The North Bay Team

06/25/2022

A little lunch after some retail therapy at Piazza España, then at the Foro Romano

06/10/2022

Fontana di Trevi, Sistine Chapel

06/08/2022

06/08/2022

Trastevere ❤️

04/14/2022

Peek inside 2022's most expensive North Bay home sale — so far.

Marin's highest-priced home of the year thus far was pricier than any mansion yet to sell in San Francisco.

1860 Mountain View in Tiburon just sold for $17.5 Million.

The home was built in 2015 and has roughly 4,500 sq ft of living space.

01/17/2022

MLK's other dream? Equal housing opportunity

A year before his death, he launched the Poor People's Campaign to fight job and housing inequality, among other issues.

Dr. King spent much of 1966 in Chicago, even moving his family to an apartment on the city’s predominately Black west side. There, King and Southern Christian Leadership Conference launched the Chicago Open Housing Movement, whose goals included the rehab of public housing, increasing the supply of affordable housing, pushing for diversity and integration in businesses and unions, a $2 minimum wage and the abolition of wage garnishment.

Chicago’s mayor, Richard J. Daley, agreed to meet with King and other activists to work out an agreement, which included building future public housing with “limited height requirements,” and requiring the Mortgage Bankers Association to make mortgages available regardless of race.

King garnered support from civil rights leaders in American Indian, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and poor white communities and began planning a March on Washington to demand jobs, unemployment insurance, a fair minimum wage, and education for adults and children. “It’s as pure as a man needing an income to support his family,” King said.

King was assassinated before he could finish planning the demonstration; however, other SCLC leaders and his wife, Coretta Scott King, banned together and finished planning the march.

The Poor People’s Campaign and the Chicago Open Housing Movement laid the groundwork for the 1968 Fair Housing Act, which ensures that all Americans have access to equal housing opportunities and outlaws discrimination based on an individual’s race, color, religion, s*x, national origin, disability or familial status.

Although the Fair Housing Act has improved the living conditions of Americans, many readily point out there is still much work as evidenced by disproportionately low homeownership rates for Blacks, rampant gentrification in communities of color, a lack of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families.

We have a lot of work to do, but today we celebrate the spirit of struggle and resistance.



Source: INMAN

12/09/2021

An Age-by-Age Guide to Moving With Kids

Moving with Babies and Toddlers.
Pause for snuggles and tickles. Recruit one of their stuffed animals. You can talk to it and say, "Hey Bear, you will have a new house but you will still get to live in Olivia's room."

Pack their bedroom last and unpack it first. Setting up kids' rooms is a crucial first-day goal. Amid the hot mess, they can have a safe haven.

Keep to crucial routines. Aim for priorities, not perfection.

Moving with Preschoolers.
Kids this age will sense that big changes are in the air, but they may have no practical concept of what a move entails. They may wonder, "Do we get to keep our old house too?" "Are we taking the toilet?" "Will I have to leave all my toys and pets for the new family?" You can reassure them and put things in perspective.

You don't need to give your kid months of advance warning, but fill them in when it's getting obvious: You're showing the house, having a yard sale, packing. Spell out what is staying the same (the whole family is coming, your bed is coming) and what is changing (we will have a basketball hoop, you will have a new preschool). Present the move in a positive light because your child will take cues from you.

Ideally, take your child to visit the new house. If that's not possible, give them a video tour or look at photos.

Put your preschooler in charge of packing up some of their books or games so they feel they're contributing. Kids can even help w**d out all the junk not worth moving and set up a "toy store."

Moving with School-Age Kids.
They're leaving beloved teachers and friends. Give kids some closure to help them process these significant changes. "Offer your child choices: Would you like to go to the playground with Ava? Or make something for her to keep?"

Assure them that they can use Zoom or FaceTime to hang out together. They can also buddy up for online games. Planning a future trip to see a left-behind best friend, if possible, can be a helpful way of making goodbye not feel like forever.

Source: Parents

12/08/2021

Superb location minutes from downtown Fairfax, yet the serenity and privacy will make you feel miles away! 🌿

39 Iron Springs Rd, Fairfax

$1,100,000

3 Beds/2 Baths

Access to hiking, cycling, spacious level yard! 🚴 A great place to call home.🏡

Ready to learn more? DM to schedule a viewing. 😉

12/04/2021

A window Into Preparing to Buy a House

1. Do a Financial Checkup

Check your credit scores and credit reports. The three major credit reporting agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can request your full credit report (including your score) from each of them once per year, for free. Don’t rely on scores from outside sources, because those scores may not be accurate. Homebuyers need at least 620 to get a conventional loan. A score over 760 will earn you the best rates. Check the reports carefully and dispute any incorrect information.

Figure out how much cash you have to cover the down payment and the closing costs (which could be an additional 1-3% of the purchase price). Some mortgages only require a 3-5% down payment and you’ll usually be required to pay for private mortgage insurance if your down payment is under 20%.

2. Set a Budget

Make an itemized list of your monthly recurring expenses add all expenses related to your new house (mortgage, property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance). There are lots of online calculators that will show you estimated payments for the house price you choose.

Take your total monthly expenses and divide by your total monthly income. You’ll end up with a percentage number that’s known as DTI, which stands for debt-to-income ratio. The bank will look at that number to decide whether you can afford a house; 43% is the magic number to stay under.

3. Get Pre-Qualified for a mortgage
Ask your lender as many questions as you’d like about possible terms, interest rates, and specific requirements for credit scores and DTI. Don't have a lender? We can recommend a few.

Your pre-qualification will include a maximum loan amount, which gives you a firm idea of what you can spend on a new home. Sellers won’t give your offer the same weight as one from a pre-approved buyer; in fact, some won’t even show you their home without that piece of paper (or email). Similarly, some realtors won’t give you the same attention you’d receive if you’d been pre-qualified.

SOURCE: Own Up

11/10/2021

Great big water views! The connection to the water is remarkable at this home. 🌊 💙

9 Tower Point Ln, Tiburon

$3,500,000

3 Beds/3 Baths

The home was completely renovated in 2013 and is oriented to perfectly capture the views from every room. The design is elegant, simple and serene. 🏡

Ready to learn more? DM to schedule a viewing. 😉

11/07/2021

This Spanish beauty is bursting with charm 😉

12 Clyde Ave, San Rafael

$1,190,000

2 Beds/2.5 Baths + ADU with charming details throughout 🏡

This beauty won't last. Come and see it for yourself with the first-ever open house this weekend. 🌞 Sunday 1-4pm

About the house:
Spanish chic living room with wood floors, fireplace, and plantation shutters, formal dining room. This house is spacious and feels much larger than expected. From kitchen, doors open to a large level rear yard, fully fenced. A truly special space. Split level to upper floor, there are two bedrooms located on opposite sides of central hallway & one bathroom. Attached tandem garage with large laundry/finished storage room. Excellent location in the Dominican flats.

11/02/2021

No olvides que estamos aqui nomas un ratito.

November 2nd is day of the dead, when the souls of our anvestors visit us to celebrate and enjoy the altars we have prepared for them with offerings, their photos, favorite things, foods and drink. Marigolds represent the sun which help in guiding them back home.