1) Good Price: 737 Cole hit the market about 14 days ago and struck us as being aggressively priced. With ~1/2 of San Francisco’s listings being grossly overpriced (in our humble opinion), it’s refreshing to see a home like this where the seller is realistic. The catch? Offers were due yesterday (Monday the 16th) and we think it’ll go over. The price? $1,895,000 for 4BR/3.5BA/2car parking in a fantastic location.
737 Cole is a well-priced beaut.
2) Good View: Read the rest of this entry ?
Another light week on the Tuesday tour… which is the calm before the post-Labor Day storm. Only four properties made four stars this week and one posted five.
Back yard of the week was a tie between 1871 Green and 946 Elizabeth. We had trouble deciding which one we’d rather be chilling in. 1871 Green is definitely a little more, well, green, and 946 Elizabeth has a fantastic patio with better sun. Both have their strong points and are pictured below.
1871 Green's back yard is something out of a fairy tale.
This photo under-represents the back yard at 946 Elizabeth, but we'll attest, it's gorgeous.
Sun drenched patio at 946 Elizabeth.
For the four and five star ratings of the week, continue reading. Click the bold address for additional info on any given property –>
A couple of listings hit the market during the past few days that got us feeling blue. Here, have a look:
115 Nevada in Bernal Heights
115 Nevada is a cute little 1940′s home located in Bernal Heights. The 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is listed at $799,000. We’re partial to the paint job, which reminds us of the house in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Throw in a few Ionic columns, marble statues, and a fountain, and let the bids roll in!
The actual house from My Big Fat Greek Wedding (note the blue and white Greek paint job-- classic!)
Our next blue home belongs to Read the rest of this entry ?
Pacific Heights and cheap… the two terms really don’t go together. That is, until now. We’ve searched active listings in the neighborhood and are here to tell you about the 5 cheapest condos. And by cheap we mean “least expensive”, not “poor quality”. Pac Heights currently shows 29 condos as “Active” in the MLS.
1909 Green seems like a good one... we'll have to check it out.
Some common themes amongst these five listings? Well, you’re not going to get any more than 1 bedroom, and you’ll be lucky to get parking. If you want to be in a quaint 3 or 4 unit building, that’s not gonna happen either, as most of these are in large buildings.
From a property value perspective, it can be a good thing to buy cheap in an expensive market area. That’s not to say that all of these homes are good investments… we’d stay away from a few of these units (sorry, not going to call them out on a public forum). But overall, the idea is a good one if you know what to look for and what to avoid.
Here are the 5 Cheapest Condos in Pacific Heights, in no particular order: Read the rest of this entry ?
Nob Hill… it’s one of those quintessential San Francisco neighborhoods. No matter where you are in the country, people have heard of it. And they know Nob Hill’s reputation for attracting San Francisco’s elite.
[Cue the Brahms] A classic full-floor condo has just hit the market through the Brachman Group of Sotheby’s International Realty at 1001 California @ Mason. This exquisite French-style residence boasts views of the City, Huntington Park, amazing interior woodwork, and a type of elegance rarely found. Two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and over 3,600 square feet await a new owner who knows how to throw one-heck-of-a cocktail party. Unit #3 at 1001 California is asking $7,250,000.
Photos:
1001 California - Exterior
Unit #3 - Interior
For more interior photos, continue reading –>
Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tour Show-Stoppers! This week was a little light on new listings but we saw a few goodies out there. Let’s start off with the View of the Week winner.
289 Chestnut is a multi-unit TIC building situated on Telegraph Hill. The view from unit #3 was quite spectacular, but it’s the roof deck on the building that wins this week’s award. A small sliver of the view is pictured below, the Golden Gate looking larger than life. The views at 3785-87 16th Street came in a close second.
The roof deck at 289 Chestnut wins view of the week
The Backyard of the Week Award goes to 2221 Baker in Pacific Heights. This grand home has a very peaceful setting out back, including a patio, hot tub, lush lawn, and beautiful landscaping. The sound of a trickling fountain meets your ears as sun shines down on the deck. Second place was 2339 Green, which also has an incredible backyard, but not the number of features of 2221 Baker. If you’re after privacy however, 2339 Green would be the choice.
2221 Baker wins backyard of the week
Now for those 4 and 5 star ratings. Keep in mind, just because we think a home’s got a lot of great attributes doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with the price. Four stars = Excellent and Five stars = Superb. On with the list!
Ready for the Top 5 Listings that have sold this year? We figured it would be a good time. The luxury market, although battered and bruised, has loosened up a little since March. Take the $4 million + price bracket, for example. In the first quarter there were only 5 sales of homes in this range. Since then, there have been 16 sales of $4 million or more city-wide.
Sales on the uber-high end tend to have undisclosed sales prices. That’s why we can’t call this the “Top 5 Sales in 2009″, but rather, the “Top 5 Listings That Have Sold in 2009″. When we search the MLS, the sales price will be the same as the listing price, with an asterisk beside it. It’ll say something like: List Price $5,000,000. Sales Price $5,000,000*.
So what does that mean? Why are people hiding their sales prices in MLS? I’m sure there are a number of reasons, the obvious one being to protect one’s privacy when it comes to wealth. Although the sales prices are undisclosed in the MLS, you can often find them at Property Shark or by going to City Hall and perusing their files. Out of the 21 sales over $4 million this year, 13 of them have “undisclosed sales prices”.
Interestingly (but perhaps not surprisingly), all of the homes on our list are in Pacific Heights or Presidio Heights, and all are single family homes (not condos or co-ops). They are all within a few blocks of one another. Here’s a map:
The top sales in SF are just blocks from one another.
All right, enough with the how-to’s and why’s, lets hammer this thing out. Read the rest of this entry ?
The perennial “July lull” in the local real estate market is just about over as we saw many new listings come out this past week. It’s a shame our Tuesday Tour was abbreviated due to prior engagements, but we still managed to see a number of new offerings in Districts 6, 7 and 8. Here are some of the homes that struck us as “excellent” on tour this week – all receiving 4 out of 5 stars.
There's something about the first part of July that makes agents lazy.
Google Maps has come a long way since its creation. With recently added functionality such as street views, points of interest layers, and real estate search, Google Maps continues to grow in its ubiquity. We stumbled upon THIS article regarding Google Maps’ real estate search features, and thought some of you may be interested in checking it out. We’ve found the real estate listing results to be fairly decent, and the interface addictive.
Try it out HERE. And if you’re bored and want a few giggles, check out StreetViewFun.
Google maps puts a dot everywhere there is a listing
Click a dot for details
To share this article, continue reading –>
A top floor Edwardian condo in Hayes Valley hit the market earlier today at 119 Pierce. The remodeled 3BR/1BA home caught our eye with its dog-friendly location… just a stone’s (or tennis ball’s) throw from Duboce Park. Listed at $1,099,000, the home features a remodeled kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinets, granite countertops, an island, breakfast bar and a wine fridge. Although the condo has just one bathroom, it’s nicely appointed with double marble vanities and an oversized tub. The early 1900′s home is full of charm, with a formal dining room, coved ceilings, and two fireplaces. We’re looking forward to seeing it in person, and may stop off at the park to play fetch with the pups.
Click HERE to see the listing on the MLS.
Remodeled kitchen at 119 Pierce
Duboce Park is a dog-lovers heaven!
For more photos, continue reading –>
We’re sure many of you are already breaking for a long weekend, so the time is ripe for a little field trip up north. Get your parents to sign those permission slips so we can hop on the bus and head out!
Destination? 1 Upper Road in Ross. Mission? To scope out a new $17.5 million listing that three of our colleagues just listed. This amazing estate features a mansion, five auxiliary buildings, a tennis court, swimming pool, pool cabana, redwood grove, spa facility, car barn, meandering nature trails, creek, and suspension bridge… sprawled out on 3 acres of Northern California paradise.
If you’re curious how the other half lives, or just appreciate fine real estate, you might get a kick out the website and photo galleries. Want a tour in person? It’s by private showing only, of course, so call us if it’s just what you’ve been looking for. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
1 Upper Road in Ross
A leafy green paradise
Car barn (cars sold separately)
For more info on this home, continue reading –> Read the rest of this entry ?
Not much excitement was brewing as we planned our stops on this week’s tour. There simply haven’t been many new listings coming out, mainly because the 4th of July holiday is approaching and many agents get the heck out of town for a long weekend.
However, we were glad that we went on the tour today, as one listing in particular made our day. It was 2201 Baker, and all 7,630 square feet of it, that stole the show. The $7.1 million Pacific Heights mansion was purchased in 2007 as a fixer and through an extraordinary effort of architects, celebrity designers, and developers, is ready for its new owner. The home was chosen by Metropolitan Home Magazine as San Francisco’s ultimate Certified Green Home for 2009. The features are exquisite, and for once, a Pacific Heights mansion felt welcoming and flowing… not all chopped up and impersonal. The website is HERE for those interested in a virtual tour (although it pales in comparison to an in-person visit). It was the only 5 star home we saw this week, and we would give it 6 stars if possible. In our opinion, the decor easily trumped the Decorator’s Showcase mansions of the past two years.
2201 Baker wows at every turn
Daring, yet tasteful decor can be found throughout
Because the tour was very light today, we have no “View of the Week” or “Backyard of the Week” awards to hand out. But we do have a few 4 and 5 star homes to highlight. Continue reading to see our list, and if you have no idea what a Tuesday Tour Show-Stopper is, click HERE.
It’s the lucky number 13 edition of Tuesday Tour Show-Stoppers, and what a glorious day it was. Can I just say that we live in the most beautiful city in the US? Seriously… touring amazing residences all around the city on a day like today is a privilege, and one of the many reasons I love my job. The neighborhoods come alive, the homes glow inside and out, and the yards may be experienced in all their glory.
Speaking of yards, there were quite a few doozies out there this week. The sounds of birds chirping, water trickling from fountains, and the scent of flowers seemed to be the theme of the day. Sound cheesy? Maybe so, but I’ll take it. Beats the mound of paperwork and disclosure packages sitting on my desk, that’s for sure. Impressionable yards this week included 200 Locust, 3418 Scott, 3648 22nd, and 3870 25th. But the winner of the “Backyard of the Week Award” goes to… 456 Belvedere in Cole Valley. This home’s yard features a patio and two worn brick walkways that take you through lush gardens that reach towards the back of the lot. You’re likely to see a huge variety of perennials, catch whiffs of sweet blossoms, and spot a few hummingbirds.
May look like chaos from the photo, but is amazing in person (especially on a gorgeous day)
View of the week goes to 366 Liberty, which is of course located on Liberty Hill. This unsuspecting home starts with a humble exterior, but once you set foot inside, prepare to be wowed. It is truly an impressive house and just gets better and better as you make your way around. Step out to one of the huge rear decks and enjoy a view of the entire City skyline, bay, and mountains.
366 Liberty wins view of the week
Time for the 4 star (great) and 5 star (superb) homes of the week. Keep in mind we are not judging prices and these are our opinions only. Click the bold address on any listing for more details, and if you have no idea what a “Tuesday Tour Show-Stopper” is, click HERE.
A newly offered TIC building is being remodeled unit by unit at 735 Geary. Located just two blocks from the Clift Hotel (ok, it’s really the Redwood Room we’re interested in) and five blocks from Union Square, the Tenderloin location is pretty happening.
735 Geary
Having toured the building recently, we were charmed by some of the homes… our fave being #503. The generously sized 1 bedroom homes have been restored to bring their period details back to life and feature new kitchens and baths. A circular bedroom, spacious living room, and secret closet door (you’ll have to see it) round out the floorplans.
Circular bedroom
Step out back and the grounds have lush vegetation, trees, and surprisingly quiet surroundings for being in the heart of the City. An old red brick wall with worn lettering towers above the east side of the garden, reminiscent of the east coast industrial vibe you’d find in a city like Baltimore, Maryland. Very cool.
The homes are priced from $315,000 to $475,000 and can be purchased with as little as 10% down. No deeded parking, but hey, that’s par for the course in this location.
To view more pics, continue reading –>
We were curious what type of representatives a search like this would yield, so we scoured the city for single family homes listed in the $950,000 to $1,000,000 range and generated a list. The search results serve as a sampling of what one million dollars looks like in the form of four walls and a roof– at least here in San Francisco.
Here's what one million dollars looks like by itself.
Things we noticed from this list include:
To view the list, continue reading –>
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