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Thinking of moving to Marin County, CA, but need some more information to help you make a more educated decision?

We have all of the necessary resources you need to assist you in every step of the decision process when considering a move to beautiful Marin County, CA.


Marin County Real Estate

Widely known as the county where George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch is located, Marin County is in the North San Francisco Bay Area, a stone's throw away from San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge. From the Marin Headlands, one could see a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, leading to the city of San Francisco, south of Marin County. Imagine waking up everyday to the spectacular sight of the Bay!

Cited as the nation's number one county for per capita income, Marin County is a real estate investor's dream location. The appeal of Marin County is in its natural beauty and affluence. In fact, Marin County is counted as one of the most affluent in the U.S., which explains why it's been such a popular home to very prominent personalities over the years. These personalities include: Charles Schwaab, Andre Agassi, Jennifer Aniston, Barry Levinson, Huey Lewis, the late Philip K. Dick and Janis Joplin, just to name a few. Much like its San Francisco Bay Area neighbors, Marin County is known for its liberal politics, with residents supporting liberal positions on social issues, making it a stronghold for the Democratic Party. Marin County also spawned the Grateful Dead, The Buck Institute for Age Research, and Autodesk.

Tourists and residents alike love the ten quaint small-towns of Marin County, coupled with its urban conveniences. Marin County is a popular tourist destination, thanks in part to its natural sites such as the Muir Woods, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais and Stinson Beach. There's also the Marin County Civic Center, which is famous for its Frank Llyod Wright architecture. Because of its avant garde design, it's been featured in numerous sci-fi movies such as Gattaca and THX 1138.

Marin County Beaches

Marin County has always been known for its beaches. Every year thousands of tourists flock to many of Marin County's varied beaches to relax and enjoy. Some of the popular activities on the beaches of Marin County include swimming, exercising, sun bathing and kayaking.

Among its famous beaches is the McNears Beach Park which is a 55 acre park located along the San Pablo Bay shoreline. With a beautiful sandy beach, swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic areas and a fishing pier, it's no wonder that McNears is a tourist destination dream come true. Other famous beaches include China Camp State Park, Paradise Beach Park, Agate Beach Park, Angel Island State Park and the Tomales Bay State Park. All these parks are known to draw hundreds of visitors throughout the year.

San Rafael Real Estate

San Rafael is the county seat of Marin County, a popular tourist destination and real estate development hot spot. Some of San Rafael's noteworthy landmarks include the Mission San Rafael Arcangel, famed for being one of the last Indian hospitals in California, Marin County Civic Center, Skywalker Ranch, and the Rafael Film Center, which was featured in the film American Graffiti.

Because of its Mediterranean climate, San Rafael is perfect no matter what time of the year it is. Like the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, living in San Rafael presents a moderate temperature with, even the coldest month, January, not usually going any lower than 40 degrees.

San Rafael's downtown shopping district is a mixture of Victorian buildings, retail shops, ethnic restaurants, and financial institutions, all of which create a hometown feel that everyone loves.

The new San Rafael City Plaza is a place where neighbors gather after work. It's been the center of many farmers' markets and summer concerts.

San Rafael Developments

George Lucas is responsible for turning San Rafael into a major center for the film industry. In 1970, he shot THX 1138 in San Rafael and hasn?t left since. With the creation of Lucasfilm, San Rafael has become a major tourist destination. In fact, a major portion of American Graffiti was filmed in downtown San Rafael. San Rafael's small town charms yet sophisticated urban lifestyle make it enticing for video game developers, as well as major studios, to move in.

San Rafael real estate is made even more attractive by its well-conceived parks. The China Camp State and McNears Beach State Parks are just some examples of the nature-meets-city developments that can be found in San Rafael. Among San Rafael's most popular community parks include Albert Park, Boyd Park, Pickleweed Park and the Terra Linda Recreational Center.

San Rafael is known throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for its topnotch educational system. With two school districts operating in San Rafael, residents of San Rafael homes have plenty of schools to choose from as well as outstanding Private schools, Domenican University and College of Marin.

To say that San Rafael is at the heart of everything is an understatement. San Rafael represents the best Marin County has to offer.

With over 30 percent of San Rafael's land devoted to open spaces, San Rafael is a city of abundant marinas and parklands. Biking and hiking trails, overnight campsites, and picnicking are just some of the things nature lovers get to enjoy in San Rafael. Indeed, these are just some of the reason why residents of San Rafael love to live there.


Novato Real Estate

Situated in the North Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, Novato is a small charming city of over 47,000 people. As a real estate possibility, one couldn't get a better option than Novato. Renowned for its spectacular sceneries and friendly smiles, Novato is an excellent alternative spot to San Francisco for those seeking real estate opportunities, either as a buyer or a seller.

With its quaint shops, exquisite restaurants, and gorgeous open spaces, owners of Novato homes are open to a wide range of activities. It has something for everyone. Its proximity to San Francisco, Marin Coast, Napa Valley and Sonoma wine countries makes living in Novato like living in the center of the universe. Exceptional shopping, fine dining, and romantic sceneries are just around the corner from where you live. Everything desirable is within reach.

Novato Museums and Parks

A major tourist destination is the Point Reyes National Park. Once the home of the Coast Miwok people in the 15th century, Point Reyes was explored by Sir Francis Drake in 1579 on board the Golden Hind. Today, its a 70,000-acre park, home to some 470 species of birds. Visitors will find the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870, a major tourist attraction.

With over 3,600 acres of open space, Novato is a haven for mountain biking and hiking. In fact, Mount Burdell is frequently visited by tourists and Novato home owners alike for its outstanding view. Novato also boasts of two beautifully designed golf courses, giving golfers, both professionals and amateurs, all the opportunities to hone their skills or simply have fun on the green. Skateboarders enjoy a 16,000 square foot skate park. There has never been a more perfect example of nature blending beautifully and harmoniously with urban development than Novato.

Anyone interested with learning about Novato's ancient history can visit the Marin Museum of the American Indian and Olompali State Park. Discover how Novato's first residents, the Miwok Native Americans, lived in Novato in the 13th century at the foot of Mount Burdell. Nationally recognized, the Marin Museum features many dynamic exhibits, lectures, events and entertainment. The summer is always a fun time to visit the museum with the Trade Feast, a highly-celebrated annual event showcasing native art, music and dance.

History is written all over Novato. Downtown Novato, for instance, is filled with historical buildings such as the Novato History Museum, Druid's Hall, and City Hall.