<p>You could buy cheaper homes than $5 million in Marin. You could get a pretty nice house for $1.5 to $2.5 milion.</p>
<p>We get a skewed view of nice living in CA long enough. A $2 million house in most of Marin would be shockingly modest (older baths and kitchen, small lot, relatively small square footage, no charm) to most Americans.</p>
<p>How big a lot do you want? How many sq feet?</p>
<p>Where do you live now?</p>
<p>I guess Central and Southern Marin run about 500 a sqft and up.</p>
<p>Ross is more…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Ross_CA[/url]”>http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Ross_CA</a></p>
<p>prices are high here for reasons. perfect weather, 20 minutes to a great city, lots of water/mountain/hang-gliding/etc sports, great public schools, on and on. the old vacation cabins have been updated, so typical remodeled family house is about 1 mil, depending. best look at zillow.com for photos/prices/etc of houses on market. most of us here know all about the value of cities and get our urban fix as needed - just over the golden gate bridge. there are big houses here on very large properties. if you have 10 mil you can afford to hire the mexican maintenance folk, too - otherwise look into contra costa county.</p>
<p>I’d rather not say where they are coming from- it is distinctive, and it’s just one of those ‘world is too small’ sort of feelings. Not trying to be mysterious, just erring on the side of caution as I’m writing about someone else. </p>
<p>They can definitely afford to not worry about the cost of real estate nor tuition in Bay area (they have a general sense of costs). But I’m not sure they would necessarily prefer to be in the wealthiest area because in some regions that has translated to living with neighbors they don’t really have much in common with. Neither they nor I have any clue about the Bay Area in that regard. </p>
<p>Let me try to tell you more about them as I think it will help with the ‘fit’ issue for neighborhood and schools (and since I might be painting the wrong picture when I mention money is not an object). What I meant is they really can comfortably live anywhere so that opens up options. They would not bat an eye at spending the $35k per kid for tuition at the private HS in the area IF that was the best school for them, but they would readily put their kid in public if it was a better fit (as has happened before). They can spend $5mil for a home in a given neighborhood that suits them but they have no need for, say, up to date bathrooms and a smaller rather than larger house may work for them if it has a lot of light (e.g. they like the idea of their kids having to negotiate a shared bathroom and they tend to congregate together a lot in one main room anyway). </p>
<p>They might share a similar income level as those folks in the movie “Joneses” or the TV series of “Housewives of X” but culturally they are their opposites. Zip on conspicuous consumption. You would not know by seeing them how much wealth they have. I actually think they still have 20 year old IKEA furniture. Seriously! I did not know IKEA could last that long (especially when its been moved multiple times). Stacks of books all over every room. Parents are very highly educated professionals. They enjoy an ecletic group of friends (but do not know anyone in northern CA). They do not know how to decorate nor bother. But they love art. They also do not know how to cook but they are foodies (they hire someone). They love a high quality beautiful sportscar, but don’t own designer anything nor wear make up or the latest fashions. They have, I am guessing, just one older TV but enjoy movies a lot. They travel extensively, have lived all over the world, speak three languages fluently. They love nature and the outdoors and like to be able to walk to bookstores, coffee shops, and farmers markets, and hike. Lots of hiking. They read a tremendous amount (when their kids have visited us, they will go through a book a day). The kids are very mature, and even the youngest will engage in political debates with adults. They are a bit oblivious to mainstream popular culture, and all five of them are ‘third culture’ people (if you are familiar with the term). </p>
<p>If you are familiar with the region, where do you see them living and going to school?</p>
<p>They should move to Mill Valley…like you first said. The weather is not as warm as areas like Ross…but they will be happy there. Mt.Tam is right there for hiking. You can walk to Mt Tam from many homes in Mill Valley. They would be close to Stinson Beach, and Muir Beach and Muir Woods…and the Marin Headlands. There are nice bookstores in the next town north, Corte Madera…and a small one in MV. There is a library in MV. Mill Valley is close to SF. Easy commute. </p>
<p>MV has nice restaurants…5 sushi bars in MV. A couple of excellent Italian restaurtants. Pearl’s is a great, not fancy, hamburger joint. Pearl’s serves buffalo burgers. A Gelato place that uses local ingredients. Many nice berakkfast places. Mill Valley has a nice town square where people play chess, and drink coffee, and hang out. There are 3 coffee houses near the town square. There is Fall Arts Festival with local artists. Mill Valley has an international film festival. And a couple of farmer’s markets. Ample bking trails.</p>
<p>The public high school is very solid, but not as good as Redwood High School in my opinion. But it sounds like the kids are going to end up in private schools. Mill Valley has a great youth soccer program. Marin County has an excellent Women’s Soccer league. MWSL. MV has a nine hole golf course.</p>
<p>Check out the Middle Ridge area in Mill Valley.</p>
<p>[Mill</a> Valley real estate & Mill Valley homes for sale | Single family homes,Condos,Townhomes,Co-ops - REALTOR.com®](<a href=“http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Mill-Valley_CA]Mill”>Mill Valley, CA Real Estate - Mill Valley Homes for Sale | realtor.com®)</p>
<p>Sounds like they would enjoy Berkeley. Down to earth people, great restaurants, lots of great farmer’s markets and food stores, coffee shops galore, bookstores, lots of hiking nearby, intellectual, artsy.</p>
<p>Mill Valley and typical Mari burb may be a little new money suburban for the family you describe.</p>
<p>Berkeley is great too. I love Berkeley. Grittier.</p>
<p>But I would be shocked if MV doesn’t work well.</p>
<p>I agree that Berkeley would be also be a good fit for bookish down-to-earth types (with cash to live in a great neighborhood, lol.) Also consider Piedmont, in the hills between Berkeley/Oakland. Beautiful, often sunnier than Berkeley, and with very good public schools, which can’t be said overall about Berkeley/Oakland. </p>
<p>Also, keep in mind the commute from Marin/East Bay into the city. It can be a real pain.</p>
<p>Going east to Danville, Walnut Creek and Alamo would make a commute to Mill Valley at least and hour—but the weather is a lot hotter and way less fog—and the schools are exceptional.</p>
<p>I guess they have to figure out their priorities—
But welcome them to California----overlook our flaws and we are a wonderful place!</p>
<p>Wow you guys are great. CC is amazing! It helps tremendously to get the word from folks on the ground. And I have to say, the more you tell me, the more envious I’m becoming!!</p>
<p>I have two siblings in Marin county. One in Mill valley the other in Corte Madera. The Mill Valley sibling has a home with a wonderful woodsy feeling but not walkable to town. I think of the downtown of Mill Valley as upscale but not stuffy. She has no kids. H commuted into SF via Bus which was an easy commute. Would consider them well off but not wealthy. (in Ca terms)
Corte Madera sibling has elementary and middle school age kids. All go to public. They are picky and have been extremely happy with the education. They live in the flats but on the bay in a old tract house. Their neighbors are engineers, professors and financial professionals. They love their street, lots of kids with bikes and skateboards up and down the block. Their friends range from comfortable to wealthy. One common theme is they are educated and family centered. They and their friends are into food. Even the kids are foodies. With both siblings all of their friends are liberal. Both have friends who live in $500,000 houses and friends who live in $5 mil and it isn’t a big deal. Lots of outdoor activities.
One thing I have noticed is that in the Bay area there seem to be Marin people and East Bay people. People who live in Marin will stay in their tiny little house over moving to the East Bay and having a big newer house. Also people in southern Marin don’t seem overally fond of points north of San Rafael.
Also have wealthy relatives who live in Berkeley. Liberal and love it. But don’t know about commuting to Mill valley from there.</p>
<p>Starbright…one of the family members is going to work in MV?</p>
<p>There is no reason to live any place else. What is wrong with these people? lol</p>
<p>MV and the surrounding places are some of the nicest places in the country.</p>
<p>I was wondering why people were talking about living in the east bay and commuting to MV.</p>
<p>I rechecked your first post.</p>
<p>These people recommending the east bay are nuts. Really.</p>
<p>My wife and I went to school at UC Berkeley.
I love Berkeley…but for kids I would choose MV anyway. MV is not some stuck up place. Now Tiburon or Ross…different story.</p>
<p>My daughter went to MV public schools. The people are down to earth.</p>
<p>“Both have friends who live in $500,000 houses and friends who live in $5 mil and it isn’t a big deal.”</p>
<p>OK in MV…maybe home prices are a little higher…but the sentiment stands.</p>
<p>I went to a middle school graduation in MV. The parents did not dress up. The parents did not wear jewelry. Not too much makeup on any on the women. Many people wore jeans.</p>
<p>I went to a middle school graduation in Tiburon. Lots of makeup. Lots of jewelry. And you should have seen the women. lol Many men wore suits. (Not me. ;))The women were dressed up. Looked like a middle age fashion show.</p>
<p>One of your friends is going to work in MV…it’s a no brainer. MV is fantastic.</p>
<p>DStark- use the $500,000 figure since that is what I know one of them paid for their house but granted that was 20 yrs ago.</p>
<p>mom60…:)</p>
<p>I agree with dstark - Marin is pricey but what you pay in housing you save in commute and private school costs, not to mention commute aggravation, which can be severe. Any school district in the southern Marin area (with the possible exception of Sausalito) is excellent. Our kids went through the Tiburon Peninsula schools and Redwood HS and came out as well prepared for college as anyone who went the private school route - better in a lot of cases. BTW, I didn’t wear make-up and my H didn’t wear a suit to any of our kids’ graduations.</p>
<p>The San Anselmo/Fairfax area is less pricey than MV or Tib. The Ross Valley school district is very solid, and Drake High School is part of the Tam Union HSD. It’s a little less convenient for commuting, but the SF ferry at Larkspur Landing is a good alternative to driving. My H commutes by bicycle and ferry to SF in all weather (he has a whole rain suit, including booties). It takes no longer than driving, and he says that when he gets to work he isn’t angry.</p>
<p>Danville, Walnut Creek and Alamo are all extremley burby in look, feel and culture. And to get to and from civilization (kidding) you have to go through The Tunnel 'o Death. Not a fan of the area… JMHO</p>
<p>I’ve seen reference to fog. In say MV, how much fog are we talking about? A few hours a day? Many days?</p>
<p>Strongly agree that if one parent will be working in Marin County, it seems silly not to live there. Mill Valley sounds like the best fit culturally. I had family members there for a long time. I did not find it to be a conspicuous-consumption type place (relative to other suburbs in that price range nationwide).</p>
<p>The thread makes me want to take the ferry to Tiburon for the day! It’s truly idyllic.</p>
<p>There is fog. I don’t know how many days.</p>
<p>There are parts of Mill Valley that don’t get a lot of fog. The Middle Ridge area. The area surrounding the golf course. Those are the areas i would concentrate on. I would stay away from the Tam Valley area and the hills above the Tam Valley area. The Cascade area is gorgeous. It’s like living in a forest. But its damp there and doesn’t get enough sun.</p>
<p>I can vouch for Marinmom and what she said about the public schools.
Marinmom knows the area and the schools. And ok…a few of us were not dressed up at "that"graduation in Tiburon. We’re not all that formal. ;)</p>
<p>And Hanna has good taste. :)</p>
<p>Starbright, don’t worry so much. The area is fantastic. You’re going to be very jealous. We are talking about one of the nicest areas in the USA. I think it was Forbes magazine that said Marin County is the best place to raise kids in the USA…if you take the costs out of the situation…which your friends can.</p>