San Francisco ’s Climate Action Plan has ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals: a 20 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2012. To meet these, each person who lives or works in San Francisco will need to cut almost 2 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The city program has set a mid-term goal of 10% by 2010. Rather than dissect the forward of the plan which is now available on line, I wanted to tip my hat some of the organizations and business people who are on the active edge of creating a clean and healthy place to live. 1.Climate Action: The goal is to reduce carbon emission by 20% below the 1990's levels by 2012. This is a catch-all approach that will include low fuel/electric and bio fuel transportation. It will also include a pilot project to create a carbon tax and require all... 02/24/2008

As always, if you would like a detailed list of any particular ‘hood, just ask. All you need is love [Youtube] Bernal Heights: 1:00-4:00pm 340 Prentiss Street: $1,059,000 Cow Hollow: 2:00-4:00pm 2347 Union Street #4: $749,500 Dolores Heights: 1:00-4:00pm 347-49 Liberty Street:$2,950,000 Excelsior: 2:00-4:00pm 271 Moscow Street: $549,000 Forest Knolls: 2:00-4:00pm 270 Castenada: $3,890,000 Glen Park: 2:00-4:00pm 73 Miguel Street: $2,875,000 Haight Ashbury: 2:00-4:00pm 19 Delmar Street: $1,795,000 Ingleside: 1:00-4:00PM 226 Faxon Ave: $898,000 J (in district 4, Forest Hill Extension) 1:00-4:00pm 100 Ulloa Street: $1,259,000 K (in district 10, Bayview Heights): 11:00-6:00pm 301 Crescent Way #3210: $561,000 Lakeshore: 2:00-4:00pm 21 Clearfield Drive: $799,000 Mission Dolores: 2:00-4:00pm 1... 02/22/2008

For homebuyers and homeowners expecting low mortgage rates this week, Tuesday marked the unofficial end to basement 30-year fixed mortgage rates.According to the market analysts at BestInfo, Inc., the 30-year fixed rate measured its largest one-day movement in more than 10 years Tuesday. Nationally, 30-year fixed mortgage rates increased 0.375%.Here is the "real life" impact to mortgage applicants whose mortgage rates were not yet locked:$150,000 mortgage: $37 increase to the monthly mortgage payment $250,000 mortgage: $61 increase to the monthly mortgage payment $300,000 mortgage: $73 increase to the monthly mortgage payment $400,000 mortgage: $99 increase to the monthly mortgage paymentARMs did not move as harshly as fixed-rate mortgages but they still increased Tuesday.Mortgage rates... 02/22/2008

Without much fanfare Kimball Office opened their new San Francisco FiDi showroom with a quiet green splash. Although they haven’t achieved LEED-CI status yet they hope to gain Gold certification soon. The architectural and design team over at Huntsman Architectural Group created a Green space that we noticed as we stepped in. The design team reused stair posts to create the dramatic floor and 100% of the architectural wood elements are FSC certified. We even like the fact that they baked the oak instead of using chemical stain to achieve the deep, rich color. It not often that we’re giddy about stepping into a bathroom but theirs has a gray (recycled) water system that reuses used sink water for the low flow toilet. Their low-flow fixtures reduce their water consumption by a whopping 75... 02/22/2008

  "Little Switzerland" The intersection of Diamond and Bosworth streets is considered the center of the Glen Park Neighborhood.Glen Park located at the southern edge of the hills in the interior of San Francisco, to the south of Diamond Heights and Noe valley, west of Bernal Heights and east of Glen Park. Glen Park also know as Little Switzerland is often described as having a village like atmosphere because of its small size and mom and pop stores, restaurants and saloons.  Its narrow streets are flanked by colorful single-family homes, and great views of the city from its hills.  Property values in the area range between the low $700 thousands to over $2,9 million depending on amenities and views. A new San Francisco Public Library was recently completed on Bosworth Street a few steps... 02/19/2008

 Our weekly installment, Seductively Sold will be available for your viewing pleasure each and every Monday. This little gem will bring you all of the home sales in San Francisco from the previous week. Address District Asking Price Selling Price D.O.M 337 Louisburg St Ingleside 499,900 505,000 19 306 Louisburg St Ingleside 589,000 570,000 50 63 Ledyard St Silver Terrace 649,000 635,000 106 56 Farview Ct Midtown Terrace 679,000 661,500 5 918 Olmstead St Portola 729,000 730,000 21 3525 Ortega St Outer Sunset 699,000 735,000 9 2001 Noriega St Central Sunset 729,000 735,000 28 107 Monticello St Merced Heights 740,000 737,000 135 731 44th Ave Outer Richmond 699,000 755,000 18 248 Elsie St Bernal Heights 695,000 780,000 14 281 Richland Ave Bernal Heights 699,000 785,000 14 1454 38th Ave Oute... 02/18/2008

As always, if you would like a detailed list of any particular ‘hood, just ask. Ashbury Heights: 2:00-5:00pm 857 Ashbury Street: $2,950,000 Bernal Heights: 1:00-4:30pm 17 Precita Ave.:$649,000 Cow Hallow: 2:00-4:00pm 2243 Greenwich Street: $2,200,000 Dolores Heights: 12:00-4:00pm 340 Sanchez Street: $825,000 Excelsior: 2:00-4:00pm 955 Excelsior Ave: $988,800 Forest Knolls: 1:00-4:00pm 370 Castenada Ave.: $1,899,000 Glen Park: 2:00-4:00pm 195 Randall Street: $629,000 Haight Ashbury: 1:00-4:00pm 1907 Page Street $925,000 Ingleside: 2:00-4:00PM 121 Louisburg: $539,000 J (in district 3, Oceanview) 1:00-3:00 258 Minerva Street: $780,000 Kirkwood has good skiing if you aren’t looking at open homes [website] Lone Mountain: 1:00-4:00pm 61 Stanyan Street: $1,149,000 Mission Dolores: 2:00-4:00pm... 02/16/2008

The larger units at The Greenwich are quite nice, boasting all sorts of amenities and views. One thing that made near no sense to me however was the fireplaces at chest level, in the unit pictured above, at chest level adjacent to the door–what is that? Deets: 29 Units (first offers are being accepted tomorrow 2/13/08)Price range: $589,000-$2,295,000HOA dues: $399-$507Too many finishes and amenities to list Contact me for further information The Greenwich [website] Listing by: Shamrock Real Estate Co.Greenwich Fire Door [San Francisco Schtuff]  02/16/2008

What do you get you when you put four experts in a San Francisco energy camp called OpenEco 2008? You get something between a bar brawl and poetry recital. Actually the opening segment for last month's Sun Microsystems sponsored-UCSF based-camp began with Dave Douglas, VP of Eco Responsibility at Sun Microsystems leading a spirited discussion panel of L. Hunter Lovins (tough to miss in her black cowboy hat), president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions; Ted Nordhaus, Chairman of the Breakthrough Institute; Michael Shellenberger, President of the Breakthrough Institute; and Adam Werbach, Founder and CEO of Act Now. Even when you get a panel of so-called experts there tends to be disagreements. In fact, when asked about all the controversy among what to do about the energy crisis... 02/15/2008

(Originally posted on my blog, San Francisco Real Estate)Many new developments are currently offering incentives:Mission Valencia has lowered prices, and is offering up to 6 months prepaid mortgage as well as 2 years of paid HOA The Arterra is offering 4.125% financing to qualified buyers who purchase units starting at $700,000 and upThe Hayes is offering 4 months prepaid mortgage plus a 1 point buydown on interest ratesEsprit Park has lowered prices, with 1 bedrooms starting at just $595,000, and are now accepting 100% refundable deposits ($3000) on reservationsThe Portrero is offering up to 6 months prepaid mortgage as well as 2 years of paid HOA on 1 bedroom units For more information on these developments or any other San Francisco developments, please contact me.Amy Blakeley, REALT... 02/14/2008

Our first local blog. We will be focusing on all things real estate in San Francisco.... Proposition A: A bond measure authorizing the city to borrow $185 million for construction, rebuilding and improvements to park and recreation facilities, was approved by nearly 72 percent of voters.The bond funds will be divided into $117.4 million for 12 neighborhood parks and $33.5 million for potential projects at nine waterfront parks. The remainder will be allocated for park restrooms, athletic fields, nature trails, forestry and other park and recreation projects.Fiscal Impact: Proponents argued the money is needed to repair or replace deteriorating facilities, and to make safety and aesthetic improvements and earthquake retrofits, and that there would be no increase in property taxes to repa... 02/13/2008

 Bernal Heights The Mexican government in 1839 gave a land grant of the area now known as Bernal Heights to Don Jose Cornelio de Bernal. The don grazed cattle on what he called Rancho Rincon de las Salinas y Potrero Viego. The area known at the time as Bernal Hill has a colorful history. A French merchant acquired the land in 1860 subdivided the area into smaller lots that was first populated primarily by Irish immigrants who farmed the land and ran dairy ranches. There was even a gold rush on the hill. In 1876 con artists started a ‘gold rush' by planting gold on Bernal Hill.Built high atop a hill with solid bedrock foundation, Bernal Hill survived the great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Because of the sparse development in the area, it was saved from the firestorm that ravis... 02/12/2008

StreetAdvisor in Nob Hill San Francisco StreetAdvisor has set up a channel in Youtube to deliver a series of interviews we filmed live on the streets. The channel is at http://www.youtube.com/StreetAdvisor. Below is our first video, featuring interviews of locals on the streets in Nob Hill, San Francisco. If you live there, log into StreetAdvisor.com and write a review, or watch our video in Youtube then make a video response and tell us whether you agree with the people we spoke to. Streets of the world We've also set up a group in Youtube that everyone can join. It's called Streets of the world - http://youtube.com/group/streetvideos. You can add street videos you've made or add your favorite street videos made by other people to the group. 02/11/2008

About a month ago we shared the fairy tale of Ms. Mullen. We now have word that the lonely, yet contemporary and sexy vixen may have finally found love. The relationship is early (active contingent), but perhaps the passion will get hotter. We’ll keep you posted with any further updates, love triangles and of course, the final price. Ms. Mullen [San Francisco Schtuff] 306 Mullen Ave. [Home San Francisco] Listing and images provided courtesy of the MLS and Vanguard Properties Agent: Amanda Jones and Misha BreyburgHas Ms. Mullen Found Love?[San Francisco Schtuff]  02/11/2008

Our new weekly installment, Seductively Sold will be available for your viewing pleasure each and every Monday. This little gem will bring you all of the home sales in San Francisco from the previous week. Single Family Home sales 2/3/08-2/10/08 Address District Asking Price Selling Price D.O.M. 141 Terrace Dr St. Francis Wood $2,180,000 2,360,000 14 124 San Aleso Ave Balboa Terrace $1,950,000 $2,100,000 2 246 28th Ave Sea Cliff $1,825,000 1,790,000 91 287 Brentwood Ave Monterey Heights $1,475,000 $1,475,000 42 615 16th Ave Central Richmond $1,150,000 1,166,000 50 530 Rockdale Dr Miraloma Park $839,000 845,050 19 1447 24th Ave Central Sunset $750,000 805,000 13 542 Hearst Ave Sunnyside $690,000 $690,000 98 590 Lisbon Excelsior $689,000 $690,000 131 447 Elmira St Silver Terrace $474,000... 02/11/2008

I am currently attending our annual Keller Williams Convention. It is my first trip to Atlanta, Georgia. It seems like a fun city, but I am so busy attending classes, it's hard to ascertain.The good news is that most everyone who speaks is positive about the real estate market. Believe it or not, 2007 was the 5th best year in real estate history--not bad! Yes, we may have some time to go until the overall economy improves, but not all of the country is bad. Real estate is a very regional--in fact in San Francisco, a neighborhood--market. According to what I heard today, prices in SF (I forget if it was median or average) went up 9% last year. This is not the whopping double digits we experienced a few yeas ago, but a nice normal amount.So are prices going up everywhere? NO. Are we lucky... 02/10/2008

It was a fitting day to have a Grand Opening. In this case, it was of the newest Brandy Ho's Restaurant location on 18th Street in San Francisco. The date occurred on the second day of the new lunar year - 02/08/08. To me, it even sounds like a lucky date!  Sorry, just a copy of the invitation is presented above.As the guests of Ted Pratt, of MTP Architects and designer of the restaurant, my wife and I were treated to a fantastic buffet dinner. Tables were filled with a wide variety of Chinese dishes with an emphasis in Hunan-style cuisine. We started with a very tasty noodle dish, served cold with peanut sauce and ended with a tasty chow mein, served hot. In between, there were ample opportunities to sample various menu items. We were impressed with all the dishes we ate including thei... 02/09/2008

With the new stimulus package being nearly passed by the President, now is the time to start thinking about refinancing out of those higher interest option arm rates or purchasing a new home. We all know how California has suffered through this housing slump, mainly because of our higher median home prices. The majority of Californians could not even think about refinancing their homes due to the fact that our homes are still to far above the conforming loan limit of $417,000. While we sat and watched many parts of the country such as the Midwest and Southern portions of the US refinance into lower conforming rates, we were basically held hostage by the secondary markets where loans are bought and sold. Since the credit crisis became news, the secondary market has virtually closed down ... 02/09/2008

As always, if you would like a detailed list of any particular ‘hood, just ask. Ashbury Heights: 2:00-4:00pm 1051 Ashbury Street: $1,675,000 Bernal Heights: 2:00-4:00pm 763 Andover Street: $699,000 Corona Heights: 2:00-4:00pm 7388 16th Street: $975,000 Dolores Heights: 1:00-4:00pm 4654 18th Street: $1,835,000 Excelsior: 2:00-4:00pm 325 Peru Ave: $519,000 Financial District: 2:00-4:00pm 690 Market Street #1502: $$1,729,000 Glen Park: 2:00-4:00pm 112 Chenery Street: $1,050,000 Haight Ashbury: 1:00-4:00pm 253 Carl Street: $1,098,000 Ingleside: 1:30-4:00PM 221 Faxon Ave.: $989,000 Just another post from our “top producer” Kool Mo Dee [wikipedia] Laurel Heights: 2:00-4:00pm 123 Parker Ave: $1,800,000 Mission Dolores: 2:00-4:30pm 256 Guerrero Street: $799,000 Noe Valley: 2:00-4:00pm 557 Dunc... 02/08/2008

At times I feel torn between playing cupid (helping you find a home to fall in love with) and your accountant (finding a home that you can afford). Buying a home is both a matter of the heart and the pocket book. One does not outweigh the other. As your realtor, I'll help you find a happy balance between the two.First, you will benefit from the wealth of experience I bring successfully negotiating and closing deals in the San Francisco area real estate market. I'll help you find the home and the neighborhood that will meet your emotional and financial needs for today and tomorrow.Nest, I'll do everything I can to take the stress out of your home buying experience. There are hundreds of details that go into each reach estate transaction, let me handle those for you. And let me help you f... 02/07/2008