It's Active Rain's autumn Meet-Up season, and San Francisco is the place for the greater Bay Area and northern California Meet-Up.Date: Thursday, September 14Time: 1:00 PM -- no host lunch -- work in the AM, relax in the PMPlace: Gott's Roadside Cafe at The Ferry Building Why you want to come: September in San Francisco is awesome (chilly "Fogust" is over) - it's likely we'll be eating outdoors along the beautiful Embarcadero The historic Ferry Building is a treasure of upscale little shops and kiosks--get a jump start on your holiday gift buying -- arrive early and explore; stay later and do some shopping You can leave the car at home! Forget the traffic jams! Take the ferry from the north and east bay direct to the Ferry Building; take BART to the Embarcadero Station; take CalTrain fr... 08/19/2017

8 years ago my husband and I bought our future home, a condo in San Francisco, right in the heart of everything, where we could go almost everywhere we wanted on a daily basis by foot, or by public transit if need be. The only drawback: no space in which to have a tiny garden.8 years ago I put my name on the waiting list for a garden plot at Fort Mason Community Garden, a nice 20-minute walk from our condo.6 years ago we moved into our condo, and our new lifestyle. 6 months ago--after a 7-1/2 year wait--my name made it to the top of the list, and I had my plot of ground, to plant as I saw fit!I have many gorgeous examples of what people have planted in their 5' x 20' plots. (Like the dahlias shown above, San Francisco's city flower I'm told, or the roses, below.) Many of my initial thou... 08/16/2017

Where's the Inventory??It's great to be home after a nice vacation in hot, humid New York. I'm not sure I've ever missed our cool, foggy summer so much!We're now deep into the summer selling months, which in San Francisco is typically light on inventory, and this year is certainly not deviating from that history. This year seems even more anemic than years past and in fact, looking back through the past 10 years I couldn't find another July with less new inventory or even overall active inventory on the market.    So where are all of the sellers?? One reason there are fewer sellers is that homeowners are staying in their homes longer. According to a recent KCM blog article I was reading, up until 2008 the average homeowner stayed in their home on average 6 years before selling. After th... 08/16/2017

Is it OK for Big Kids (aka adults) to take time to play? When you live in San Francisco the answer is a resounding YES!Thursday evenings are adult night at the Exploratorium, one of the premier hands-on science museums in the country, in operation since 1969. Regular sessions close at 5:00 PM. At 6:00 PM the doors re-open for guests ages 18 and older. The atmosphere is fun; bars are set up (and well-patronized I must say) and the crowd is happy and chatty. San Francisco is full of young adults, and the average age seems to be the under 35 crowd. However, we "mature" folk have a great time too, and the social interaction (many of the exhibits foster team work) with others of different ages, different backgrounds, and different interests is a lot of fun.Last night my husband and I walked ... 08/11/2017

The Real Estate Trifecta and Where to Find the Homes in SF with the Highest and Lowest Cost per Square Foot. Median Sales Price:Low inventory, low interest rates and low unemployment rates. This by-now-well-known trifecta kept median prices lofty again in June, albeit dipping slightly from May. Single family home prices were up double digits compared to June 2016, and condos/ lofts saw only a small decrease.  Month's Supply of Inventory:MSI was also down to January levels with only 1.7 months worth of inventory for single family homes, and only 2.1 months for condos/ lofts. Inventory continues to be very tight. Less than 200 single family homes came on the market in June, down 16% from a year ago; only 215 condos, down a whopping 41% compared to June 2016 came onto market. (Note: typica... 08/06/2017

The San Francisco Market seems in transition right now. We see this transitional nature when we examine the median sales price (MSP) over the last five years as compared to a “snapshot” of the MSP over the past two years. Between 2012 and 2017, appreciation is high; condos have appreciated 58.83% and single-family homes have appreciated 88.31%. The “snapshot” MSP, however, tells a different tale. From the second quarter of 2015 to the same time in 2017, condo prices only increased 2.22%; single-family homes, on the other hand, scored a healthy 10.26% increase. While single-family homes continue to appreciate immensely, condo appreciation has slowed in the last two years.EXPERT FUN FACT: The “snapshot” of single-family home appreciation gained most of that impressive 10.26% in the second... 07/28/2017

Some people might say summer in San Francisco means fog and chilly winds, but to others summer in San Francisco means FREE Sunday afternoon concerts in Stern Grove.2017 marks the 80th year when residents and visitors alike enjoy a wide variety of music in the majestic natural amphitheater surrounded by huge eucalyptus, redwood and fir trees. Located in the western side of the City, Stern Grove at the corner of Sloat Boulevard and 19th Avenue, near the West Portal and Sunset neighborhoods, not far from the San Francisco Zoo.In 2017, concerts started in June and run through August 27. Next up: Sunday July 23, 2:00 PM - Los Angeles Azules, a Mexican group playing a fusion of 1950s/60s electronic music. They will be joined by Ballet Folklorio de San Francisco, a dance troupe dedicated to ke... 07/19/2017

A favorite activity of ours when the evening daylight is long is to walk for a couple of hours in various neighborhoods in San Francisco. One such evening walk took us up Billy Goat Hill and along neighborhood streets before we headed back down to Noe Valley and dinner.I was quite charmed by this little house and gnarly tree -- don't you want to make up some amazing stories set here?Both of my parents were good story tellers, and I expect they would have come up with some lovely adventure tales set here. 07/19/2017

Four Ways to Buy a New Home Before Selling Your Current One We here in the San Francisco Bay Area --- and from what I'm gathering, in many other areas of the country as well --- have dealt firsthand with the virtual impossibility of the "contingent offer."  That is, when a buyer must sell his current home first in order to close on the new one, and when the purchase offer on the new home is specifically written to alert the seller that the two transactions are interdependent, it is said to be "contingent."  Another, less subtle, way to describe contingent offers might be, "dead on arrival."  This is because the seller knows that if the buyer of the new home cannot sell his existing home (in time or at all), the new deal would likely be off because our buyer would either not have the dow... 07/19/2017

Yesterday I shared highlights of the first few days of having a Golden Retriever as our house guest in our small San Francisco condo.Here is what Tanner has been up to the last 3 days:Friday: We took advantage of a brief late-afternoon client appointment in Portola Valley, giving Tanner a nice hour-long car ride, followed by a hike at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve. He enjoyed the trail hiking, and especially loved romping freely in the off-leash area near the top of the hill.Saturday: Play day! All 3 of us enjoyed the lesser-traveled trails in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, where Tanner could run off leash. The second-favorite part of Tanner's adventure was enjoying our picnic lunch with us.Sunday: This was our day to spend with friends at Flower Piano so Tanner waited until early... 07/17/2017

While Rachael is on vacation, we have a house guest, our grand-dog, Tanner. This is an interesting experience for us since we both work full time and don't have any pets of our own. Tanner certainly fills our small condo and is creating new routines for us.Tanner joined our household Sunday evening. Here's how things have gone the first part of the week:Monday: an early evening walk to Ft. Mason to spend a bit of time at my community garden plot. Tanner slept well after the 3-mile round trip jaunt.Tuesday: a busy work day for both of us, so adventures limited to quick walks during the day, with time in the evening for a visit to nearby Lafayette Park.Wednesday: a nice City walk mid-day, with time to romp and roll around on the grass at Alta Plaza, high atop Pacific Heights.Thursday: ano... 07/16/2017

Russian Hill Bookstore, a family-owned store in business since 1974 and one of San Francisco's legacy businesses, has recently moved two blocks south on Polk Street to a larger location. In an era where independent bookstores are struggling, it's great to see Russian Hill Bookstore flourishing and growing. Since they are open 10:00 - 10:00 every day, it's easy to stop by while shopping, or for sine after-dinner browsing. Here you'll find a wide array of both new and used books, a section for toys and games, a wide variety of cards, and many San Francisco-themed items perfect for gifts.You're invited to come to their grand opening party to help celebrate their new location at 2162 Polk Street.When: Sunday July 16, 2017 - 5:00 PMWhere: 2162 Polk Street, San Francisco (between Vallejo and ... 07/12/2017

Flower Piano is back for it's third yearThis joyful event, a collaboration between Sunset Pianos and the San Francisco Botanical Garden, celebrates music, nature and creativity and is FREE to San Francisco residents, with a nominal $8.00 charge for entrance to the Botanical Garden for other visitors.Dates in 2017 are July 13 - 24. For a full schedule of planned concerts and more information, click on Flower Piano and scroll toward the bottom.Wander through the beautiful gardens of the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park and discover where 12 pianos have been tucked into picturesque spots in beautiful garden settings. Strands of music in the air will lead you to one piano after another. Stroll from spot to spot, enjoying the music, and create your own. The pianos are there... 07/11/2017

It's that time of year again, time for the annual  AIDSWalk San Francisco. The San Francisco AIDSWalk has raised more than $88 million for HIV programs and services in the Bay Area. Proceeds from this year's event will help support Project Open Hand, the Positive Resource Center, and the Golden Compass Program at Ward 86One of my real estate friends and colleagues, Eric Castongia, has been participating in this event since its inception in 1987, and is doing so again this year. Talk about commitment!Please help if you can. It's easy to do, raises needed funds to support those in need, and signals support of one of our real estate family.The simplest way to donate is online at: https://sf.aidswalk.net/EricCastongiaAnother option: send a check made payable to AIDSWalk SF. Mail to Eric Cas... 07/10/2017

Today is Independence Day in the United States, July 4th. As we enjoy parades, picnics with family and friends, firework displays, we'll be making choices, consciously or not. Today I choose to follow Nelson Mandela's suggestion, "let your choices reflect your hopes not your fears." The cover picture was taken one end-of-the-day hike along San Francisco's Coastal Trail where my daughter, Susan, seems to have caught the setting sun in her hands. When I look at this picture, I feel calm and grounded, and very hopeful.Wishing you all a safe and happy Independence Day.  07/04/2017

In addition to fireworks in the evening, and various towns up and down the Peninsula hosting pancake breakfasts, fun runs, and parades of various kinds, here's a great and FREE activity to enjoy in San Francisco...The Golden Gate Park Band will once again be playing patriotic and American music in celebration of Independence Day. Date: Tuesday, July 4, 2017 Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30/2:45 PMWhere: Music Concourse band shell, Golden Gate Park (between Academy of Sciences and the deYoung MuseumBring a picnic or patronize a nearby vendor, and relax and enjoy. This video clip was taken at their special Labor Day performance in 2016.Wishing you a safe and happy Independence Day 2017!  07/03/2017

San Francisco » June 2017 The Real Estate Update         While 2017 started slowly, San Francisco has shown us, once again, that Real Estate here is unlike Real Estate anywhere else. March and May have seen a healthy rebound from the year’s slow start. For both condos and single-family homes, the number of listings is at a three year low for May, which has increased median selling prices. In fact, in May, single-family homes hit a new high with a median price of $1,501,675; Condos also reached a new peak of $1,200,000. For the first time in the last three years, the number of pending sales exceeds that of new listings. 2017 is shaping up to be the year of high demand and low supply.In order to produce reliable sales statistics, we need to examine the San Francisco market as two distinc... 06/22/2017

BOING!!  Just when you thought it couldn't go any higher...After a rather slow-moving first quarter, in May the median price for a single family home in San Francisco jumped to over $1,500,000, more than $100,000 over April and up 11% over the median price in May 2016. Further, condo and loft prices popped up to $1.2 million, also $100,000 more than the previous month. Now it can't be overstated enough that a month of data does not make a trend. It's much more valuable, and statistically sound, to view data over a longer period of time in order to get an understanding of where the market may be heading. Still, many of us were surprised that after what looked like a settling down of the market, buyers seemed to rally yet again. It will be interesting to see what the next month or two bri... 06/14/2017

  Closer to Home  recent sales citywide/ 2nd Quarter 2017     10 Miller PlaceSan Francisco $899,000 1BR / 1BA Sold at $920,000   1702 Vallejo StreetSan Francisco $2,250,000 3BR / 2BA Sold at $2,250,000   255 Berry StreetSan Francisco $1,475,000 2BR / 2BA Sold at $1,475,000       246 Missouri StreetSan Francisco $995,000 2BR / 2BA Sold at $1,100,000   374 Guerrero StreetSan Francisco $1,049,000 2BR / 2BA Sold at $1,115,000   260 King StreetSan Francisco $670,000 1BR / 1BA Sold at $680,000         Newest Listings »          Search by City, neighborhhod, address, MLS #...All Bay Area Recent Sales »     04/25/2017

What does one do when the power goes out in San Francisco? Fortunately, today's massive outage (about 90,000 people without power at the peak of the outage) occurred on a beautiful, warm spring day. It was a day perfect for leaving the dark computer and heading out for a City walk.Extra care had to be used crossing roads, like busy Van Ness Avenue and Columbus Street, but fortunately all drivers on the road at the time were being careful and observant.My walk today took me across nearby Russian Hill, through Chinatown, into North Beach and up Telegraph Hill. My destination: tiny Jack Early Park where I ate a picnic, oohed and aahed at the view as I always do, and read my book for a while.Leaving the park, I headed down toward Fisherman's Wharf, and along Bay Street to Fort Mason to wate... 04/21/2017