San Rafael real estate

San Rafael is Marin's largest city and its county seat, and it behaves less like one market than like a dozen small ones. What a home is worth, how quickly it sells, and what it costs to sell it all shift by neighborhood. Here is what we tell clients before they buy or sell here.

One thing about San Rafael that catches people out

San Rafael is the only charter city in Marin County, and it is the only city in the county that charges its own transfer tax on top of the county's. Today that means $3.10 per $1,000 of the sale price here, against $1.10 per $1,000 almost everywhere else in Marin. On a $1.5 million sale, that is a $3,000 difference, and by custom the seller pays it.

On 3 November 2026, San Rafael voters decide Measure W, which would raise the city's share from 0.2% to 1%. On that same $1.5 million sale, the transfer tax would go from about $4,650 to about $16,650. Read what Measure W would cost a seller, with the figures and the timing.

The neighborhoods

San Rafael covers everything from downtown condominiums to hillside homes with bridge views, and the differences between its neighborhoods are larger than the differences between some Marin towns.

Dominican

Older estates and mature streets near Dominican University, among the city's most established addresses.

Gerstle Park

Period homes on walkable streets just south of downtown, with a strong neighborhood identity.

Terra Linda

Mid-century homes in north San Rafael, including Eichler blocks, popular with buyers wanting single-level living.

Peacock Gap

East San Rafael near the golf course and the bay, quieter and more suburban in feel.

Sun Valley

Family homes close to downtown and to Sun Valley Park, with a mix of eras and sizes.

Downtown and Montecito

The most walkable part of the city, with transit, restaurants and a mix of condominiums and older houses.

If you are selling in San Rafael

Three things matter more here than the general advice suggests:

Know your transfer tax before you price. It is a real line on your closing statement and it is larger here than elsewhere in Marin. An agent working from the county rate alone will understate it.
Preparation pays differently by neighborhood. What returns its cost on a Dominican estate is not what returns its cost on a Terra Linda mid-century, and spending the same money in both places is how sellers lose it.
Timing is a decision, not a deadline. Particularly this autumn, with Measure W on the ballot, the question is whether a sale you were already planning falls near enough to the line to be worth scheduling around. Usually the answer is about readiness, not the calendar.

If you are buying in San Rafael

The city rewards buyers who look at more than one neighborhood. Because the sub-markets move independently, the same budget can buy noticeably different homes a few minutes apart, and a buyer fixed on one area often pays more for less. We would rather walk you through the trade-offs first, then narrow the search.

Thinking about San Rafael?

Whether you are weighing a sale, watching Measure W, or trying to work out which part of the city fits, we are glad to talk it through. Get in touch with Thorne Home Team.

Thorne Home Team · Naomi Thorne, CalRE #01988116 · Katherine Thorne, CalRE #01988117