I was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Rafael as one of ten kids. During my youth, I spend many days hiking and fishing in the hills and valleys of Marin County. I have fond memories of playing at the Grady Ranch (now the Skywalker Ranch) and Balzan Dairy in Lucas Valley; stuffing myself with blackberries and pomegranates; riding my bike to fish the Marin Watershed lakes and Lake Nicacio in western Marin; and dig for clams at Tomales Bay.

My great uncle was a young attorney in Plumas County (later district attorney) when an old gold miner came to him asking for help fending off some “City-slicker” claim jumpers. After successfully saving the claims my uncle got an interest in the Squirrel Creek Mining Company near Johnsville. After the miner died my great uncle inherited the mine which my great uncle’s son-in-law and my father took over after my great uncle became the county DA. As kids we spent every summer at this 1200-acre gold mine, fishing hiking and panning for gold. This is how I got my interest in the history of California gold mining and the way I got into the very obscure real estate field of recreational gold mine brokerage. (for more info on this subject see “Recreational Gold Mines” under “Featured Properties").   

After a four-year stint in the Air Force during the Vietnam War I attended Sonoma State University during which time I frequented the Sonoma County beaches camping, fishing and diving for abalone. After graduation, I got my California Real Estate Broker’s license and first practiced in San Francisco participating in the early days of the condominium conversion boom. I next moved in to real estate development finance the highlight of which was the financing of the $34 million-dollar San Francisco Bakewell-Brown Building on the corner of Polk and O’Farrell Streets. Through this activity I had the opportunity to develop the 34 home Northpointe zero-lot line community in Salinas, California. During the 1980s I got my California class B contractor’s license and, along with my three brothers, built in excess of 100 homes in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys as Haran Brothers Construction.

After the 1989 recession brought on by the Savings and Loan scandal, I moved back into real estate finance and originating over 1,000 home loan. I was fortunate enough to get out of that business before the 2009 Great Recession which was brought on by the mortgage backed securities scandal. From there I moved back into real estate sales where I have worked ever since.

For the past ten years I have volunteered at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and I am a wine judge at the Sonoma County Harvest fair. During this time, I earned a viticulture certificate from the Santa Rosa Junior College Wine Education Program focusing on the best management practices of grape growing and integrated pest management (IPM).

I Recently became a certified Naturalist upon completion of the UC Extension Naturalist Program. My capstone project was an analysis of the soils in each of the county's watersheds. I am currently working on a white paper which will identify which areas of the county have the highest potential for erosion during intense hydro activity. The main reference for this project is the USDA NRCS Sonoma County Soils Survey Report, a pdf of which and be found in our “Features” link on this website’s navigation bar. Every county in California has a soil’s survey report which is used to analyze the type of soil and what can be grown on any given parcel.

As you have read, I have had a very diverse real estate career. There are not many facets of the real estate industry that I haven’t experienced over the past 40 years. From the sales of single family homes; multi-family properties; lots and land; and finance, I can help most anyone who needs some free real estate advise or has a transactional need.