theFrontSteps – San Francisco

Real Estate, Insight, Statistics, Gossip, & News…With a Twist and Some Flavor

Entries for February, 2008

The Facebook of San Francisco Real Estate (www.theFrontSteps.org)

The time has come to unveil the latest creation, www.theFrontSteps.org. We hope you like it, and we hope you participate. We even give props to SocketSite. We’re calling it “A Social Network for real estate obsessed San Franciscans”. Go check it out at www.theFrontSteps.ORG (note: You currently must type the www, and don’t forget the [...]

2956 Webster: 8 Offers, 4 Cash, 1 Winner, 7 Losers

From sfnewsletter: We’re really trying to stop publishing these things, but they just keep coming up. This week we have 2956 Webster in the oh so popular Cow Hollow District. This is a 2 bed, 2 bath condominium that was asking $1,279,000 was absolutely swarmed, received eight (yes 8 ) offers, four of them all [...]

When the Price is Right

Before you haul off and shoot the messenger, this is one of many emails we receive on a daily basis. We’ve tried to tone the cheerleading down a bit, but when it keeps on coming from other sources (not Realtors) it’s kind of hard to pass up. So… Awesome places that are priced right continue [...]

Ask Us: Calculating 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates

Where readers ask and we try to answer. How are 30 year fixed mortgage rates calculated? My Real Estate agent said that it is an average of the trailing 12 month’s surveys by WSJ and BankRate.com, can someone confirm this? As soon as a mortgage professional chimes in, we’ll post the answer here. Since we’re [...]

San Francisco sees $100,000 per square linear foot!

For a wheelchair ramp: Another way to feel good about how our local tax dollars are used? Or alternatively, one can take great pride in the efficiency of our city government. Let’s just take a pile of dollar bills, make a big ole’ pyramid, and burn it down in front of city hall, what’s the [...]

Comment du Jour: Little impact from raising conforming loan limits, and the end of Stated Income Loans

Kelly McCray comes through with a comment that will be heard around the world! I was at the east bay CAMB [California Association of Mortgage Brokers] legislative update meeting yesterday. It is becoming quite clear that there will be little, if any, impact with the raise in conforming loan limits. This news is disappointing to [...]

Ask Us: Why choose a mortgage broker over a bank?

Where readers ask and we try to answer. Kelly are you listening!? Why would a [mortgage] broker be better than a bank at this point in the market. I am an investor and have used brokers and bankers, both have been of great service to me in the past. But, I have relationships on both [...]

Stats & Numbers: Single Family Homes (Jan ’07-Jan ’08)

Single family ’07 vs 08 from Garrett. District Map (PDF) District 1 Jan-07 Jan-08 Number of Sales 7 7 Median Selling Price 1,000,000 1,250,000 Average DOM 47 66       District 2 Jan-07 Jan-08 Number of Sales 20 21 Median Selling Price 788,000 830,000 Average DOM 54 56       District 3 Jan-07 [...]

Ask Us: Did 2820 Pacific Sell for $16,000,000?

Where readers ask, and we try to answer: I keep seeing 2820 Pacific on the MLS as sold at $16M. How accurate is the sale price on the MLS. I’ve got it on good intel that it sold somewhere in the $15s but not close to, and certainly not at $16M. Just curious. Readers?

What’s up with the silence?

As many of you know, this little San Francisco Real Estate blog (not so little anymore) is a hobby. My main focus is still selling real estate in San Francisco and making sfnewsletter the best it can be. I’m currently working with many clients, as well as enjoying seeing sfnewsletter take off, not to mention [...]