Mill Valley jumbo loans and 2026 loan limits.

Mill Valley takes its name from a sawmill built on a creek here in the 1830s; a rebuilt mill stands in Old Mill Park. The city grew up around a railway station, now the Depot Plaza at the center of downtown, and became a city in 1900. Miller Avenue and East Blithedale Avenue lead from downtown toward Highway 101 and Richardson Bay. Trails and the Dipsea steps climb from town toward Muir Woods and the mountain.

Most of the city is hillside. Houses stand on steep lots under redwoods and oaks, along narrow roads joined by public steps, lanes and paths. There are brown-shingle houses and summer cottages from the early 1900s, mid-century houses, and newer ones on stilts or terraces. On the flatter ground toward the bay are single-story houses from the 1940s and 1950s, townhouses and condominiums.

Two maps matter here: the fire hazard map for the hills and the flood map for the low ground. Many homes are on one or the other.

In July 1929 a wildfire on Mount Tamalpais burned many homes on the slopes above town, and parts of the city are in the state’s highest fire hazard zone now. Insurers look at roofing, vegetation and the width of the road. A lender must see a homeowners policy before closing, so start asking for quotes when you start looking.

Low ground near Richardson Bay and along the creeks is in flood zones on FEMA’s map, and some streets take water at the highest winter tides. A financed home in a high-risk zone needs flood insurance, and its cost is part of the monthly housing figure. An elevation certificate can lower it.

Hillside appraisals take longer, because no two lots match. Parking, the number of steps to the front door, sun and view all affect value. Older houses may have additions made without permits, and an appraiser may leave those out. Some houses are reached only by a shared driveway or a path, and a lender may ask who maintains it.

Blithedale Canyon runs north and west from downtown along West Blithedale Avenue, following the creek toward the ridge. Redwoods fill the canyon floor, and side roads climb the slopes on both sides.

Homes here include some of the city’s oldest: shingled houses and former summer cottages from around 1900, set close to the road or high above it, along with later houses of every decade. Lots are irregular, and many houses are reached by a bridge over the creek or a long flight of steps. For a lender the points are access, condition and insurance. An appraiser notes how the house is reached and where cars are parked, and compares it with other canyon houses, not with houses on the flats. Old foundations, drainage and retaining walls deserve a careful inspection. The canyon is shaded and wooded, with one main road in and out, and insurers weigh that. Check the state’s fire hazard map. Creekside lots may also touch a flood zone, so have the address checked on both maps.

Cascade Canyon is west of downtown, along Cascade Drive and Throckmorton Avenue beyond Old Mill Park. Cascade Creek runs through it, with a small waterfall, Cascade Falls, toward the upper end of Cascade Drive, and trails lead on toward Mount Tamalpais.

It is a steep, heavily wooded part of the city. Houses range from early cabins to architect-designed homes, many on downhill or uphill lots with decks among the redwoods. Sunlight is limited on the canyon floor, and view lots higher up are valued differently, which an appraiser has to account for. Roads are narrow, some barely one lane, so ask the city how parking and fire engine access rules would affect building plans. Expect an insurer to ask about the roof, vents, decks and cleared space. If a standard policy is hard to find, the California FAIR Plan is the fallback. Many houses have been remodeled in stages, so check permits for each addition. A lender’s appraiser will count only finished, permitted living space.

Sycamore Park is a level neighborhood east of downtown, between Miller Avenue and East Blithedale Avenue, around Sycamore Avenue. It lies near the Mill Valley Community Center, Bayfront Park and the marsh at the head of Richardson Bay.

The streets are flat and fairly straight, which is unusual for Mill Valley. Houses are mostly single-story cottages and ranch homes from the 1940s and 1950s on regular lots, many expanded or rebuilt since, some with a second story. Because the houses are similar and sell regularly, appraisals are more direct than in the canyons. The question here is water, not fire. The neighborhood is low ground near the bay, and parts of it are in a flood zone on FEMA’s map. On a financed home a flood policy is then required, and the lender counts its cost. Ask the seller for an elevation certificate and for the current flood premium. Newer and rebuilt houses are often raised above the required level, which lowers the cost.

Strawberry is on a peninsula in Richardson Bay, east of Highway 101, between Mill Valley and Tiburon. It has a Mill Valley mailing address but is unincorporated: it is governed by Marin County, with a recreation district of its own. Strawberry Point reaches south into the bay.

Homes include ranch houses and split-levels from the 1950s and 1960s on the hill, many with bay views, larger houses along the shore, and several condominium and townhouse communities near the shopping center and the freeway. For a condominium, a lender reviews the homeowners association’s budget, reserves and insurance, and counts the dues. For a house on the water, the lender’s flood certificate shows whether flood insurance is required, and an appraiser looks at the seawall or shoreline. Views carry a good deal of value, and appraisers try to match view with view. Since the county issues permits here, check county records for additions. The loan limit is the same as in the city, because it is set for all of Marin County.