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Not many dreams come with a view. Or an elevator. This one - all 3,200 square feet of it - has both.
It rests firmly on its new foundation just off East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Larkspur, with a view of Larkspur Cove and Mount Tamalpais.
With 10-foot ceilings, white oak floors, elevator, fireplaces, mahogany cabinets and Viking kitchen appliances, it is a well-appointed dream. On Feb. 20, the person who nabs the grand prize at the Third Annual Dream House Raffle might have to remind himself that winning this three-story, custom-built contemporary home in Marin - valued at $2 million - is not a dream.
"Especially when they only paid $150 for it," said Russell Hamel, director of development for Community Action Marin, a private, nonprofit agency dedicated to helping the poor in Marin County.
Two years ago, the organization started raffling off houses to raise funds for its programs. Since then, the idea has become a popular way to raise money for charitable organizations. Last year, the house raffle netted $1.2 million, said Gail Theller, the group's executive director. The year before that it was $1.6 million.
The house this year was donated by Tom Monahan of Monahan Pacific, a Bay Area commercial and residential development firm headquartered in San Rafael. A longtime supporter of CAM, Monahan told the group to take its pick of the dozen or so new homes in Drake's Cove, his gated, upscale subdivision on a hill near the edge of the bay.
The chosen house, and the quarter-acre lot it resides on, are adjacent to open space - a grassy expanse with oak trees - that is excluded from future development. The shoreline and Remillard Park are across the boulevard. Larkspur Landing and the Larkspur Ferry Terminal are a short walk away.
Of the house, Hamel said, "They spared no expense building it."
The main features of the three-bedroom, three-bath home include formal entries with stone tile, formal living and dining rooms, gas fireplaces, high ceilings with crown moldings, skylights, recessed lighting, solid 8-foot doors, dual-zone heating and air conditioning, and terraces with stone tile and metal railings.
The gourmet kitchen features custom mahogany cabinetry, and the spa-style bathrooms have double vanities with designer fixtures and multiple shower heads.
The beige house with white trim was designed with an open floor plan and plenty of glass to create a light-filled space with a view of Mount Tamalpais from just about every room.
"It's ironic that a poverty program is associated with so much luxury,"
Theller said. "We've been very successful, and now we're known as the agency that has these raffles. I'd like to be known as the agency that helps the down and out."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...REHS19KMVD.DTL
Consumer spending recovery may hinge on wealthy
Ylan Q. Mui, Washington Post
Sunday, September 13, 2009
(09-13) 04:00 PDT WASHINGTON --
In this new era of frugality, well-to-do shoppers have stowed away their splashy logos. But they may hold the key to a consumer recovery.
Affluent shoppers are the most important segment of consumer spending, which in turn drives the national economy. The top 20 percent of the nation's households - with income of at least $150,000 - accounts for 40 percent of all spending, according to government data.
"Unless these people turn up, a lot of companies won't turn up," said Milton Pedraza, founder of the consulting firm Luxury Institute. "When they are not spending, it definitely impacts all of us in a negative way."
Conditions are beginning to improve for the well-to-do. The recent run-up in the stock market and signs of stabilization in real estate prices - the two sectors with the most influence over wealthy consumers' balance sheets - are setting the stage for their return.
But the dollars have yet to start flowing. Luxury department stores reported a 12 percent decline in August sales at established stores from the previous year. And retail experts caution that it could be years before affluent shoppers return to $6 lattes and $300 jeans.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BUSJ19KKQ2.DTL
Return with us now to reality....
Well-dressed elderly man robs La Jolla bank, police say
Associated Press
Posted: 09/12/2009 05:08:18 PM PDT
Updated: 09/12/2009 05:08:18 PM PDT
LA JOLLA — Authorities say a well-dressed elderly man carrying an oxygen tank robbed a bank in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla.
San Diego police Sgt. Ray Battrick said the suspect on Saturday presented a note demanding money to a teller at the San Diego National Bank. He fled with an unknown amount of cash.
Battrick said it's unclear whether the suspect had a weapon. The robber is described as a tall man in his 70s with white hair, a gray mustache and glasses. He was wearing a white beret, argyle sweater and brown sports jacket. Battrick said the oxygen tank was in a black bag and connected to the man's nose with plastic tubing.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news...nclick_check=1
It rests firmly on its new foundation just off East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Larkspur, with a view of Larkspur Cove and Mount Tamalpais.
With 10-foot ceilings, white oak floors, elevator, fireplaces, mahogany cabinets and Viking kitchen appliances, it is a well-appointed dream. On Feb. 20, the person who nabs the grand prize at the Third Annual Dream House Raffle might have to remind himself that winning this three-story, custom-built contemporary home in Marin - valued at $2 million - is not a dream.
"Especially when they only paid $150 for it," said Russell Hamel, director of development for Community Action Marin, a private, nonprofit agency dedicated to helping the poor in Marin County.
Two years ago, the organization started raffling off houses to raise funds for its programs. Since then, the idea has become a popular way to raise money for charitable organizations. Last year, the house raffle netted $1.2 million, said Gail Theller, the group's executive director. The year before that it was $1.6 million.
The house this year was donated by Tom Monahan of Monahan Pacific, a Bay Area commercial and residential development firm headquartered in San Rafael. A longtime supporter of CAM, Monahan told the group to take its pick of the dozen or so new homes in Drake's Cove, his gated, upscale subdivision on a hill near the edge of the bay.
The chosen house, and the quarter-acre lot it resides on, are adjacent to open space - a grassy expanse with oak trees - that is excluded from future development. The shoreline and Remillard Park are across the boulevard. Larkspur Landing and the Larkspur Ferry Terminal are a short walk away.
Of the house, Hamel said, "They spared no expense building it."
The main features of the three-bedroom, three-bath home include formal entries with stone tile, formal living and dining rooms, gas fireplaces, high ceilings with crown moldings, skylights, recessed lighting, solid 8-foot doors, dual-zone heating and air conditioning, and terraces with stone tile and metal railings.
The gourmet kitchen features custom mahogany cabinetry, and the spa-style bathrooms have double vanities with designer fixtures and multiple shower heads.
The beige house with white trim was designed with an open floor plan and plenty of glass to create a light-filled space with a view of Mount Tamalpais from just about every room.
"It's ironic that a poverty program is associated with so much luxury,"
Theller said. "We've been very successful, and now we're known as the agency that has these raffles. I'd like to be known as the agency that helps the down and out."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...REHS19KMVD.DTL
Consumer spending recovery may hinge on wealthy
Ylan Q. Mui, Washington Post
Sunday, September 13, 2009
(09-13) 04:00 PDT WASHINGTON --
In this new era of frugality, well-to-do shoppers have stowed away their splashy logos. But they may hold the key to a consumer recovery.
Affluent shoppers are the most important segment of consumer spending, which in turn drives the national economy. The top 20 percent of the nation's households - with income of at least $150,000 - accounts for 40 percent of all spending, according to government data.
"Unless these people turn up, a lot of companies won't turn up," said Milton Pedraza, founder of the consulting firm Luxury Institute. "When they are not spending, it definitely impacts all of us in a negative way."
Conditions are beginning to improve for the well-to-do. The recent run-up in the stock market and signs of stabilization in real estate prices - the two sectors with the most influence over wealthy consumers' balance sheets - are setting the stage for their return.
But the dollars have yet to start flowing. Luxury department stores reported a 12 percent decline in August sales at established stores from the previous year. And retail experts caution that it could be years before affluent shoppers return to $6 lattes and $300 jeans.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BUSJ19KKQ2.DTL
Return with us now to reality....
Well-dressed elderly man robs La Jolla bank, police say
Associated Press
Posted: 09/12/2009 05:08:18 PM PDT
Updated: 09/12/2009 05:08:18 PM PDT
LA JOLLA — Authorities say a well-dressed elderly man carrying an oxygen tank robbed a bank in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla.
San Diego police Sgt. Ray Battrick said the suspect on Saturday presented a note demanding money to a teller at the San Diego National Bank. He fled with an unknown amount of cash.
Battrick said it's unclear whether the suspect had a weapon. The robber is described as a tall man in his 70s with white hair, a gray mustache and glasses. He was wearing a white beret, argyle sweater and brown sports jacket. Battrick said the oxygen tank was in a black bag and connected to the man's nose with plastic tubing.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news...nclick_check=1
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