Brendan Laing, 899 Northgate Drive, San Rafael, CA (2026)

06/05/2023

Here are some great, low impact ways that you can celebrate World Environment Day while also making your life a little greener!

First and foremost, plant a tree! Turns out much of Marin is very amenable to a variety of trees, not just the oak, redwoods, and eucalyptus that are super common. Many homes even have fruit trees that grow very happily, and giving you some seasonal fruits to enjoy. I've seen figs, apples, persimmons, plums, and even more.

Speaking of fruit, there are plenty of summer veggies and fruits you can plant easily in your home garden, whether you've got shade or sun. My lovely partner has planted jasmine, dragon fruit, lavender, strawberries, tomatoes, and even catnip and they are loving it on our balcony! Let me know if you're looking for help starting a garden, and I'd be happy to give you some tips and start some digging.

Picking up trash is a no-brainer, but Marin has plenty of spots where it's needed. Parks and paths along the bay often see some interesting things wash up, and those often don't have people picking them up. Regardless, I find it's a good practice to make sure whatever back pocket is not holding a wallet is used for trash (that's not too gross!).

Recycling is another obvious one, but there's some great ways to do it. First and foremost, did you know that you can repurpose old glass bottles to water your brand new garden? Just fill it with water, and stick it neck first into the soil next to your plants. It'll slowly drain water as the plants need it, and you can just keep an eye on it from day to day.

You can also reduce energy! This means using blinds instead of the AC, keeping windows open for a nice breeze, or other ways to keep cool. Some nice thick blinds and no lights are my favorite way, but not everybody is comfortable working in the dark.

Last but not least - the Bay Area is one of the most beautiful metropolitan areas on Earth to reside in. Enjoy it! When heat waves, nice weather, or even a little bit of our coastal fog kicks in, go somewhere to enjoy it. Whether that's hiking along Pt Reyes to cool off, enjoy a trek through the redwoods to avoid seeing the fog, or enjoying the sun atop Mt Diablo there are dozens of ways to get out and enjoy the environment.

06/01/2023

First and foremost, Marin tends to have high rankings in many quality-of-life indicators. As one example, we're considered to be one of the healthiest counties in CA. Marin also has some incredibly natural beauty, being home to Muir Woods, the Marin Headlands, and Mt Tam just to name a few spots (that also all happen to be adjacent to one another). But if you like to take a hike, it will take a ton of time to see everything Marin has to offer.
This is partly due to a commitment to green living. You'll find that much of Marin consists of open space, which is some kind of preserve of some kind. Open to the public, you can explore nature and see conservation at work. Or hear it, as is the case with the coyotes and owls that live near me.
We're also fairly close to San Francisco, so you can get more space while still experience all of the benefits the city has to offer. It's usually a quick jaunt in and out of the city - although getting across the city takes more time - meaning that you can easily partake in events and explore SF at your leisure. And in the summer, you return home from the fog to a nice warm evening.

Finally - as part of that focus on sustainable living, you'll find that there's plenty of ways to stay involved in the community. There's a number of associations, events, and volunteer opportunities. I work with the Scouts, BSA in Sleepy Hollow, for instance. I also try to support the community by shopping at the Agricultural Institute of Marin's Farmer's Market when I can, helping some local farmers get by while enjoying some fantastic products.

04/04/2023

These days, the descriptions for homes are getting longer and longer. And you can talk about how a room "tastefully blends modern and classic design as one room flows into the other", but that doesn't actually tell you anything. So here's a translation (as I tend to view these terms) of what some of these descriptions are actually saying.

03/05/2023

The Spring Market in Marin is heating up!

The housing market in general may be faltering due to interest rate hikes, Marin tends to be a little more isolated from those. Couple that with low supply, and you can always find an interested buyer for your home - especially with the right pricing strategy. These numbers show trends since December, which is when we annually hit a slow point in the market. But, as the rain (and snow) starts to leave, the market is shaking off the cold and waking up! Follow, Like, and Subscribe to stay tuned with more market updates and real estate advice.

Address

899 Northgate Drive
San Rafael, CA
94903

Telephone

+14154505902

Website

http://www.homeisinmarin.com/

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