Ask Us: Should I Buy A Single Family Or 2-3 Unit?


Where readers ask and we (the community) try to answer: Hello, I have been following your blog with great interest. I have a comment/question and wasn’t sure of the best place to put it. I was curious to know what you thought of something. Due to family circumstances, I would love to buy something in … Continue reading Ask Us: Should I Buy A Single Family Or 2-3 Unit?

Road to Real Estate Recovery


When I was working at C__________, my boss was a big coke-head. As a result, the atmosphere was, to understate, lax. Everyone drank and ate copiously (never paying for it), sat down and/or danced randomly in the middle of the restaurant, swore, and slept with one another. All of the aforementioned took place during open-for-business … Continue reading Road to Real Estate Recovery

Google Founder(s) Vacationing In Mexico While Stock Falls?


We’ve been told, and we acknowledge this has absolutely nothing to do with San Francisco real estate (unless the Google founders took the Google bus to get to port), that one, if not both, Google founders are enjoying the fruits of their labor and declining company value with a nice cruise on their gigantic “dark … Continue reading Google Founder(s) Vacationing In Mexico While Stock Falls?

Letter To Editor: “Defamation, Slander, Law Suit” Fun!


Life at theFrontSteps is nothing but sunshine and roses. Ummm, maybe not. Today, we give you the most recent friendly email to come our way, with a few things [removed] to protect privacy: [Editor], It is unfortunate that I have to write you this email. A client of mine [removed] sent me this link to … Continue reading Letter To Editor: “Defamation, Slander, Law Suit” Fun!

East Bay: Your Own Vineyard in Oakland (Yes Oakland)


By Home Girl If you have ever flirted with the idea of having your own vineyard and harvesting a few decent cases of mellow wine every year, but a move to rural Napa or Sonoma seems too much of a leap, then have a look at this 4/3.4 updated ranch home at 5651 Colbourn Place … Continue reading East Bay: Your Own Vineyard in Oakland (Yes Oakland)

Ask Us: How To Clean Up A Meth Lab After A Sale


Where readers ask and we (the community) try to answer: Truth be told, this email was sent within the confines of one particular local real estate brokerage. We’ve already seen the answers provided by colleagues in the biz, but damnit if we aren’t curious to see what kind of snarky remarks our readers can come … Continue reading Ask Us: How To Clean Up A Meth Lab After A Sale

Symphony Towers Price Slashing Success


From the press release and maybe a little proof (if you want to call it that) of the “it’s a great time to buy” mantra: For Symphony Towers, high-rise condos in the heart of San Francisco at 750 Van Ness Avenue, smashing prices equaled a smashing success as their Turk Tower closeout sale netted a … Continue reading Symphony Towers Price Slashing Success

Pay Now, or Pay Less Later?


This is a question many across the nation will be pondering over the next several months and I’ve long believed that any bailout of homeowners would be ripe for abuse. The Chronicle had a great article this past weekend highlighting this “strategy” quite articulately and comprehensively. This should be really interesting to watch unfold as … Continue reading Pay Now, or Pay Less Later?

It’s A Great Time To Buy!


There, we said it, the words everyone expects us to say, because we’re Realtors, “It’s a great time to buy!” The truth is, it really is a great time to buy (provided you can get funding). There are properties that are getting into contract for ridiculously low prices compared to six months ago, and when … Continue reading It’s A Great Time To Buy!

Two “Bernal” properties, a block or two apart


55 Murrray street. Closed escrow Friday for 864K 127 Milton Street, bank owned and listed for $319.9K I put “Bernal” in quotes even though I dislike the snarkiness with which that reads/looks on a web page. The thing is tho, these two houses aren’t really Bernal Heights if you ask me. They’re St. Mary’s Park … Continue reading Two “Bernal” properties, a block or two apart

If Cops Can’t Make You Safer, Maybe Pizza Can


Many of us have been strolling down a pleasant street, enjoying the twilight settling over Victorian facades in our charming city– only to turn a corner and suddenly feel in need of a Tazer. San Francisco is a changeling: Even in the same zip code, we can experience radically different neighborhoods, each with unique, and … Continue reading If Cops Can’t Make You Safer, Maybe Pizza Can

Calling B.S. On The “Offer Coming”


Fellow Realtors and buyers, have you heard these words lately? “We have an offer coming.” You know? We’re going to go ahead and call b.s. on that claim. We’ve heard it five times in the last week on various properties we’re tracking, and guess what…they’re ALL still available, and the offers never came. Granted, some … Continue reading Calling B.S. On The “Offer Coming”