Real estate questions, answered like a neighbor would

Born and raised in Marin County, I lived in Novato for 46 years before moving to Petaluma, where I have now lived for more than 16 years. This is not a territory I learned from a map: I grew up on these streets, so I can tell you what a block is really like, which schools feed where, and how a property's history should shape its value. Read the full story on my About page.

• More about Peter
• Client reviews

The honest answer is that "best" is measured in trust: someone local, responsive, honest, and experienced in the exact market you need. I bring 21 years in the business, more than 100 homes sold, and a 5.0 average across 20 verified reviews on Experience.com. But you should hire whoever earns your confidence, and the only way to test that is a conversation. Call me and judge for yourself, no pressure.

• Read the reviews
• Start the conversation

21 years, with more than 100 homes sold across Marin and Sonoma counties. Before real estate I spent about 20 years owning and operating my own automotive repair business, which is where I learned to listen carefully, communicate honestly, and spot the hidden details that inspection reports often miss. That background still shapes how I work today.

• My story

There is no universal yes or no, but the October 2026 numbers give buyers more room than they have had in years. In my current market report, Novato's median single-family closed price sat near $1.2 million, essentially flat year over year, and Petaluma's median sale price near $914,000 with homes selling in about 28 days. A flatter market means less bidding pressure and more negotiation, which rewards buyers who show up pre-approved and decisive. The right move is to run the numbers for your exact down payment, rate, and timeline before making a date with the market.

• Read the market report
• First home? The honest math
• Rates near a one-year high: wait or buy?

Start with pre-approval, not listings. Knowing your true budget and monthly payment keeps every later step honest, and it is what sellers take seriously when you make an offer. From there, I walk buyers through six steps from A to Z: get your numbers straight, define what you actually want, search with local intelligence, offer with a strategy, inspect with a mechanic's eye, and close smoothly. The whole path is laid out in my Buying Guide.

• Buying guide
• Mortgage guide

Hamilton is South Novato's master-planned community, built on the former Hamilton Air Force Base with newer homes, repurposed historic hangars, the Hamilton Marketplace, and a monthly farmers market. Its eastern edge borders the roughly 650-acre Hamilton Wetlands, part of the San Francisco Bay Trail and a favorite for birding and walking. The SMART Hamilton station sits right in the community at 10 Main Gate Road: it opened in 2017, runs trains to San Rafael and Sonoma County, connects to the Larkspur Ferry for San Francisco, and has a 115-space parking lot. For commuters who want a walkable-feeling neighborhood with rail at the edge, it is a genuinely practical address.

• Novato guide
• Hamilton from airfield to neighborhood

School assignments in this area are decided street by street, and the district lines are not uniform. Novato is served by Novato Unified, Petaluma by Petaluma City Schools, and towns like Terra Linda, San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Tiburon each have their own districts and boundaries. Your exact address determines the campus, so I always confirm the assignment for the specific home you are considering rather than guessing from a town name. Each neighborhood guide on this site lists the schools that actually serve that area.

• All neighborhood guides

The inspector walks the property top to bottom, from roof to foundation, and you receive a report of findings that ranges from minor maintenance to serious structural or safety issues. This is exactly where buyers get stuck, so I take a different approach: I arrange the inspectors and the specialists, walk the property with you, and translate every report into a short list of what actually matters and roughly what it costs to fix. Nothing gets lost in a 60-page PDF.

• A Novato agent view of inspections
• Buying guide

Condos get you into the market for far less, but you trade away control: HOA dues, shared insurance decisions, and rules about renting or remodeling. A house costs more to enter and more to maintain, but you own the land and the decisions. In 2026 the insurance squeeze has made condo dues noticeably heavier, so the monthly math deserves careful attention either way. I break down the real numbers in my condo versus house guide.

• Condo vs. house

In my October 2026 market report, Petaluma homes sold in about 28 days on average at a median near $914,000, and Novato's fastest-selling ZIP posted a median 14 days on market with citywide sales around 31 days. The pattern across the North Bay right now is simple: homes priced honestly from day one sell on normal timelines, and overpriced homes sit and get re-priced, often for less than the honest number would have brought. My Selling Guide walks through exactly how I price and prepare a home to avoid that trap.

• Selling guide
• Current market report

Your home is worth what a ready, qualified buyer will pay, which in this market is very close to what comparable homes actually sold for in the last month or two. I can give you an honest, evidence-based range built from recent comps, your home's condition, and its exact location, with no pressure and no obligation. You can request a free valuation right on this site and I will send you a straight answer.

• Request a free home value
• Market report

As of October 2026, neither side fully controls the room. Novato's median single-family price is holding flat near $1.2 million with supply as tight as 1.4 months in one ZIP, Petaluma's median sits near $914,000, and both markets are rated competitive with homes drawing about one offer. That is a balanced market: well-priced homes still move quickly, but buyers have more choices and more negotiating room than they did a couple of years ago. For sellers it means honest pricing and strong marketing matter more than ever.

• Market report
• Selling guide

You can sell without one, but the numbers and the headaches usually win that argument. I bring a pricing strategy grounded in this exact market, a buyer network built over 21 years, professional marketing that includes video and AI-focused advertising, and a Certified Negotiation Expert's seat at the table. I also personally handle the inspections, the contractors, and the paperwork, and I answer day and night. My Selling Guide spells out everything that covers.

• Selling guide

California's Proposition 13 keeps property tax bills low and predictable. The general tax rate is capped at 1% of assessed value, and assessed value is your purchase price growing at a maximum of 2% per year, no matter how the market moves. Voter-approved bonds and parcel taxes sit on top, so a new Marin buyer's all-in rate typically lands around 1.1% to 1.3% of what they paid. Long-term owners pay the same formula on a far lower base, which is why their bills look small next to today's prices, and property is reassessed when it changes hands, so your bill resets to your purchase price. I wrote a full post on how Prop 13 and the 2026 ballot measure affect your bill.

• Will California property taxes go up?

Pre-qualification is a quick estimate of what a lender might offer based on the numbers you state. Pre-approval is the stronger step: the lender verifies your income, assets, and credit and commits to a loan amount, which is what sellers take seriously when you make an offer. Most North Bay buyers put down 20% or more, but real down payment assistance programs exist through CalHFA, Marin, and Sonoma, and my Mortgage Guide breaks down the loan types and the monthly cost so you can compare honestly.

• Mortgage guide

Waiting bets that prices stay flat while your rent keeps running, and that is a hard bet to win. The 30-year fixed averaged 7.32% for the week ending October 22, 2026, according to Freddie Mac, up from 6.27% a year earlier, and a flat market means good homes still sell while hesitant buyers watch. The stronger play is usually to buy well now with a rate you can live with and refinance when rates ease, because you cannot refinance a home you do not own. The math is laid out in my recent mortgage rates post.

• Rates at a one-year high: the math
• Mortgage guide

Country properties come with systems that city buyers have never managed, and I say that as someone who has lived in the country for much of my life. With a well, you want the water quality tested and a close look at the well's depth and yield. With septic, you want the age, tank, and leach field inspected, plus a clear picture of where a replacement drain field could go, because a failed system is a five-figure problem. Drainage, soils, property lines, and shared easements matter just as much. These are the details I work through with buyers comfortably, street by street, and I will walk you through every report.

• Buying guide
• Country property, handled hands-on
• Penngrove country lanes

A short sale is when the seller owes more than the home is worth and the lender agrees to accept less than the full loan balance. It is not the same as a foreclosure: the lender must approve the sale price, and that approval process is what makes the timeline longer. For sellers it is an honest alternative to foreclosure and usually far less damaging to their credit and future. For buyers it can mean a real deal, but only if you are patient. I have helped owners navigate short sales for years, and my dedicated guide explains the whole process, myths and all.

• Short sales guide

These are the times people need an agent who listens and keeps the process moving without adding drama. A home that passes through inheritance may need California probate before it can be sold, and a divorce often means timing a sale around two households' plans and budgets. I regularly work with probate and estate sales, divorce and estate situations, military and veteran families, and downsizing empty nesters, and I handle the paperwork and details personally so you can focus on your life. My Probate Guide explains when the court is involved and when it is not.

• Probate guide
• Who I help

Yes, every day. My typical range runs from roughly $400,000 to $4,000,000, covering condos and townhomes, single-family homes, 2-4 unit buildings, and country acreage. A duplex or fourplex can be one of the smartest moves in this market if the numbers work, and I have a post that runs the real costs in Marin and Sonoma so you can see whether the math holds for you.

• 2-4 unit investment math