My parents have lived at Deer Park for a year now. It was a very good decision to have them move…read morethere. The front end staff and management are so solid and friendly and wonderful, as are the all the staff. The energy there is relaxed and positive. The units are really sweet and it's nestled into the hills of Novato with birds and wildlife all around. And it's affordable.

I recently was searching for a retirement community and had the pleasure of meeting with Lance at…read moreDeer Park. The community was so welcoming and met all my needs. Great food at all times and friendly staff. This is a Five Star place! JH

Oakmont Novato deserves more than five stars. If you're looking for a place where your loved one…read morewill be cared for with genuine compassion, professionalism, and dignity, this is it. From the moment we arrived, we felt surrounded by people who treated my Mom with genuine kindness. Scott was incredibly compassionate and reassuring--he made us feel like Mom wasn't just moving into a facility, but into a real home. And Mildred... there are no words. She cared for our Mother as if she were her own, with so much love and tenderness. She even came to my Mom's funeral and sat with our family, which meant the world to us. The environment itself is beautiful, warm, and thoughtfully designed. The meals are restaurant-quality--menus in leather-bound books and always beautifully presented. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend Oakmont Novato. They cared for my Mom in a way we will never forget.

Oakmont has been a wonderful place for my mom to call home. The facility is beautiful, from top to…read morebottom! Always clean and tidy. My mom especially enjoys the theater and outside area. The staff makes not only the resident but their family feel welcome! Traci at reception greets you with a big smile and friendly voice, Phillip (great sense of humor) drives us safely to and from appointments and outings. We especially enjoyed going to the De Young for the Monet exhibit! When we have had an issue, it is addressed promptly and effectively by management. Highly recommend!

My 10 year old Yorkiepoo and I have lived here at Villa Marin for 8 years. Other than marrying my…read morehusband, this was the best decision I've ever made to move here! I feel secure, and live a luxurious life with many amenities available to us.

Give up your worries and relax in the arms of Villa Marin staff, always present, always caring and…read moreALWAYS THERE !!

Hi, This is Pat, I have lived in three residences so far and…read moreDrake Terrace is decidedly the best! this is mainly because the staff is really caring. You see and feel the relationship[s build between us. The attention paid to preferences and recognition and care of physical conditions. The building isn't the most modern around the edges - But that doesn't really matter, ones former home sometimes was too. However the garden is really lovely - a green and peaceful place where the birds come and drink at the fountain where we can sit with our friends and family and watch entertainment provided by the management. And the FOOD (no small matter) is good! Definitely several cuts above what one expects of an institution of this sort. All in all, by most standards. I would give Drake Terrace High marks! and I'm happy and grateful to be leaving here.

I love living at Drake Terrace: 1- Great location and…read moreLandscaping 2- NO CAR NEEDED - all transportation is provided 3- Delicious meals, alternative choices, and meals offered 7am - 7pm daily. 4- I love my appartement and my balcony garden with a view. 5- All levels of exercise available (class, gym and competitive mental games, such as trivia and brain games). 6- Residents association, with no staff, meets every 3rd Wednesday to discuss clubs, old business and new business, with comments from the floor. Any perceived need for change is then taken to administration to be acted upon. 7- Communication is open, which keeps residents happy and well. 8- Programs and outings are varied, with monthly signe ups if participant participation must be limited. 9- Residents come from all over and bring new experiences to share. 10- Personal ambassadors assist new resident personally. The drake Terrace population is defined by a HAPPY SMILE!!!

Very impressive place. Beautifully renovated, 100 year old nonprofit. Small and expanding…read morereasonably - under 85 people w stepped up care. I'm looking for places likely inb4-5 years. They were great clearly caring staff and a place I hope to one day live in! Check it out, truly!

This retirement home was established in 1921 by a group of Danish people. The name Aldersly…read moreliterally means Old Haven. It is such a serene facility with beautiful landscaping, trees, and gardens, a virtual oasis.

Atria Tamalpaias Creek is a gem among assisted living communities in terms of its people, its…read moresetting, and its authentic caring for its members. My father joined Atria 3 months ago after touring other communities in the area and chose Tamalpaias Creek due to the warm welcome he received from residents and staff combined with his repeated observations that the community seemed happy, social and vibrant. As a social person he was seeking friendly and kind people with a busy activity calendar and was relieved to find what he sought. The series of performances, outings, and in-house social events have offered a changing menu of enjoyable choices to stay busy and engaged. Highlights for my father have included: feeling that every staff member knows him and offers help and warm greetings whenever they see him, consistently excellent food (he can be very particular so this was huge!), regular and easy access to a driver for shopping and banking, many nice residents to get to know and to meet for meals together, and truly well-run operations that reliably take care of so many important details of daily life while constantly looking out for the residents' needs and well-being. As my father's primary caretaker (with much appreciated help from my sister) I have been impressed with this community from the beginning with not only all of the aspects noticeable to my dad, but also all of the wonderful, responsive, caring, professional, and helpful interactions I have had with every staff member. The directors of Atria Tamalpaias Creek should feel proud of the truly exceptional community and operations that they have developed and continue to actively cultivate every day. Our family has felt fortunate and blessed to have found this gem in Novato.

It is rare to work with any business where there is visible team work and overall excellence--this…read moreplace seems to fit the bill! Supervisors, Managers, Directors, Assistants, Aides, all "floor staff" are at ease, well matched to their position, and friendly. ( a rough edge here or there surely exists, as it does for anyone...). I am writing as the family member most involved with the care of my Mother, and as a former long-time employee of places very similar to Atria Tam Creek. My Mother has been there about 3 months. It was not always an easy adjustment for my Mother and I, but we have been met MORE than halfway by all the people working there, all the way up to, and including, the superb Executive Director. The recreational activities are excellent (imaginative and well run) and the food is the best I have tasted in "institutional" fare--more like a good restaurant...day after day! (I know because I visit 2 x week.)

Bello Gardens is nestled in a beautiful residential area of San Anselmo. It is located across the…read morestreet from Saint Anselm school. They have 24 rooms as well as a beautiful outdoor garden area in the back of the house. They provide light to mid assisted living services and offer all private rooms. Their pricing is all inclusive.

After "shopping" high and low throughout the Bay Area for a higher level of care for our mother, I…read moreknew Bello was the place we would choose when I first walked up the bricks steps to the front door. My intuition was confirmed over the next three weeks as we went through layers of decision making supported by the Bello staff resulting in our realization our mother needed an even higher level of care. Failure? Absolutely not! Our mother's condition declined rapidly concurrent to her move date​ -- creating surprises for all​. ​ Bello did everything possible to make it work and continued to problem solve and provide workarounds until the family decided a​ locked facility was required. During that three weeks my mother experienced true camaraderie with other residents, was consistently treated with respect (even though she was a handful) and was able to experience Bello's truly homelike atmosphere without oppressive clinical or patronizing "help." Residents are supported to be as mentally, socially, emotionally and physically independent as they can possibly be, there is a focus on community issues outside of declining health (Juanita-the-duck's leadership permeates the facility), and each individual staff person takes ownership and responsibility for the Bello mission. What can I say? The place has a good feel. We were very reluctant to let go of Bello because we trusted them. Was it perfect? No -- I can attest perfection doesn't exist anywhere at any cost when it comes to elder care. ​I've learned that t​rust is far more valuable than perfection when it comes to leaving your relative full time in the care of others. We were told on the first tour that what you see is what you get and that seemingly simple, but precious truth bore out during our three weeks ​at ​B​ello. ​I​ would highly recommend Bello ​Gardens ​to anyone wishing to place their relative in a comfortable community with experienced caregivers.

If you are looking for excellent, loving residential care for a loved one, look no further than…read moreBretano House. My mother lived their for two plus years as dementia slowly took her away from us. We would walk in at any time of the day or evening and see that she was beautifully taken care of. They would be painting her fingernails and talking to her. The aroma of cooking food at dinner time was always enticing. The home was light, airy and clean. The gardens always a delight to walk through or just look at from a window. Best of all the staff are the sweetest, loving, and caring people that you will ever find. If you have any questions, Marilyn and Chris Fries, the owners, are easy to talk to and always available.

I had to find my 92 year old Dad 24 hour care after a bout of pneumonia and Bretano House made it…read morevery easy for me to move him in. This can be one of your most difficult life decisions and I am very happy with my choice. They make my father feel very comfortable and cater to his needs. Thank you to Marilyn and the entire staff for the support.

My sister lived here for 2 years before she recently passed. She wasn't a complainer type of…read moreperson, but she had a lot to say about this place: * Horrible food & poor dinning room staffing. * Most of her questions to staff/management/chef were not responded to. * Staff were nice when she'd ask for something... but then she'd never hear back from anyone. * No real activities available. * Minimum housecleaning, couldn't really be called "housecleaning." * No "orientation" upon arrival, so she had no idea who to go to for what. It was only through the gracious help from another resident that enabled her to start getting around the place. But still minimal response from staff & management. * When she went on Hospice, they up'ed her monthly rent by about $800. When she repeatedly asked what she was getting for the $800... no response. Finally she was informed it was for her daily phone calls to check on her. I'm sure there had to be other benefits, but really... none. I cannot recommend this place.

Be very proactive if you put your loved one here. Whether it be the assisted living or the memory…read morecare. The staff turn over is very concerning. Stop by randomly during the day several times a week. Our mom was left alone in her room so often we finally called a meeting with the 'facility Director (who by the way changed 3 times in three and a half years, not a positive sign) and they said and promised they would pay more attention. Check out more local memory care facilities before deciding and sending your parent or loved one here. Be prepared. Ask questions. They are not attentive to folks that have dementia. It's very sad!!! They charge a lot and you do not get what they preach. Be very careful where you put your loved one!

My wife and I had been renting the same home in Fairfax for more than 20 years when our landlord…read moredecided to sell. Suddenly, we were facing a big decision with a limited amount of time, and as first-time home buyers, we honestly didn't know where to start. Working with Phoebe Reyes turned out to be one of the best decisions we could have made. From the beginning, Phoebe approached our situation by looking for solutions. She connected us with some great lenders and helped us explore every possible path to homeownership. As a Veteran, I was eligible for a VA loan, so Phoebe helped us understand that option and how it might work for us. We also explored adding a co-borrower, Below Market Rate (BMR) and affordable housing opportunities in Marin County, and looked at homes in Fairfax, San Rafael, Larkspur, Novato and Sonoma County. What I appreciated most about Phoebe was that she never gave up on us. If one option didn't work, she helped us explore another. She was patient, creative and incredibly knowledgeable, and we always felt like she genuinely cared about helping us find the right solution rather than simply making a sale. Phoebe guided us through the entire home buying process. She helped us understand financing options, communicated with our lender, reviewed properties with us, answered what felt like a million questions and helped us make informed decisions without ever pressuring us. After renting for more than 20 years, becoming a homeowner felt like a huge step. Having a Realtor who understood Marin County real estate and who was willing to think outside the box made all the difference. If you are a first-time home buyer in Marin County, a Veteran considering a VA loan, or someone who isn't sure whether buying a home in Marin is even possible, I highly recommend calling Phoebe. She will listen to you, explain your options and work incredibly hard to help you find a path forward. My wife and I are incredibly grateful to Phoebe for helping us through one of the biggest transitions of our lives. We couldn't have asked for a better Realtor to have in our corner.

Hilary Davis with Bay Area Modern, recently sold my home in Novato, and I couldn't have asked for a…read morebetter experience. She's a true gem--professional, knowledgeable, creative, and an expert in the local real estate market. Hilary went above and beyond to help with every detail, from preparing and staging my home to creating a fantastic website and video that helped it sell quickly. She has been with me every step of the way. I highly recommend her to anyone buying or selling in the area!