A December 2010 article by DataQuick, a San Diego based real estate data news service quoted DataQuick's president John Walsh, who's predicting recovery (but hedging his bets on timing) said,"The thing is, demand is accumalating.  At some point the market will kick back into gear.  It's possible that prices have bottomed out, and it seems likely that today's interest rates won't be around a year from now.  There will be catch up activity, but the big question is timing.  We'll have to see what happens with employment, the economy, and today's tight credit.  DataQuick Web Site 
     Here in Marin County the market is mixed with some areas doing better than others.  Monthly city by city reports out this week shows Greenbrae, which topped the charts last month at 46.15% in contract has extended it's lead to an astonishing 60.87% of homes under contract (representing 14 or 23 homes on the market in that area.  Nothing else in the county comes close.  Novato, in 2nd Place at 39.76% homes under contract. Novato right now is a popular market with lots of attractively priced homes as a result of REO's and Short Sales.  Ross is next at 33% of home listed under contract followed by San Anselmo at 29.8%. Belvedere, with it's high end properties, is at the bottom of the heap with only 7.4% of listed homes under contract - possibly a fertile hunting ground for value minded high end home hunters?
     2010 ended with a total of 1836 single family detached homes sold compared to 2009 when 1668 single family detached homes sold. The number of condominium sales for 2010 was 477, about 5.9% less than the 505 condominiums sold in 2009.

Fred Analyan is a Real Estate Broker with Coldwell Banker in Greenbrae
Mount Tamalpais from Corte Madera, California