"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

It was a picture-perfect day a few years ago when I took a seaplane ride and we circled Pacific Heights, with Lafayette Park in the foreground.Pacific Heights is a highly desired part of town, with a wide variety of housing styles, from mega-million mansions, to charming Victorian single family houses, condominiums and apartments.Today I took a look at 3 very different condos in terms of size and price, but all located in Pacific Heights within a few blocks of each other. From each, one can walk to 3 different shopping districts (Polk Street, Union Street, and Fillmore Street), the CPMC hospital and medical offices, the historic Haas-Lilienthal house, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and a wealth of other destinations. And of course, beautiful Lafayette Park beckons one with its bay views, dog... 04/24/2018

SAN FRANCISCO'S Market pace...Over the last four years, 85% of new listings of single-family homes have sold. This means that, if you put your single-family home on the market, you have an 85% chance of selling it (not to mention the 76% chance that its selling price will be over the asking price). Condos are not far behind at 82% of new listings sold. You would also sell that home faster than at any time in the last four years. For single-family homes, the number of days on market has stayed steady at fourteen for the last four months. WHERE ARE WE NOW?With the population of San Francisco increasing by about 1.4% a year, it can be hard to keep track of this fast paced market.HERE ARE THE FACTS:* Since the first quarter of 2005, single-family homes have appreciated 98.77%. Condominiums ... 04/24/2018

The courtyard at the Rockwell in lower Pacific Heights, San Francisco is an oasis of tranquility. Located a mere half block off the transit-rich Van Ness corridor, the Rockwell offers wonderful shared spaces for owners to enjoy. Spaces such as a large, elegant lobby when one can relax and meet guests.A courtyard with seating areas tucked away for privacy, or spaces to enjoy with friends while barbecuing or sipping a beverage by the elegant gas fire place There's a sky deck with grand views of the city and lots of sunshine as well as another gas fire for when the sun goes down.Off the sky deck is the sky lounge, ideal for reading, working on the computer, visiting. This lounge has a kitchen at one end for simple entertaining.If these spaces aren't enough, there's also a spacious owner's ... 04/21/2018

As the first quarter of 2018 ends, the San Francisco real estate market continues to be red hot. As you may have already seen, the median sales price for a single family home jumped to $1.6 million for the quarter. Interest rates are beginning to rise, so perhaps buyers are trying to "lock in" before they go up anymore.Here are the numbers for March, 2018. Median Sales Price: Not surprisingly, median sales price for single family homes remained lofty in March at almost $1,698,000, up over 25% compared to last year. Condos also jumped almost 12% compared to last year. What's mostly kept the condo market somewhat in check is the new construction that's been coming to market over the past few years. Those sales are not typically reported in the MSL and thus are not included in these stats.... 04/20/2018

San Francisco City Chorus Larry Marietta, Conductor presentsWhen: Saturday, April 21, 2018, at 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7:00 PM)Where: Calvary Presbyterian Church, 2515 Fillmore Street (at Jackson), San FranciscoCost: $20 adults; $15 Seniors/College Students. Free admission to all childrenLike to sing? Learn more about San Francisco City Chorus and find out how you can join.  04/11/2018

San Francisco's Russian Hill is a favorite neighborhood of many. Here you'll find the Powell-Hyde cable cars climbing up, down and around; intimate dining choices; tree-lined streets, verdant staircases replacing streets in the steepest spots, and views. Oh, yes, the views -- of Coit Tower on nearby Telegraph Hill, North Beach, the downtown Financial District, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate bridge, the water. It's also home to the curvy part of Lombard Street that attracts tourists from all over the world.Turn a corner and the scenery and feel changes.While there are single-family homes on Russian Hill, there are also many condominiums and stock co-ops, too (some quite amazing.)I was utterly charmed this week when previewing a Junior one-bedroom condo in the building pictured above. Li... 04/06/2018

From time to time I take a break from Active Rain, like I've done this past month. Sure, I sign on just about every day, read a few great posts, comment on some and then--I stop.So what do I do with the time I don't spend blogging?  I might enjoy a City hike through a different San Francisco neighborhood like I did Friday afternoon - I always find that refreshing, and always find something new to make me smile and excite me while I re-visit some favorite places.On a recent March day, we walked to the Civic Center BART station and took BART to Glen Park. A walk along a few blocks took us to the Sunnyside Conservancy, then up to little Dorothy Erskine Park, down to Glen Canyon Park, up to Walter Haas Playground (view of the city from there was stunning- see above photo) down to Billy Goat... 03/27/2018

What's that old expression about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb? That lion sure has been roaring!  I hope you've kept safe and dry over the past couple of weeks. I'm definitely looking forward to some warmer, dryer weather. The wet weather doesn't seem to have slowed down the San Francisco real estate market though. In February the median sales price for single family homes spiked again, and with inventory still down double-digits, the vast majority of homes are selling quickly and for over their asking price. Here are the numbers: Median Sales Price: A new high or just a blip?The median sales price for a single family home soared to $1,730,000. That's up 34% over February of last year. Condo and loft prices, on the other hand, decreased almost 9% compared to the ... 03/16/2018

January was a bit topsy turvy. The new tax laws went into effect, the stock market plunged and then mostly settled again. So far, though, none of this seems to have effected our red-hot real estate market.What remains to be seen is whether anticipated interest rates hikes might have an impact in the future. Just today new Fed Chairman Jerome Powell seemed upbeat about the economy, leading many to believe that the Fed will increase the number of interest rate increases in the coming year from a planned three to four.  Many also believe the first of such increases could happen as soon as the March 20th when the Fed meets.We will find out soon enough. In the meantime, here are the numbers for January. Median Sales Price:The median sales price for single family homes was $1,330,000. That's ... 02/28/2018

  Too Many Buyers, Too Few PropertiesA lack of inventory has been the pattern for several years now. With diminishing inventory, we also see a decline in the number of new sales, which makes sense: what is a buyer to buy?While the lack of inventory is no surprise, the percentage of homes that sold within the year is shocking. Over the last five years, the percentage of pending sales to new listings of single family homes has averaged 86.6%. In 2017, 89% of new listings sold during the year. This is equivalent to selling out of properties every year for the last five years. Condos were only slightly behind single family homes.Unfortunately, January of 2018 doesn't seem to have provided much relief. New listings in January this year are down from the previous five Januaries.           Ne... 02/27/2018

Financing Real Estate with Cryptocurrency & ICO Financing Real Estate with Cryptocurrency & ICO (initial coin offering)  will be the newest form of construction, mortgage and REITS financing and investment.Abraham Valentino Founder and CEO of iMetros (a real estate development, investment, and technology firm), founder of Nummus ICO (an asset-backed cryptocurrency) explains: “Typical Real Estate financing is granted by a financial institution such as a bank, private hard money lender or by filling PPM (Private Placement Memorandum), which allows accredited and/or un-accredited investors to participate in such deals.Financing by a financial institution is a straightforward deal where the middleman and the financing firm receive all financial benefits and the investee agrees to pay a cert... 02/13/2018

Fire Resistant, Earthquake Resistant, Zero Net Energy, Luxury, IoT Smart Homes, Millennial Homes From $700s in CA Fire Resistant, Earthquake Resistant, Zero Net Energy, Luxury, IoT Smart Homes, Millennial Homes, 1200 and 1500 square feet of luxurious 2 and 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, two stories with 2 car garage single family homes that are totally IoT Smart HomesiMetros a real estate investment, technology, and development firm is launching its state of the art luxurious single family residence that are CA 2020 Zero Net Energy (ZNE) project. Starting in CA, the early ZNE Zero Net Energy home projects will be limited in the number of homes, growing to a community  of  Net Zero, IoT Green Homes.  Abraham Valentino CEO of iMetros stated “We want to make our IOT Homes standard of the industry ... 02/12/2018

As January draws to a close and thoughts turn to February, my thoughts turn to Chinese New Year and the many activities in San Francisco that celebrate the new year.February 16, 2018 ushers in The Year of the Dog. Several astrological sources believe that people born in the Year of the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018)  are objective, constructive and efficient thinkers. (Since that is me, I like to think so!!)The Asian Art Museum celebrates the Year of the Dog throughout the day on Sunday, February 18 with story-telling, art activities, calligraphy, chin readings and more.The big celebration, San Francisco's annual Chinese New Year Parade, will take place on Saturday, February 24. Beginning at the corner of Market and 2nd Streets at 5:15 PM, over 100 units w... 01/28/2018

Did you ever spend time at Alcatraz? I have: Confessions of a Beverly Hills Realtor Endre Barath,Jr.Honest, I have spent time at Alcatraz.  Three times to be exact! I have been in the same Cell Block where James “Whitey” Bulger stayed. Well it is not what you think…The first time Diane and I went there, was on our first visit to San Francisco. I wanted to check out the “Rock” that was made famous by their infamous and hardened residents of the likes of the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. BTW if you never saw the movie it is worth looking for it, Burt Lancaster played the role of the Birdman of Alcatraz. (The movie debut was in 1962)The second time we went to Alcatraz, was with my parents. My dad wanted to go to Alcatraz, since he also saw the Burt Lancaster movie as well as “Escape from Alcatraz... 01/27/2018

Happy 2018!!2017 is now in the books, so here's a look back at how real estate fared last year. Not surprisingly it was all about inventory...or lack thereof. Median Sales Price:Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably already know that home sale prices increased in 2017. Single family homes ended the year with a 12-month rolling median price of $1,420,000, up 7.2%. Condos and lofts prices were up 5.5% to $1,155,000 for the year.2017 Median Price by Number of Bedrooms:I thought it would be interesting to see what the annual increase in median price for homes were when broken out by number of bedrooms.  Single Family Homes:Two bedroom single family homes saw the greatest percentage of increase in median sales price, followed by 4+ bedrooms, and then 3-bedroom homes.One could ... 01/23/2018

Pacific Place, a condominium project where you can Live your San Francisco Dream.Urban living at its best! The right place to call home is as varied as each individual. One place that works for many is Pacific Place, a two-tower condominium project built in 2001. Buildings built in 2001 still offered at least 1 parking space per unit, not always the case in newer complexes. 1701 Jackson Street (known as the Jackson Tower) and 1800 Washington Street (The Washington Tower) are linked together at groud level by 3 commercial condo spaces along Van Ness Avenue.Highlights of Pacific Place, one of Pacific Heights' most coveted buildings, include: 24-hour security; secure package delivery! Designer courtyard with swimming pool, spa and lush plantings High-speed elevators, two in each tower, to ... 01/22/2018

We're fortunate to live in San Francisco where there are plenty of good service providers. However, finding the best of the bunch isn't always easy, so today I'd like to introduce you to Restorative Bodywork by Mila Hutchinson. While Mila is a superb massage therapist who understands and utilizes a number of different types of massage practices, her true calling is as a pain specialist, utilizing neuromuscular reprogramming.I went to Mila one day a number of years ago when my regular massage therapist wasn't available. It didn't take more than a few minutes to know I had found the right person to work to alleviate pain in my knee. She quickly discovered a range of issues that were connected to my painful knee and worked on those diligently. Much to my delight, her practice is now locate... 01/18/2018

We are fortunate in San Francisco to have many superb services available to us, including health and wellness. Today I'd like to introduce you to Jamie Lieber, owner of the Nurturing Life Clinic, located at the corner of Bush and Baker Streets in San Francisco. I discovered Jamie Lieber and Nurturing Life Clinic about 6 months ago when I woke one morning with a severe stiff neck. She fit me into her schedule that day, and when I left after an hour's treatment, the pain had been reduced by about 90% and my range of motion was about 85-90% better. I could function again--I could drive, I could dress, I could keep my client appointments! Since then I continue a wellness regime with regular visits.Living in San Francisco means great people and services are at hand. If you need a wellness ch... 01/17/2018