San Francisco has a new major improvement which is setting The City abuzz. The San Francisco Transit Center opened mid-August 2018 to great fanfare after 12 years of planning and many years of construction. You can read a good overview and see pictures of this glorious structure here.When the architects say this is to be a community resource, a destination for the thousands of people who work and live in the highrises as well as visitors and others, they weren't kidding. Topping the 4 levels is a 5.4 acre park, adding much-needed green space to this densely populated area south of Market Street.On a recent afternoon friends and I toured the building and the roof-top park and found it to be everything it was meant to be. Pop-up cafes, carts with games, books and activities for youngsters... 08/18/2018

As any local hiker, mountain biker, or lover of nature knows, Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, just a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a beacon and destination in any type of weather.Home to the world-famous Muir Woods, much of the mountain is deeply forested, with Coastal redwood trees soaring overhead creating deep shade where ferns thrive on the banks and streams burble down the ravines.However, cross over a ridge and you'll find sunnier, more arid trails to explore and be rewarded with vistas of rolling hills and the shimmering Pacific Ocean in the distance. One such trail is pictured above, the Simmons Trail to Barth's Retreat. Another is below, the Old Mines Trail looking toward San Francisco, the Bay and points beyond.Just like the contrasts on Mt. Tamalpais, housing... 08/14/2018

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"I hadn't heard this until last week, but apparently it is a saying often used as an example of a "garden path sentence"  as an example of a double entendre.Whatever the origin, I chuckled, and thought of this large arrow sculpture named Cupid's Span which adorns the Embarcadero in San Francisco. After attending a program at the new Transit Center, we decided to walk home via the beautiful waterfront and enjoy the sculpture as well as Embarcadero itself.Yesterday was a delightful day in The City, sunny mild temperatures, a relief from the soaring heat inland. People were out in droves, enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon, basking in the sun.When you live in San Francisco, it's easy to enjoy the whims of the day.  08/05/2018

 We are officially in what we call the Summer Doldrums. Whereas in other parts of the country, summer is one of the busiest months for real estate here in San Francisco it is among the lightest, with only the holiday season being slower. Perhaps it's the fog and chillier weather that compels people to get out of the city in search of summer heat. Whatever the reason, keep this in mind while reading some of the below statistics.  Median Sales Price:Median prices for single family homes remained relatively flat in June, though they rose 11% compared to the same month last year. Condos and lofts also languished at $1,187,500, down from May's median sales price but up almost 8% compared to June 2017.New Listings:June saw the lowest number of new listings of single family homes since Februar... 07/31/2018

Go Solar SF, Go Solar CA,Zero Net Energy Homes CA  Go Solar SF,  Solar Panels are The Law, Zero Net Energy Homes CA, Go Solar CA. GoSolarSF, San Francisco's Solar Incentive program, and GoSolarCA, California programs for renewable energy will make you money and make your home and neighborhood a healthier place to live. Go Solar CA, You will find California Solar Programs and local incentives, including San Francisco Solar Incentives and credits in our videos.Solar Energy The New law for New HomesGoSolarSF GoSolarCA The new California Law mandates Solar Panels for all new homes starting 1/1/2020. The state efforts to encourage renewable energy and protecting environment, not only has an economic benefit to homeowners, it also will help the state's economy and environment. Solar Energy is... 07/29/2018

My favorite days are when I get to hand my clients the keys to their new home!  After a long search for just the right house to fit their expanding family, my happy clients are now proud first-time homeowners! We were up against 8 other buyers, and were not even the highest-priced offer, but we persevered!! While not always easy to do in this market, a well-prepared and qualified buyer combined with a strong offer and offer presentation can make a big difference. They say good things come to those who wait, and in this case it's certainly true. I first met this lovely couple about 5 years ago when they were dating and thinking of buying a BMR (Below Market Rate) condo to get in on the homeowner action. After a few months of looking, they decided to wait until they could afford the home ... 07/25/2018

Go Solar SF,  Zero Net Energy Homes CA, Go Solar CA  GoSolarSF is San Francisco's solar incentives and credits, Go Solar SFGoSolarCA is California's solar incentives and credits for solar panel installations in CA, Go Solar CAZero Net Energy Homes are homes that generate their own energy by renewable energy methods such as solar panel installations San Francisco's Solar Incentives & Rebates  GoSolarSF is San Francisco's Solar incentive and rebate program designed to promote renewable energy in San Francisco. GoSolarSF or Go Solar SF offers numerous cash credits for solar panel installation including a low-income credit.  GoSolarSF, Go Solar SF plus The Federal Tax Credit could pay for an entire Solar Panel Installation in a San Francisco Home making it a Zero Net Energy Home. The State ... 07/25/2018

Can You Use Foreign Currency to Get a Mortgage?  Is your down payment coming from abroad?  Do you have a foreign bank account that you’re showing on your mortgage application?  Are you obtaining a gift from a family member in another country?  These are all questions that might come up when we’re working with our clients who may be employed by a foreign company or who may be permanent residents (green card holders) or non-permanent resident aliens of the United States. The question really becomes, “Can I use a foreign currency to qualify for a mortgage?” We’ll look at some of the key points to navigating these international waters and assuring safe passage to home ownership here in the US. Document Everything Just like with domestic bank accounts, we're going to ask you for at least two... 07/05/2018

Six-figure salary now considered ‘low-income’ in SF, according to feds    Source: Curbed The Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] released new income estimates Monday that presented a depressingly unsurprising perspective on the cost of living in San Francisco, as many SF households bringing in more than $100,000 annually now qualify as “low income” with the federal government.MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY- HUD’s annually assessed “income limits” judge how much a person or household can make per year and still qualify for certain types of federal housing assistance, deeming residents either “low income” (80 percent of the area-median income), “very low income” (50 percent), or “extremely low income” (usually less than 50 percent, although the formula for this one varies).- “The... 06/28/2018

 After significant jumps in median sales price earlier this year, particularly for single family homes, the market has mostly remained flat for the 2nd quarter. New and active listings continue to be down double-digits compared to the same month last year as our anemic inventory situation continues. On the other hand, months supply of inventory was at its lowest point since January, particularly for single family homes. The percentage of homes selling for over asking price also jumped. For single family homes it was the highest since September of last year; for condos and lofts since May 2016. See the latest stats, as well as which districts have the lowest cost per square foot in the city below. Median Sales Price: The median sales price for a single family home dropped slightly compar... 06/27/2018

            Median Sales Price Avg. Days on Market # Homes Sold % List Price Received $1,620,000 18 172 115.8% San Francisco real estate has been appreciating steadily for at least six years, but the more subtle trends within that larger pattern are not always predictable.What is Predictable?As median sales price (MSP) has soared for both single-family homes and condos, active inventory has trended down. In other words, as supply went down the price went up. Graphing price and inventory together, it is easy to see this inverse relationship.Since 2012, single-family homes have appreciated over 108% (dramatic to say the least). Most of that appreciation took place between 2012 and 2015. Since then, the appreciation has been steady at a little over 5% a year. This year, a lot of that 5% oc... 06/26/2018

  I've been spending a lot of time in Pacifica lately with clients who had been looking for, and have now just closed, on a new home there. Everytime I go, I am reminded about how much I love it: the water, the mountains, the community. Driving down Highway 1 as the Pacific Ocean appears suddenly around a curve still makes me tingle.All of this time there also reminded me of one of my all-time favorite hikes, the Montara Mountain Trail in Linda Mar. The gorgeous weather last weekend inspired me to dust off my hiking shoes and hit the trail again. While I'm told there are other points of entry to get to the trail, I park at the San Pedro Valley Park entrance off of Oddstad Blvd. There's plenty of parking, a restroom, picnic tables, and barbeques that are great for a pre- or post-hike coo... 06/11/2018

 GoSolarSF incentives for Home Solar Systems in California Go Solar SF is San Francisco's Solar Incentives and creditsGo Solar CA is state of California incentives for homes and business to install Solar panels GoSolarSF or Go Solar SF are incentives designed to encourage solar systems for San Francisco homeowners. San Francisco's Solar incentives plus Federal tax credits could pay for most or all cost of a solar system. The GoSolarSF incentives are credits and how to apply for Solar Incentives in San Francisco are explained in the video and link below:City of San Francisco's Solar Incentives & Rebates How to apply for San Francisco's Cash Solar Incentives Why Go Solar?For some, it is purely economics, currently, with solar systems being in affordable range, coupled with all government ... 06/08/2018

Each week either I or my Client Care Concierge tour some of condominiums that have recently come on the market in San Francisco, concentrating on the Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, and Van Ness corridor areas of the City. Here is a rundown of a few of the ones I visited this week. Notice how close together these are geographically, yet how diverse in size, price, styles and amenities.1 Daniel Burnham Court -- located between Van Ness and Franklin Streets, consists of two residential high-rise towers built in 1987 and features amenities such as a pool, spa, fitness center, roof top deck, 24/7 security, and parking. Great location, a short distance from the opera and symphony halls, the civic center, restaurants, shops and bus lines. The view in the top picture was taken from one of the t... 06/08/2018

Last month I wrote about three Pacific Heights condos I toured one Tuesday. All 3 caught my eye for various reasons. Three very different sizes, price points and appeal, but all would provide good living.Here's an update on the status of each. 1854 Vallejo - listed at $2,349,000; sold and closed escrow at $2,350,000 - they got their price. 1963-A Clay - Studio apartment listed at $549,000; sold and closed escrow at $702,500. (This type of overbid at this price level is common) 1818 Broadway - Listed by Faira for only $798,000 - it was withdrawn from the market after 50 days. Something is not obvious here - $798,000 is extremely low for the size and location. I might do more sleuthing. Looking for your spot to call home in San Francisco? Large or small, new or old, we can find them. 05/27/2018

Last month I wrote about a small condo on Russian Hill that I fell in love with, and talked a bit about some of the things that make living on Russian Hill so very special. Here's that post.I've been tracking 1147 Filbert Street, just off the cable car route on Hyde Street. This Junior one-bedroom was listed at $649,000 and sold for $746,000.Someone has a great spot to live in San Francisco!  05/26/2018

 After months of hearing that interest rates were expected to rise, we are now seeing that come to fruition. Last week the 30-year fixed rate hit the highest it has been in 7 years. Rates have since fluctuated a bit (for example, on the morning of this writing they went down). Still, overall, most are expecting rates to continue to rise. This doesn't seem to have affected buyer activity thus far, but a 1/2 or full point on a mortgage can make a big difference, so that may change if rates continue to climb. Here are the numbers for April: Median Sales Price: The median price for a single family home eased a bit in April, dropping to $1,650,000 (vs. $1,695,000 in March and $1,700,000 in February). Still it was an almost 20% increase over the median price of a single family home in April 2... 05/24/2018

The Psychology of Uncertainty: SF Market UpdateThe Price CeilingThe median sales price (MSP) for single family homes hit its highest point in February, at $1,700,000. It then slipped down to $1,650,000 in April. Condos followed a similar trajectory, with their MSP peaking at $1,268,000 in March and then dropping a little to $1,242,500 in April.In the ultra-high-end market, the ceiling is around $7,000,000. After that the number of sales drop off precipitously. For buyers in this price range, the good news is that there is not a lot of competition. There is, however, a supply problem in this market since there are very few homes to choose from.So, what’s with the MSP surge?The steep climb between December and February cannot be attributed to one single cause. Certainly, the number of new... 05/23/2018

 "California may soon become the first state in the nation to require that virtually every new home be equipped with solar panels." (source: San Francisco Chronicle)While the cost of construction in California is one of the highest in the nation, (not to mention the impact fees and City processing and application fees that are built into the whole process), this is in many respects a step in the right direction.  Industry and supporters say "the solar mandate could add $10,538 to the cost of building a house, by the agency’s own estimate"  The 'agency' in this case is the California Energy Commission.  In areas where the mediam price of a home is over $1m, the "impact" may be considered rather negligible.  Even still, it's another cost on top of an already expensive market.Read the full... 05/10/2018

The redwood trees at the side of our condo complex are getting large enough to attract song birds as well as hummingbirds. Today this robin perched near the top of the tree or a long while before flying off to new adventures.The view outside my 7th-floor office window makes me smile!Urban living - always changing, always interesting.  04/27/2018