This is an easy one for us, even though our children went to St. Patrick’s until high school. It should be an easy one for you too.

First, schools are the cornerstones of our communities. People move into a community  for the schools. We hear it every day…how are the schools? What are the teachers like? Are the API scores good?

Second, the schools desperately need money. California ranks 50th in the United States in per capita spending in the schools. Yes, the Golden State, with an educational system that was once the envy of the entire country, now spends less per capita on education than states normally reserved for Jeff Foxworthy “You might be a redneck if…” jokes. The only way to make up the shortfall is through local bond measures and parcel taxes.

Third, it is the best investment you will make in your own home, period. The better the schools are in your community, the more people will pay to live there. We’ve done our homework to prove it.

For example, home values in San Rafael vary widely, driven mainly by school district.Dixie schools command a significant premium in home prices compared to San Rafael Elementary. And within San Rafael Elementary, specific elementary schools command higher values than others.

In Larkspur and Corte Madera,where significant bond and parcel taxes passed in the last ten years have resulted in highly visible new construction projects, average sale price has increased much faster than the County average. In the last ten years, the County average sale price was up 117%, but Larkspur was up 152%, and Corte Madera up 183%! The weather or views didn’t get any better in those ten years, but Neil Cummins, Hall, and Redwood all got new gyms, classrooms, and major facelifts. Home buyers notice that when they drive by the schools.

Ross Valley schools will be voting on a bond measure, as well as a parcel tax. No one is in the mood to pass new taxes right now. But even if you think the schools are wasting money (and if you do, start attending school board meetings to see how they address these issues) be selfish. Vote for the parcel tax - it’s the best investment you can make in your home.

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3. Schools are more important than ever.

The reason many first time home buyers buy is because they have children approaching school age, and Marin public schools are some of the best in California, not to mention free. So areas that represent good value for homes plus good schools are doing better than those that aren’t.

For example, Sausalito schools, as measured by API scores, do not do as well as most of the districts in Marin. Home sales on a unit basis there are off 52% from year to date. On the other hand,Fairfax has good home values, and good schools. Unit sales there are up 16% this year.

San Rafael is also an interesting market. There are two elementary school districts there, Dixie and San Rafael. Dixie Schools have some of the best API scores in Marin. San Rafael Elementary varies pretty widely.

How does that affect home prices? We overlaid the school district maps onto MLS to find out. Right now, in the San Rafael Elementary district, there are 75 three bedroom homes available, with an average list price of $676,399. In the Dixie School District, there are only 22 three bedroom homes available, with an average list price of $856,763.

Interestingly, San Rafael has far more higher end homes available, because they have some very upscale areas. But for the average entry level home, people are asking a premium for Dixie schools.

4. Banks are getting better at short sales.

We are actually seeing short sales close, for two reasons. First, banks are learning how to handle these types of transactions, and are now getting procedures into place that everyone understands.

Second, they are also simply hiring more people to handle the transactions, which is helping to work off the backlog. That’s good news for everyone, because the sooner short sales are worked out of the system, the closer everyone will be to a normal market.

5. Even though foreclosures declined 18% in the second quarter of this year, expect an increase in the last six months of the year.

One big reason for the decline is the state moratorium on foreclosures, which ends in September. Unless a new law is passed that stops them, there is undoubtedly a backlog that is waiting to go through the system.

Price points, we think, will vary widely. No one is immune. For example, Sugar Loaf Drive is one of Tiburon’s most expensive streets. One house is in preforeclosure status there, and a second was recently sold at auction. In both cases, the mortgage amount was over $5 Million.

Part 3 coming soon - who is really control of this market?

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Friday night was the St. Patrick’s talent show in Larkspur. St. Pat’s is not a huge school, only about 289 kids, but the gym was packed. There were 22 acts, from singers, musicians, a yo-yo artist, and the group that stole the show: four kindergarten boys, lyp-synching to “Sheri Baby” and impersonating the Jersey Boys. The place literally went nuts, with kids screaming their heads off, and a huge standing ovation. I hadn’t seen anything like it since my last Bruce Springsteen concert! You had to be there, I guess.

Saturday night was the annual Larkspur Corte Madera Schools Foundation fund raiser auction. Again, it was packed, at least four hundred people, and items selling like mad, with lots of “Only in Marin” items. A day at the Pixar Studios, with one of the animators, and lessons on how computer animation works  - $2100. How about a day at Industrial Light and Magic, private tour, and meet the people who made Star Wars? $2700. Tow days on a sail boat in the Bay, with Assistant Principal Chad Carvey? $4750.

The generosity of the parent community was overwhelming, and the final tally isn’t in, but they easily raised in excess of $100,000. That’s money that goes right into the school budget to fund all kinds of programs, like art, music, and drama.

Great communities make great schools, and they also make this a terrific place to live.

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My oldest daughter graduated from Redwood last year, and her teachers and overall experience was terrific. She worked hard, and received an excellent education. She starts at UCLA in two weeks, and I’m sure she is well prepared for it, thanks to Redwood.

This was my fifth Back To School night at Redwood, and it consistently is a great experience. Redwood pulls students primarily from Tiburon, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Greenbrae, and Ross.Parent involvement tends to be high at elementary and middle schools in all of these areas, and students are pretty focused.

The teachers though, are the real stars on Back To School night. The night is spent following your child’s schedule, ten minutes in each room, and each teacher gives a short presentation about themselves, the class, and what they hope to accomplish.

I am always amazed at the energy, enthusiasm, and absolute desire they bring to their jobs. Most of them are there by 7:15 in the morning, and available for consultation. They stay late, on some nights until 6 pm. They are all available by email, have “homework hotlines” with the day’s assignment on it updated daily, and are very responsive to parent questions or concerns.

Occasionally you read negative press about teachers. They’re lazy, overpaid, tenure is bad, etc. Not these ones. They don’t get paid much - many can’t afford to live in Marin County, which is a real shame - but their dedication is amazing.

One quick story. My oldest daughter had pneumonia last spring, and missed an entire week and a half of school. Her teacher, Robert Winkler, called one day and I answered the phone. I immediately began explaining she was sick, still keeping up with her assignments, and he cut me off. “I was just worried about her and wanted to make sure she was ok,” he said.

I have a client right now who teaches first grade in the Dixie Schools. She thinks she and her husband can’t afford a home here. I told her nothing would make me happier than to help a teacher get into a home in Marin. We’re getting close!

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