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National Park Service Rents Out Marin Headlands Home With Stunning Views

MARIN COUNTY (KPIX 5) -- How much would you pay for a home with a view? The National Park Service has a place with sight lines that feature two Bay Area landmarks.

Up close, this rental home doesn't seem to be worth the monthly rent they're asking for it.

"We all feel its worth upwards of $8,000 a month," said David Alexander, property manager with Gaetani Real Estate.

While the home has been completely remodeled inside with new appliances and custom tile work, it's only when you look at it from a distance you understand why people might be willing to pay that much.

Welcome to what is simply known as "Quarter 17." This house, and the two next to it, were built in the early 1960's as living quarters for a lifesaving unit operated by the Coast Guard. The house is on a cliff in the Marin Headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge out front and the Point Bonita Lighthouse over the back fence.

"With the economy where it is now, I think the National Park Service and the Coast Guard said, I think we can achieve higher rent with the private sector," Alexander said.

And so, the Park Service is offering the house for rent to a member of the public. After the remodeling bill is paid, it will help fund renovations of other park facilities.

Officially the place is being offered at $6,500 to bidders, but they figure some will pay more than that to live with perhaps the greatest view in the Bay Area.

Whoever gets the home will have to live with some government bureaucracy. For some reason, the house has been deemed historic, so odd-looking louvers in the living room have to stay, as well as the clothesline poles in the back yard. The next door neighbor is only described as a "high-ranking" Park Service law enforcement officer, so wild parties may be out.

But all of that probably won't matter because who ever lives here will be doing it for the 3 most important reasons in real estate, location, location, location.

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