Sarah Kowalczyk ;&;Lotte Moore present:

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Precious Mill Valley Home 376 Magee Avenue $2,795,000

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We appreciate the opportunity to tell you what we love about our home at 376 Magee.; We have lived in the house for 38 years, raised our children there, and welcome our grandchildren each week for Friday night dinners which we call “divine chaos”.; It is a home of happy memories and celebrations with friends and family.

Our home’s Middle Ridge location is special. It is quiet, has sun all day, is a ten-minute walk to town and Old Mill School, and is also within walking distance of Mt. Tam hiking trails.; We have terrific neighbors, many of whom have lived in their homes for decades, and the location enjoys great weather and views. When lower Mill Valley elevations are foggy, the Middle Ridge is often clear.; The views from all our windows are exceptionally pleasant and private, including a view of Mt. Tam.; Mill Valley is a special community - often said to be a university town without the university!

Second, our home enjoys a unique history, starting with its first owner from Shanghai who brought with her the motto for the property - “Kind Heart, Lucky House”.; These words are expressed by four Chinese characters, carved in wood above the main garden gate.; They remind us that if we are generous in spirit, our home and all who come, will have good fortune.; 376 Magee was custom designed in the late 30’s/early 40’s by the first owner’s architect son, with Chinese accents to remind her of home (dragon backs on the roof ridges, curved-up rafter tails to ward off evil spirits and abstract Chinese designs abound).; The second owner was a career State Dept. foreign service officer who lived in Japan much of his adult life and brought back a love of Japanese gardens and outdoor rooms, which the property enjoys to this day. The Barnes family is the third owners (the past 38 years) and have expanded and modernized the house while faithfully respecting its original character and special design features. Great emphasis has also been given to enhancing the outdoor spaces, and landscape features of the property including using plants and water features frequently found in Chinese and Japanese gardens.

Third, we love the level aspect of our property and the ease with which the property can be walked and accessed - all the way around. Drainage is exceptionally good and plants thrive.; The property is fully irrigated, has its own weather sensitive control system, and an automatic fertilizer distributor.; The irrigation system is on a master control separate from the house water system, so water can be turned off in the house when we are away for longer periods, still allowing the; irrigation system to perform normally.

Fourth, we feel very safe in this property.; We have not had any break-and-enters in 38 years of ownership.

Fifth, auto access is exceptionally easy and convenient - up the driveway and into the garage.; We unload groceries, for example, next to the kitchen and on the same level. Few houses in Mill Valley enjoy this convenience and the two car garage is spacious so it is not hard to get in and out of two autos when both are parked in the garage.

Sixth, we have generous storage and extra room - the house has more storage capacity than most houses of its size (multiple garage closets, basement space, out buildings, and numerous closets within the house).

Seventh, for us, this house has been relatively easy to maintain over the years - paint surfaces last, cracks and settling have not been a problem, everything works, with normal maintenance, etc. Our practice has been to paint a quarter of the exterior of the house every three years and stain the cedar shingles at the same time. Interior room painting has been done as needed.;

Eighth, the house has been greatly improved over the years with numerous architect-designed additions and enhancements that have not only added to the finishes and character of the living spaces, but have addressed fundamentals including new earthquake bracing and bolting, new pipes and wiring, new electrical outlets, new double paned windows, three zoned heating, more energy efficient heating system and more. (A full list of the improvements and expansions is provided in a separate document, available upon request.) The house has state of the art Nest thermostats, fire safety monitors, ADT security protection, three skylights, and sun-filled rooms.

Ninth, We think there is a special character to the interior of our home, with custom design features and unique details in each room. The house invites belonging, fitting in and feeling truly “at home”.; ;

Tenth, the property enjoys several additional buildings including a charming artist studio with electricity; and heating and a “Japanese tea house”.

Family-friendly Mill Valley is all about schools and sports. Nestled at the foot of Mount Tamalpais, homes in the Marin County city range from 500-square-foot hunter's cabins to multimillion-dollar mansions tucked away on winding, narrow lanes under the redwoods. Coffee is king in Mill Valley. Downtown, three separate coffee shops do a brisk business. At the Depot, as the sunny town center is called, moms with strollers, kids on tricycles, and teenagers kicking;hacky sacks relax in the open-air plaza, which now houses an independent bookstore and cafe. The Depot is also a jumping-off spot for hikers and mountain bikers heading up the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. Nightlife in Mill Valley is anchored by Sweetwater Music Hall, which hosts many well-known musical acts. As the groomed playing fields at the community center attest, sports are big in Mill Valley, with soccer, baseball, and lacrosse leagues all popular.;