It's that time of year again, 100,000 FREE pick-your-own tulips at Union Square, San Francisco.Yes, that's correct. On Saturday, March 7, over 100,000 tulips will cover Union Square in San Francisco. Best of all, you're invited to visit the site and pick your own bunch of tulips to take home.A gift from Dutch flower bulb trader Royal Anthos, iBulb.org and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco, they are transporting thousands of multicolor tulips to the bustling tourist area of Union Square.This event will run from 1:00PM to 4:30PM, by which time all tulips will have been picked and on their way to bring springtime cheer to many, many households. You have to love all the special FREE events in San Francisco, thanks to the courtesy of many.   03/05/2020

Knowing the inventory is an essential task of a real estate agent, and I often come across several properties each week that intrigue me, that offer something special and unique. This week is no exception.I have written before about the Edwardian condo listing I have on Nob Hill, at 1561 Sacramento Street. That property is now in contract and the sale is on track to record tomorrow. About a 15-minute walk from there, across the top of nob Hill, past Grace Cathedral, Huntington Park and the grand hotels, heading toward Union Square and the financial district is today's find, 25 Joice. 25 Joice is a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo listed by my colleague, Amanda Sharp, of Compass, and is located at the end of a quaint side street, off California Street with where cable cars clang up and down Nob H... 03/04/2020

Both lovers of classical music and those wanting to see what classical music is all about have a FREE treat in store for them on Friday evening, Feburary 21, 2020, at 7:30 PM. The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra (SFCO) will be presenting a 90-minute concert at the Herbst Theatre on Van Ness Avenue, across from City Hall and next door to the Opera House. There will be games, prizes and a trivia quiz and, of course, great music, featuring variations on familiar themes by Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and more. Friday, February 21, 20207:30 PM - 9:00 PM (no intermission)Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness AvenueAdmission is FREE. Members entry one hour before; general audience entry 15 minutes before. 02/19/2020

Nestled on the western slope of Nob Hill, 1561 Sacramento Street had been on the market for only 23 days yesterday when sellers accepted an offer that had arrived the evening before. Today, Valentine's Day, I changed the listing status from "Active" to "Pending" and canceled the open houses planned for the weekend.Today, Valentine's Day, the buyer wire-transferred his initial deposit to our escrow account. Today, Valentine's Day, the bank appraiser contacted me to set the appraisal appointment. Today, Valentine's Day, I was able to share the above good news with the seller.Today is also Valentine's Day for the buyers, who had been looking for the right place for a number of months. In less than a month they will be settling into their new home, making it their own. Their search is over.... 02/14/2020

Happy Lunar New Year! It may be the Year of the Rat this year, but so far it doesn't look like it's the year of more housing inventory for San Francisco. In January the median price for single family homes and condos and lofts increased, but both new and active listings were down double-digits.It's important to contextualize, though, that in real estate the statistics are typically 30-60 days behind. Home sales that closed in January are primarily homes that were put on the market over the holiday season. Also, Spring is typically our biggest season when the most homes come on the market. That said, buyers are out there buying and homes are on average still selling quickly, many over their asking price. So if you're thinking of selling this year, consider coming on prior to Spring and g... 02/14/2020

Nob Hill is one of the iconic landmarks of San Francisco. With the California Street cable car running up the hill from the Financial District to Van Ness Avenue, you can arrive at one of the famed hotels in the city, The Fairmont, Huntington, or Mark Hopkins. Grace Cathedral also commands the hilltop, as does the Masonic Auditorium, a private club, some residences and an urban city park. This is visitor mecca.However, if you head down the hill just a few blocks west, you'll find a very different vibe, one with more of a neighborhood feel, and close to numerous restaurants, clubs, grocery stores, hardware stores, nail salons, hair salons and coffee shops.This is where you'll meet and greet your neighbors as you meet them walking about shopping. You can join the lines at the renown Swan ... 02/12/2020

Current showing schedule for1561 Sacramento Street, Nob Hill, San FranciscoSaturday, 2/8/2020 - 1:00-3:00PMSunday, 2/9/2020 - 2:00-4:00PMBroker tour (public welcome) Tuesday, 2/11/2020, 9:30-11:00Other showings by appointment1561 Sacramento Street is spacious, airy and light. From the bay window in the living room, to the back bedrooms overlooking the garden, this condo brings in light. A garden greenhouse window on one side of the kitchen, and a small terrace on the other side, bring even more light and open up the kitchen area.I invite you to join us this weekend, or call to schedule an individual appointment. 02/05/2020

As reported on Hoodline yesterday, beginning today, January 29, 2020, big changes have come to the most congested part of Market Street, from the Embarcadero to Van Ness Avenue.Private cars and ride-hailing vehicles (think Uber, Lyft) are no longer allowed on this stretch of Market Street. The changes affect the portions of Market from 10th Street to Main Street eastbound, and Steuart Street to Van Ness Avenue westbound. (The north-south yellow line is Van Ness Avenue; Steuart Street is next to the Embarcadero. You see Twitter headquarters near Van Ness, and the Ferry Building at the end of Market Street)The changes are intended to make the street faster and safer for pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. Some 500,000 people walk here daily;750 cyclists per hour at peak times, and m... 01/29/2020

Vegas Bob gearing up for his next job in the Bay Area Robert Swetz aka Vegas Bob is getting ready to start a new construction project in the Bay Area in Northern California. VB is not sure if he's going on a project in Silicon Valley Santa Clara County or in Downtown San Francisco.Most of the huge projects are coming up in Downtown SF with plenty of overtime working 6-7 days per week. VB is getting closer to retirement age so he's thinking 6-7 days per week would create a larger nest egg when the time comes to hang up the hard hat.VB is living in a new place in Fremont CA with a 1 year lease due December 1st, in which VB may head back to Las Vegas Nevada to finish out hire construction career. 01/28/2020

I "met" Philip Raices on ActiveRain today when I read his post about the plight of homeless veterans.The magnitude of the homeless and hungry in our country is stunning. Groups here in San Francisco, and elsewhere, are working to find solutions, but it's slow going.Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, we can each find our own small ways to help. A few little things I focus on include: serving breakfast to the homeless and hungry twice a month. Glide is one of the big groups;  3 meals a day are served 364 days a year. Breakfast is served to over 600 people daily. (Photo: breakfast crew at Glide, ready to serve diners.) being a sponsor and participating in Miracle Messages, distributing care packages and trying to connect folks on the street with loved ones. Wor... 01/27/2020

Several months ago I wrote a post to introduce you to Tulip Salon at 2455 Polk Street, San Francisco. You can read that post here.Today, I'd like you to meet Hedieh in a more personal way. The video clip will give you a glimpse into the breadth of her knowledge, and her written words will give you an even better picture of who Hedieh is, as a person as well as a hair stylist supreme. "Hello everyone before I introduce myself and talk about Tulip Salon I would like to take a moment and thank one of my sweet customers, Lottie Kendall, who likes to help small businesses to grow. I am Hedieh Poustinchian owner/stylist here at Tulip salon on Russian Hill,  San Francisco. Although my bachelor was in biology but my passion drew me into beauty Industry and because of that I appreciate it, even ... 01/24/2020

In 2019 the median price for a San Francisco home grew by 2.1%, the smallest growth we've seen in years. Single family home prices grew by just 1.3%. Condo and loft prices grew by 3.9%. (If you want to see all of my market statistics for 2019 you can find them here). But not all areas grew or contracted equally. Below are the 2019 statistics for median sales price for homes broken out by district. San Francisco is broken into 10 districts, with multiple sub-districts and neighborhoods comprising each larger district. You can see a map of San Francisco's districts here. If you are interested in learning more information about any district, subdistrict or neighborhood please reach out to me. District 1: Northwest. Includes the Richmond (Inner, Central, and Outer), Jordan Park/ Laurel Heig... 01/23/2020

Welcome to 1561 Sacramento Street, San FranciscoTwilight Open: Thursday, 1/23/2020, 4:30PM-6:00PMOpen House:     Saturday, 1/25/2020, 10:00AM-NoonOpen House:     Sunday,    1/26/2020, 2:00PM-4:00PMClick on the link, 1561 Sacramento Street to see the web site.   Updated Edwardian home built in 1910, with rich period details High ceilings; wood floors; gorgeoups wainscoting 3-bedrooms, 2.5 baths in a prime location between Hyde and Larkin Lower floor of a 3-unit building; only 8 steps up from street; no stairs in unit WalkScore 99, TransitScore 100, BikeScore 77 Living room with bay window and window seat; gas fireplace insert; recessed lights Adjacent dining room with box ceiling and built-in buffet Updated kitchen with 2 ovens, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, greenhouse window and ... 01/22/2020

Happy New Year!!As we dive full-force into 2020 here's a quick look back at how the San Francisco real estate market fared in 2019. Prices grew, though not as dramatically as in previous years. Inventory continued to be an impediment with fewer new listings than the previous year. That, combined with buyer demand, contributed to homes still selling quickly with many selling for over their listing price.The past several years has seen a crazy real estate market with eye-popping price increases, but it is possible that trajectory is now slowing. Still, expect next year to be another healthy year for San Francisco real estate as buyer demand remains high and interest rates remain low and perhaps, go even lower.BONUS: If you really want an illustration of the long-term health and vitality o... 01/15/2020

San Francisco has a large and diverse housing market. Patrick Carlisle, Compass Chief Market Analyst, does a masterful job of breaking down data in the entire bay area in a way that is easy to understand by both buyers and sellers, and help us Realtors® bring more value than ever to our clients.This data has been available only two day, and already I have used it to show the seller of a listing that will hit the market in two weeks that the intended price is in line, or even slightly on the low side, a comfortable place to be. I have also shared these charts I with a potential buyer, a party looking to buy a 3- or 4-bedroom home (or possibly a condo) in a preferred area of town but doesn't want to "overpay." She can clearly see reality and make adjustments in area or price.Since Distric... 01/08/2020

Today is the first Friday of 2020, the second day of the abbreviated work week. So just how does a San Francisco Realtor® spend this day to kick start a great year? Often the answer is "a little of this, a little of that." Some of my highlights today: The morning started early, with my husband driving me pre-dawn to Glide where I served breakfast to roughly 600 hungry and many homeless neighbors. The morning drive down Mason Street to Ellis was beautiful, as you can see in the first photo. We finished serving and cleaning up by 9:15 today, earlier than usual since there was a large contingent of volunteers from the International High School helping. After my 1.5 mile walk home, it was computer time, answering and sending emails, texts, and telephone calls. At Noon a scheduled telephone ... 01/03/2020

 Happy Holidays! November begins the slower time of the San Francisco real estate market.  Fewer homes come on, particularly on the higher end, and often buyers move their attention toward end of year festivities. We can expect even fewer homes will come on the market in December. Many homes that haven't yet found their buyer will come off the market until after the holidays (which is not to say that they all aren't open to a buyer's interest, so if you see something you might like let me know).Still, the San Francisco market remained solid given the limited inventory, which was even lower than last year. On average homes sold quickly, and many are still seeing multiple offers over asking price. See all of the stats below. Median Sales Price:Single family home median sales price jumped ... 12/18/2019

Teaming up in business with another generation broadens ones perspective. When that team member is my granddaughter, just imagine how much fun we have and the excitement that results from our teamwork!Today's post about what Millennial buyers are looking for  in San Francisco condos comes from Rachael. Read on for a fresh view point.I've always found it interesting in what "does it" for buyers. Everyone has specific wants and needs, and every home has its pros and cons. With the market where it is, and current interest rates, I though I'd take a look.In one of the "case studies" I asked my friend, a male in his mid-late 30s, single, working in financing on Market Street what his top 3 non-negotiables were (aside from his price range, which is obviously a large factor." He responded with... 12/18/2019

The Yin and Yang of Mortgages for Business Owners It is no secret that the self-employed have their share of challenges when it comes to getting a home loan. And why wouldn't they? On one hand, their tax professionals spend hours maximizing their deductions and helping them "write off" every allowable expense and on the other hand, their mortgage loan advisor tells them they have to show more income in order to qualify. But can these seemingly opposite or contrary objectives actually be complementary, interconnected and interdependent and come together to allow a business owner to get a great mortgage?  Is there a yin and yang relationship somewhere in this puzzle? Indeed, there may be a solution for some of these borrowers. On both the purchase and refinance side, we have a jumbo mortg... 12/03/2019

October began with a slight "chill" in the air. Not the temperature, but a feeling like perhaps the real estate market was slipping a bit. September brought it's usual influx of new listings (though not as many as the previous year) and while the market was moving it started to feel that things were stalling a bit. Many properties sold quickly with multiple offers but others were taking a bit longer. And yet, the market continued to chug along. Sellers are selling and buyers are buying. And as the statistics for the month show, the San Francisco real estate market continues to be swift and vibrant. In October median sales prices inched up compared to the same month last year. I say "inched"  because increases were small and not as dramatic as years past, though condos and loft prices di... 12/02/2019