MARIN COUNTY HEALTHIEST FOR KIDS

  by  davidyuweb 

California has always been touted for its culture of progressively green and health-focused habits, a mentality that seems to bleed into the policies and initiatives that shape the Californian lifestyle. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the title of healthiest county in the country has been handed to Marin county in California, home to the cities of Marin, San Rafael, and Mill Valley.

According to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program, the county topped the list based on its robust birth weights, low rates of teen pregnancy, and low percent of children in poverty, among other factors.

Other California counties that made the list include San Francisco County (#6) and RealSmart’s home turf, San Mateo County (#11).

Here is the full list of America’s top 50 healthiest counties for kids:

1. Marin County, CA
2. Norfolk County, MA
3. Hunterdon County, NJ
4. Chittenden County, VT
5. Nassau County, NY
6. San Francisco County, CA
7. Middlesex County, MA
8. Somerset County, NJ
9. Morris County, NJ
10. Bergen County, NJ
11. San Mateo County, CA
12. Hampshire County, MA
13. Howard County, MD
14. Ozaukee County, WI
15. Westchester County, NY
16. Santa Clara County, CA
17. Placer County, CA
18. Johnson County, KS
19. Olmsted County, MN
20. Montgomery County, MD
21. Waukesha County, WI
22. Johnson County, IA
23. Grafton County, NH
24. Orange County, CA
25. Monmouth County, NJ
26. San Luis Obispo County, CA
27. Montgomery County, PA
28. Santa Cruz County, CA
29. Loudoun County, VA
30. Yolo County, CA
31. Fairfield County, CT
32. Middlesex County, CT
33. Fairfax County, VA
34. Washington County, MN
35. Barnstable County, MA
36. Sonoma County, CA
37. Cumberland County, ME
38. La Crosse County, WI
39. DuPage County, IL
40. Delaware County, OH
41. Douglas County, CO
42. Napa County, CA
43. El Dorado County, CA
44. Tolland County, CT
45. Alameda County, CA
46. Washington County, VT
47. Contra Costa County, CA
48. Rockingham County, NH
49. Washington County, RI
50. Hamilton County, IN

REAL ESTATE MARKET COOLS ON THE PENINUSLA

  by  nate2b 

The past several weeks have seen a subtle but noticeable change in the real estate market on the Peninsula. A cooling trend has slowly hit the brakes on a previously white-hot market, and sellers aren’t getting the action they were in the first half of 2014.

“For the past month or so there’s been a slight shift away from the trends we were seeing towards the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. Namely, we aren’t receiving the types of responses to homes that we were getting used to – multiple offers, over-asking sales prices, and lightning-fast sales. We’re leveling out a little, and I think that’s good news for buyers.” – Bryan Jacobs, RealSmart Broker

Homes on the peninsula aren’t selling as quickly as before, with the average time on market in Redwood City currently at 24 days, compared to 19 days in March of this year1. We’re also seeing a reduced number of multiple offers, with homes that might have gotten 10+ in the early months of 2014 now getting half of that or less.

  by  sling@flickr 

Part of the cooling trend stems from a rush of inventory in the area. Zealous sellers continue to flood the market with new homes, pushing the months of inventory to 3 compared to just 1.9 in January of this year. That means more supply, driving down the previously skyrocketing demand.

So what does this mean for real estate as a whole? Basically, what we’ve got is neither a “sellers” nor a “buyer’s market,” strictly speaking –  it’s hovering somewhere in between. However, according to the experts here at RealSmart, it might be leaning just slightly in the favor of buyers.

“My advice to those looking to buy is to act now. The market is favoring buyers, but we can’t tell how long it will stay this way. Your best bet is to take the plunge and make that offer, there really hasn’t been a better time in several years.” – Camilo Perez, RealSmart Realtor

If you’re a potential buyer, or even just curious about the buying process, reach out to any of the seasoned realtors here at RealSmart on our contact page.

1 – Data from MLS deemed reliable but not guaranteed.