Some clubs are even more exclusive than we would like for them to be, as is the case with San Francisco’s Under $700K Club, the place where you can buy a home for (slightly) less. This one bed, one bath condo at 250 King Street (the Beacon building) just joined up this week, sliding under … Continue reading Joining San Francisco’s Elusive Under $700K Club
Category: theFrontSteps
Maximum Overbid: When You Try To Lose But Win Anyway
This week’s number one overbid, 1559 18th Avenue, barely ekes its way into first place by clearing just over 152.5 percent of its asking price after a mere eight days on the market, which in any other context would sound incredible but in SF is really just normal, if you can wrap your brain around … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: When You Try To Lose But Win Anyway
When SF Realtors Kicked Out Our City Cemeteries
As Halloween weekend looms, our usually very atmospheric metro is missing a certain extra gothic flourish that most cities boast: Other than a couple of historic graveyards in the Presidio and Mission Dolores, San Francisco has no cemeteries within its boundaries. And yes, this is because of real estate. Contrary to popular belief, SF never … Continue reading When SF Realtors Kicked Out Our City Cemeteries
In San Francisco, Spooky Addresses Scare Off Big Home Sales
It’s the haunted season, and even real estate can be scary–or at least, certain homes seem to have a talent for scaring buyers. As realtor gossip often has it, homes saddled with a supposedly sinister street number, like 13 or 666, are supposed to suffer depressed home values. But is it true, or just more … Continue reading In San Francisco, Spooky Addresses Scare Off Big Home Sales
Map: San Francisco’s Most Haunted Houses
Ghost stories can be serious business in the housing game: In certain cases they may depress property values and even land sellers in court. Reporting on allegedly haunted houses can be tricky too, because of course we can’t in good conscience actually say that any of these places are haunted: only that they have that … Continue reading Map: San Francisco’s Most Haunted Houses
Inside the $468 Billion Plan To Fix Bay Area Housing
On Thursday, the Association fo Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Council adopted a proposal they call Plan Bay Area 2050, a 184-page blueprint laying out a 30-year, $1.4 trillion quest to fix some of the Bay Area’s most pressing problems, including a $468 billion housing element. What does all that mean? If you … Continue reading Inside the $468 Billion Plan To Fix Bay Area Housing
Maximum Overbid: Riding Into the Sunset
Another week, another shockingly high San Francisco western neighborhoods overbid–or at least that’s how it feels sometimes. This week’s number one overbid is once again an Outer Sunset prospect, a three bed, two bath house at 2026 47th Avenue that originally listed for $995K but closed this week for $1.6 million, a spike of more … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: Riding Into the Sunset
Barbary Lane: The Most Famous SF Street That Doesn’t Exist
Macondray Lane is a narrow Russian Hill alleyway that branches off of Leavenworth, just north of Green Street. It’s a pleasant greenbelt with great views (most of it traversable only on foot), but seemingly unremarkable. And yet, this is actually one of the most famous streets in San Francisco–or rather, it’s the nearest proxy for … Continue reading Barbary Lane: The Most Famous SF Street That Doesn’t Exist
Condos Selling at Hayes Valley Development Featured In Bribery Scandal
There are new listings for condos at 555 Fulton Street in Hayes Valley–and if that address rings a bell, oh boy, should it ever. The long-delayed 555 Fulton project was the eye of the storm in the bribery scandal that engulfed the Department of Public works in 2020, the full ramifications of which are still … Continue reading Condos Selling at Hayes Valley Development Featured In Bribery Scandal
Maximum Overbid: The Telltale Bargain
When is a bargain not quite what it seems? When it turns into an overbid instead. That’s what happened with this week’s top overbid at 2358 41st Avenue. This two bed, one bath, Outer Sunset setup listed for $1.09-plus million less than two weeks ago, advertised as a “great price,” and closed out for $1.5 … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: The Telltale Bargain
Why SF Might Be Buying Homeless Hotels On Your Block
Chances are most people weren’t paying attention to Wednesday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget & Finance Committee (the name alone is enough to discourage most potential viewers), but one vote could end up having a profound impact on your neighborhood. We’ll break it down for the benefit of anyone who wasn’t there: What … Continue reading Why SF Might Be Buying Homeless Hotels On Your Block
Before & After: 1890 Castro Victorian Renovation
Sellers love to push the “r-words”: “renovate,” “refurbish,” “remodel.” Sometimes this is a practical consideration: Certain homes really could do with a new look and more modern sensibilities. Other times it’s simply a shrewd marketing move: People feel motivated to buy things that are new, and University of Western Ontario, Canada researchers find that one … Continue reading Before & After: 1890 Castro Victorian Renovation
PG&E Building Deal To Oust Famous Falcons From Roof Nest
The big news downtown is that Hines, the developer that bought the longtime headquarters of embattled power utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) for $800 million back in May, plans to redevelop the entire block and create a new, 800-foot building with over 700 homes. That’s all well and good, but the question remains: … Continue reading PG&E Building Deal To Oust Famous Falcons From Roof Nest
What Does It Really Cost to Rent In San Francisco?
For the second month in a row–and for only the second time in the history–the SF-based rent platform Zumper says New York and not San Francisco is the most expensive place to rent a one-bedroom apartment. This time, SF is a full $150 behind NYC (last month it was a mere $10 difference), with an … Continue reading What Does It Really Cost to Rent In San Francisco?
Rich People Are Still Buying Homes In the Sinking, Tilting Millennium Tower
Last week saw the news of still more structural problems in the sinking and tilting Millennium Tower, which is now seeing some plumbing problems due to its uneven settling. It’s just more bad news for this top-dollar building with rock-bottom problems. What’s interesting though is that even after five solid years of basically nothing but … Continue reading Rich People Are Still Buying Homes In the Sinking, Tilting Millennium Tower
“Modified A-Frame” North of Lake Tahoe Asks $675K
If you’re looking for decisive vindication of the idea that Lake Tahoe is an entirely different world from San Francisco in housing terms, consider that a two bed, two bath house in Truckee (on the north side of the lake) can be had for the SF-frugal price of $675,000. Now of course this is not … Continue reading “Modified A-Frame” North of Lake Tahoe Asks $675K