<p>Are you looking there to live, or to invest your money? We have condos on first, middle and top floors. I think the top floor has better value, especially with views, but with no elevator, that could be a turn off for some people. Ours has an elevator, so we have gotten no complaints. The bottom floor has a particular value to people who don’t want to deal with stairs.</p>
<p>So if it was for me to live in, I’d choose the top floor because I’m fine with stairs. Moving in could be challenging, though. It is nice to not have anyone above you. Second choice would be the first floor, because I do not care for middle floors. The problem is, you have to deal with people walking above you and making noise, and the potential that their toilet could overflow and drip through your ceiling (happened), plus you have to worry about people below you. We have a beautiful top floor condo that we would actually consider living in, but the lady below constantly complains about people being “heavy walkers”. We were there for a couple of days painting, and in that small amount of time, she came up and complained about us walking too loudly. I’m sure she has complained to every tenant there. She also mentioned that she has not been making her payments, so she might end up short selling it or being foreclosed upon. I resisted saying, “You’re living here for free, not paying the HOA dues or your mortgage, but you are complaining about heavy walkers?” But all condos may not be built like that. It just seems to me like the middle floor is the worst of both worlds.</p>
<p>We have one condo that is a two level condo. Nobody above or below you. Now that seems pleasant, and I hope the tenants realize that and stay forever.</p>
<p>I would be hard pressed to buy a condo right now, in a hot area. Even if it was going to keep appreciating, are the rents even going to keep up with the condo fees and the costs. We only bought ours because it was cheap, otherwise it wouldn’t have been a positive cash flow and not worth the hassle. Some of these condos have huge fees and upcoming special assessments that can be scary. Guess what, the HOA decided to replace all the siding, roofs, and we have a huge mold problem. 60K assessment per condo. Good thing your wife didn’t pursue it.</p>
<p>There is a way to cover yourself for the assessment though, but I don’t know if everybody does it or has access to this kind of policy. Our condo policies only cost about $165 per year. They also include up to 20K assessment coverage, if we get assessed for something by the HOA. This reminds me that I wanted to raise the 20K to a higher limit, because it probably doesn’t cost very much. This is incredibly good insurance, and one of these policies has even paid over 10K for a water leak we had. Still $165/yr.</p>
<p>Ok. This is a little out of the price range of most people. My observation was there was quite a bit of building going on in Manhattan while I was there. I don’t live there so I can be wrong. </p>
<p>If the link is true…hopefully this filters down to the average types of properties. It would be nice for those of us with kids in Manhattan to see…prices… Stop rising. </p>
<p>I think sales are slowing in Marin just north of SF. I don’t see properties snatched up as fast. Friends recently did sell a property that was for sale for two years. Prices eventually rose to what they were askng.</p>
<p>I stole my husband’s trip last week, and went on a walk through Tiburon, what a beautiful area. Many of the houses didn’t seem that special, but the prices they’re asking for them are probably mostly taking into account the view. And what a view!</p>
<p>Yes, I wouldn’t call them doggish (though in my lingo, doggish would be very luxurious because that’s what dogs deserve). Just not the mega mansions I was expecting. They all were in spectacular locations, though.</p>
<p>Lucky for you, or you’d never hear the end of it…just kidding, how could I go wrong walking in any of these places?</p>
<p>I definitely think I could live there, but we’d have to get a puny house, which is probably okay. At least it wouldn’t be raining right now and until the end of time. It is unfortunate that all the nicest places to live cost so much money.</p>
<p>You dont get a lot for your money, but you get more for your money in Tiburon than you do in the nice areas of SF or Manhattan. </p>
<p>Tiburon has nicer weather than Sausalito or SF and is less touristy. </p>
<p>The weather is better in central Marin but you don’t get the Tiburon views. Belvedere which is adjacent to Tiburon is more expensive than Tiburon. </p>
<p>I ran out of time to walk around Belvedere. Maybe if I ever get this trip again.</p>
<p>I have to admit, I didn’t feel like I fit in too much in Tiburon. There seemed to be a lot of older people who were dressed far too nicely. Unnecessarily. I really like in Seattle where people dress down, and you see older people doing active sports and dressing in athletic clothes often. People might even be in athletic wear to go to a play or the opera, and nobody looks twice. Maybe there was something special going on that night, or maybe it’s just that California thing where everybody pays too much attention to what they look like. Seems like it shouldn’t matter what others wear, but everyone likes to fit into the local culture.</p>
<p>I lived in Tiburon and I did not fit in either. </p>
<p>Tiburon does have active people that dress in athletic clothing. They were probably working. Tiburon also has the too dressed up nicely people. (Not me ).
Tiburon also has a lot of women and probably men who have had plastic surgery. Botox is like aspirin in Tiburon. </p>
<p>You would probably like Mill Valley better; although Mill Valley is changing.</p>
<p>I went to a middle school graduation in Tiburon and most of the adults were dressed up. I went to a middle school graduation in Mill Valley and most people were dressed in casual wear. Some even wore shorts. ;)</p>
