I was approached by a Realtor I work with, whose name I won't say, but we will call him Bobby, who was buying a property in Oakland, California.  I have strictly worked with Bobby's clients, never actually helped him personally.  He was working with his regular personal lender (in the business for a long time), who was having trouble with the property, not with Bobby's qualifications, but the property's.  The appraisal he ordered was coming back as "mixed use", because of the layout and one of the rooms that had been converted from it's original structure.  Another issue was that the area is not a conventional residential area.  It is about 1 mile from where the Oakland A's play baseball and Oakland Raiders play football, and Golden State Warriors play basketball, and is truly a mixed a... 07/20/2007

It doesn't take a genius to see the market in SF is still doing quite well, but it does take a lot of will power to continue to blog about it amongst the growing number of bubble blogs.  We did several good posts this week and traffic is exploding.  One popular post is the "we are not a bubble blog" post as well as the staging, and of course the crazy amount people pay for property here in san francisco.  It is such a micro-market, it is not even funny.  I encourage everyone around the country to check out our blog, because it is truly a unique market, and we're taking a very unique approach to the traditional real estate blog.  Readers seem to love it, if the number of comments are any indication.  We're learning a lot from our readers.   Check it out. www.theFrontSteps.com". 07/19/2007

In Brewster's Millions fashion, you have to spend all 55 million:Garrett: 2901 Broadway Street: Cost $55 Million.I'm not a guy that likes to find many ways to spend my billions--when you have this much money, I see no pressing reason to diversify. Since I have to spend $55 million for this exercise, I'm going to make it easy on myself and purchase 2901 Broadway Street.I just got a new pair of tennis shorts that I'm dying to wear and I'm sick of waiting in line to play at Dolores Park, so the fact that this house has its own court (and its own locker room!) is very appealing to me. It has a "classic" elevator and since I'll be so tired from playing tennis all day, I doubt I'll have the energy to climb the stairs. Most appealing to me however is the oversized laundry room. I'd put 7 washe... 07/16/2007

District 1 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 19 19 Median Selling Price 1,112,500 926,000 Average DOM 26 27       District 2 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 61 46 Median Selling Price 830,000 835,000 Average DOM 29 30       District 3 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 22 18 Median Selling Price 702,500 915,000 Average DOM 36 51       District 4 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 48 21 Median Selling Price 1,050,000 1,150,000 Average DOM 33 21       District 5 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 37 36 Median Selling Price 1,290,000 1,397,500 Average DOM 30 30       District 6 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 4 5 Median Selling Price 1,932,500 2,160,000 Average DOM 35 45       District 7 Jun-06 Jun-07 Number of Sales 14 12 Median Selling Price 3,625,000 4,010,000 Average DOM 38 48       District 8 Jun-06 Jun-07 ... 07/16/2007

If you would like to learn more about me, you can view my blog at Jon's Blog.  I have been having trouble getting the coding to work perfectly everytime.  If for some reason, one of the clips is not working, you can also view the seminar on my website at Jon's Website.This is the footage from a First Time Hombuyers Seminar I hosted with Jana Cole, an exclusive buyers agent of the San Francisco Bay Area.  We hosted the event at the Land America Title Office in Daly City, California.  A special thanks to Laurel and James who stayed the long night we us. I have broken down the footage into 5 clips.  I will give you an idea of the topics in each clip so that you can click directly on the play button and will know what is about to play.  Please let me know if you have any questions in any wa... 07/12/2007

Maybe it isn’t a glamorous as Los Angeles’s Hollywood Bowl but San Francisco’s Panhandle Bandshell works not just as an entertainment venue but one with sustainable origins. The Bandshell materials come from a what’s what of the 3Rs (Recycle, Reclaim, Reuse) and create not only a funky quality to the structure but reduce the carbon footprint. The bandshell uses reclaimed steel (including 65 mid-size sedan hoods) which not only took some ugly cars off the road but saved the equivalent of one person’s carbon emissions for an entire year (seven and one-half tons of carbon dioxide). The Black Rock Arts Foundation also used reclaimed wood and by doing so allowed 7.4 Douglas fir trees 90 foot trees to remain upright instead of at a lumber mill. The plastic bottle wall used represents the volu... 07/10/2007

The Federation of Exchange Accommodators is the only professional trade organization to represent Qualified Intermediaries; for those victims and interested parties following the Ed Okun 1031 Exchange disaster, does it not strike you odd that the word “Qualified” would be associated with this business? According to all my research, input from industry professionals, and stories from victims of recent 1031 disasters, there is no official qualifications needed to start a 1031 exchange company. The FEA is missing a very valuable and vital function: political power. If the FEA were able to create a platform to force new laws and regulations, at the federal and local level, they could become the most important organization within the Qualified Intermediary industry. In addition they would b... 07/09/2007

The Cortland Avenue business strip has seen some change in 2007. From East to West:Piqueo's (new restaurant)Home San Francisco (new real estate brokerage)Avedano's Holly Park Market (new deli/produce/meat & fish market)Piqueo's:830 Cortland Ave.Fantastic Peruvian fusion and tapas. Deliciously creative menu, warm atmosphere, fair price, knowledgable staff, and artistic display. We recommend it.Home San Francisco399 Cortland Ave.Moved into the space last occupied by Briar Rose. The building and space were fixed up and doors have been open all year. Monthly events are held in the "living room."Avedano's Holly Park Market 235 Cortland Ave.Still under construction, but they have done an amazing job of reviving the facade of the building. It's supposed to open this month and we can't wait to ... 07/06/2007

I would buy you a house... A cross between a fun tune by the Barenaked Ladies and a favorite movie, Brewsters Million - you have to spend 1Mill.Greg:3350 22nd St: 2 unit building in Mission Dolores231 Kirkham: Single family house walking distance to the Park / 9th and Irving1314 Lyon St: Recently dropped 150K in price - 3 bed / 3.5 bath condo in Lower Pac Ht'sGarrett:566 Rhode Island Street: If I had an additional few hundred thousand, I'd buy this one and make some major changes. Location is great, but the house needs some love.712 Haight Street: It's big, turn-key and has a nice deeded outdoor space.1488 Harrison St: If I had a million dollars, I'd spend $600K on this place, put $15K into it and either rent it out or owner occupy for 2 years. Sure, it's deep SoMa, but at $544/sq ft., ... 07/03/2007

Forget about Zillow, for us, the new San Francisco Solar Map is like crack for sustainable and/or solar freaks. The new website lists most, if not all, of the installed solar systems in SF. Just type in an address and the site gives the roof size, estimated solar PV potential, estimated electricity produced, don’t forget the estimated electricity savings and even better it shows the estimated carbon savings.It’s easy to play solar sleuth and check out neighbors who have solar installed. The site lists the system size and the installer and in some cases lists the system output and the electric savings. Some include quotes from the home or business owner.The map isn’t perfect as we typed in some addresses which the system said don’t exist. Also we would like to see some info about solar h... 06/29/2007

  Today was one of the most productive days I've had in the past few months,  I got two leads and after hesitating about attending to a mixer hosted by NAHREP,  I found out about a program offered by the city of San Francisco.  This program is offered to individuals with low to moderate income.  Just imagine being able to purchase property in San Francisco for under $300K,  all you need to qualify is,  not make a three figure income, have good credit and be motivated. 06/28/2007

Condominiums District 1May-06May-07Number of Sales717Median Selling Price785,000905,000Average DOM2330   District 2May-06May-07Number of Sales11Median Selling Price520,000790,000Average DOM452   District 3May-06May-07Number of Sales74Median Selling Price522,888440,000Average DOM4750   District 4May-06May-07Number of Sales46Median Selling Price521,500617,000Average DOM4241   District 5May-06May-07Number of Sales3041Median Selling Price760,500915,000Average DOM3329   District 6May-06May-07Number of Sales1814Median Selling Price630,500841,500Average DOM3827   District 7May-06May-07Number of Sales3431Median Selling Price1,097,5001,295,000Average DOM3336   District 8May-06May-07Number of Sales4146Median Selling Price849,000732,500Average DOM4728   District 9May-06May-07Number of Sales6455Med... 06/28/2007

   San Francisco is the second most expensive city to buy real estate after Manhattan,   there is no secret about that!!  I have lived in San Francisco for 20 years and the more I travel, the more I appreciate where I live, it's diversity, lifestyle, and the people who live in San Francisco makes our city one of it's own kind,  that's one of the many reasons why the Real Estate market has not slowed down in our beautiful city,  multiple offers of 20 and above are pretty common.              06/24/2007

In the last thirty years the area now known as SoMa, or (south of Market), has undergone a dramatic change from a grimy, rundown, industrial district to a dynamic and diverse neighborhood with museums, nightclubs, shops, offices, artists studios, and a convention center. To appreciate the transformation it helps to know a little SoMa history.  In the mid to late 1800's many foundries and factories were built in the area south of Market Street to take advantage of easy access to the Bay for transportation. The area was also home to many of the city's leading citizens, who built grand mansions on sunny Rincon Hill. With the development of the cable car in 1873 Nob Hill became the desirable place to live, and the upper class began to move away from the south of Market area. They were repla... 06/18/2007

There is much to be said about people that take themselves too seriously when they really don't know what they're doing. I recently had a wonderful experience with an appraiser in Oregon that blew my mind. Here's the story...I tend to look at every transaction I do with a client with a very long term outlook. Often, as was the case here, I may suggest multiple transactions to accomplish certain goals. My client, let's call her Diane, had serious credit related issues. This was mid summer 2006. We discussed the various loan options available given her position and concluded that we should take a two part approach. Refinance and pay off all of her debt that she was falling behind on and then start the long and arduous process of credit repair. This is something I've spent many, many hour... 06/12/2007

I took a recent car trip up the Central Coast of Californiaall the way to San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the world.Folks that have been there know what I mean about hills - there are lots of them (San Francisco has been compared to Rome and its Seven Hills), and parking. driving, and walking can be a challenge in many areas. Trying to imagine sellers moving out, or buyers moving into their new homes in some parts of town is difficult - not only are the streets narrow, but the steepness of the hills precludes a large truck being able to navigate.My first visit to the city many years ago was an eye opener with regard to driving and parking. Some streets only allow parking perpendicular to the hill because of space and steepness, but getting out of your car is tough - try push... 06/09/2007

(Originally posted to my blog, San Francisco Real Estate)The lack of housing inventory across all price ranges in San Francisco continues to fuel a real estate market that contradicts national and state trends.While condominum and home sales are slightly below last year for the month of May (239 in 2007, 273 in 2006*), San Francisco has set a new record in its luxury home sector.May 2007 recorded the highest home sales in the $2,000,000 and up range for a one-month period in San Francisco history, remarked Aldo Congi, Vice President and Manager of McGuire Downtown, this past Wednesday. With an unprecedented 36 single family home sales at a price of $2,000,000 or more, the month of May beat out the previous record of 29 homes set in the same price range in 2000.The hot market for luxury ... 06/08/2007

Having already written my post on Budgeting, at Budgeting Made Easy! Part 1, I rethought the title.  I realized that budgeting really isn't that easy.  But with property estimating and planning, it can be!  That is the purpose of this post.So we have calculated our bottom line, or disposable income to determine what we can afford out of our mortgage.  The easiest way to visualize it is with numbers.  Let's say hypothetically your disposable income after all expenses (Step 5), and the number you have come up with is $2,000.We need to determine what that number translates to for your mortgage.  Not I wouldn't take that $2000, and assume you can afford a $2000 mortgage.  I think that is asking for issues, and overall the nation is seeing that with the subprime crisis!  We don't want you to... 06/07/2007

Good Afternoon! I have recently purchased membership to The Mortgage Coach and Mortgage Market Guide.  These programs are tailored to the mortgage professional to assist them in current or future transactions.  More specifically, Mortgage Coach is a software, avaliable for most PCs that offers a variety of tools.Client Database: You must first enter the information for each client before using the other programsTotal Cost Analysis: Helps homeowners understand how a mortgage deciscion affects their overall finances.Rate Watch: Manage the mortgage of your clientsEquity Reposition: Helps clients evaluate how restructuring debt can increase wealth growthRent vs. Own: Helps renters appreciate and understand the tax benefits of home ownership.Consolidation Analysis: Help clients who need to c... 06/06/2007

Most people think they have it all under control.  They get a steady paycheck, and know how much they can afford based on what they have now.  I think that is wonderful!  Those same people are thinking about starting the American Dream of home ownership, and think that the ease will transfer just as smoothly.  Homeownership can be easy, but properly planning is the essence of homeownership without stress.  I get approached all the time by people looking to buy, and they currently pay rent of let's say $1000, and want to buy a home for $500,000.  Being conservative, that will translate into a new mortgage of $3-4000 per month.  These same people haven't been able to save a dime for a down-payment, have credit card debt, large car payments, and occassional collections.  The reality is, wi... 06/04/2007