a few workarounds can be super helpful in wrapping your head around the whole project. Kitchen Cabinet Hardware - If your house isn’t new and on-trend, chances are you have old cabinet hardware or even no hardware at all. One easy fix is to choose some modern pulls and handles for the cabinets and drawers. Check out our Pinterest page to get ideas on attractive and modern hardware. Thorne Home Team Pinterest - Kitchen Cabinets Mulch - If you’ve got some patchy spots in your front or backyards, throw down some fresh mulch. You’ll be shocked at how much better it looks and you’ll probably even be annoyed that you didn’t do it sooner! A nicely mulched flower bed near the front door can bring your curb appeal to the next level. Thorne Home...

You’ve heard all the hysteria - your friend’s neighbor made 7 offers before they finally got one accepted. Whoa! That’s a roller coaster of waiting and despair on repeat. But honestly, that doesn’t have to be you! Never go into a multiple-offer situation with this mindset: “But what if I overpay??” I’m sorry to say... but this is about WINNING! Well not exactly, but it is about getting your offer accepted on your dream house. First, you should truly take a moment to consider how much you love this house. If you love it and you can’t imagine living in any other house, then you have to go all in. You’ll regret it later if you don’t. So what is the offer price that will beat out all of the other offers? First consider the big picture. If your agent says buyers are typically offering $100-$200k over asking in this price range, you know other agents are telling their buyers the same thing. So that sets the scene. If your agent tells you there are 25 disclosure packages o...

You’ve been house-hunting for a couple months, browsing photos from all of your listing alerts, and open-house-hopping on the weekends. Nothing has really given you that Marie Kondo spark of joy. Maybe you’re being too picky or maybe you’re emotionally closed off to the idea of packing all those boxes and then unpacking all those same boxes on the other side? Probably not! Trust your gut. If you haven’t felt that spark, then you probably haven’t found the one yet. This is your HOME we’re talking about. It’s a huge decision and it should be made not only by logically checking all the boxes, but by feeling the joy and contentment in your heart. When Naomi and I bought our first condo in Los Angeles and we found out our offer was accepted, we were absolutely over the moon. We couldn’t believe we could own something so beautiful and out of reach. The brick exterior with charming balconies, the open concept layout, the updated granite counters, large bedrooms, and walk-in master closet....

This is probably the most common first-time homebuyer question and it’s probably the question no one really wants to ask out loud. Google search! The term escrow describes the period of time between offer acceptance and when you actually get your keys. This period of time is usually somewhere around 30 days, but it could be faster or shorter depending on the specifics of your situation. This is where the escrow company holds your initial deposit - usually 3% of the purchase price in Marin County, and this is when the appraiser provides the appraisal report, and your lender analyzes your paperwork and gives final approval of your mortgage loan. If you have an inspection period written into your offer, you’ll also use this time to perform all your investigations of the property. This often includes a general home inspection, and a pest inspection (or wood-destroying organisms inspection). Sometimes the seller provides these reports up front so you can review them before placing the...

You may know the most obvious reasons to choose the right mortgage broker. These include getting the lowest interest rate, working with someone who is professional, creative and someone who keeps up with the available mortgage options. These are important factors for your financial future and for your overall escrow experience, which is not to be undervalued. The escrow experience can be highly stressful and overwhelming, so working with an organized broker who is ahead of the potential processing hiccups will be your saving grace. All that said, you will also need a mortgage broker who fits the criteria for getting your offer accepted. In competitive multiple-offer situations, every term in your offer matters. This may be a surprise to you, but sellers and listing agents look for offers with pre-approval letters from certain lenders. Consider being a seller and what you would want from an offer. You would want a sure thing! And that translates into the following: A Quick Close of ...