Category: theFrontSteps

Maximum Overbid: San Francisco Continues To Shock Us

You know how if you do a job for long enough eventually you become accustomed or even jaded to its ups and downs, no matter how shocking? Well, this is not one of those jobs: You’d think after so many overbids every week we’d have seen it all–and hey, maybe we really have. But these … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: San Francisco Continues To Shock Us

Here Are 85 Facts About the Golden Gate Bridge For Its 85th Birthday

The Golden Gate Bridge, our world-recognized icon of all things San Francisco, turns 85 today–and it isn’t even the least bit shy about its age. Such a momentous occasion calls for just one thing: trivia. Tons upon tons of trivia. So here are 85 completely true but sometimes unbelievable facts about the greatest span in … Continue reading Here Are 85 Facts About the Golden Gate Bridge For Its 85th Birthday

Maximum Overbid: February Sale Sets May Records

This week’s top overbid mastered a magic trick: How to make four days last three months? As you can see, the two bed, one bath house at 1526 Santiago Street with the enchanting lavender exterior landed a $1.7 million price after what MLS says was just four days on the market–a remarkably quick turnaround even … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: February Sale Sets May Records

SF’s Population Is Dropping Again, But Almost Nothing About That Matters

Yes, it’s true what you’ve heard: San Francisco’s population declined yet again in 2021, according to new estimates released by the California Department of Finance. But as we’ll get to in a minute, almost none of the things people assume about that fact are relevant, and indeed, in some ways there’s nothing to see here, … Continue reading SF’s Population Is Dropping Again, But Almost Nothing About That Matters

Maximum Overbid: “You’re Much Too Modest, Have Another $650K”

Well what do you know: We were just discussing how tricky it is to find home selling for less than $1 million in the western neighborhoods–or for that matter anywhere in SF these days–and along comes a sterling example of that phenomena. The house at 3345 Vicente Street did indeed list for a whisper below … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: “You’re Much Too Modest, Have Another $650K”

Maximum Overbid: A Sunset Home For a Pac Heights Price

Today’s lesson: How to make $3 million in just ten easy days. Or was it actually five years? Or more than that? It depends on your perspective. Certainly the number is right: Our top overbid for the week, a four bed, three bath Outer Sunset setup at 1591 43rd Avenue closed a deal this week … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: A Sunset Home For a Pac Heights Price

What’s The Deal With Hearst Avenue?

Have you been to Hearst Avenue? Odds are you haven’t–or if you have, you didn’t notice. And that’s a little odd, isn’t it? First, let’s talk about the deal: 327 Hearst Avenue went on the market this week, a true blue three bed, two bath setup with an extremely cute yard and lovely curb appeal, … Continue reading What’s The Deal With Hearst Avenue?

Gen Z Renters Flock To San Francisco–For Now

The great San Francisco exodus was never quite what it was cracked up to be anyway–the truth is, the major drivers behind SF’s recent population decline were factors the death rate and stalling immigration, and less so necessarily migration out of the area. Be that as it may, the online rental platform RentCafe has it … Continue reading Gen Z Renters Flock To San Francisco–For Now

Maximum Overbid: A Parkside Puzzle

Overbids can be a surprisingly sensitive topic. For example, a while back, the buyer of one of our previously featured weekly overbids pointed out that the realtor of that property intentionally priced it low, and argued that we should talk about this practice when highlighting overbids. The truth is, we’ve brought that subject up many … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: A Parkside Puzzle

Forgotten San Francisco Neighborhoods: Where the Heck Is Fairmount Heights?

Over at 221 Chenery Street we’ve got a circa 1907 Victorian that was completely rebuilt in 2017, now seeking nearly $3 million for three beds and three baths–but that’s not the interesting part. The new listing calls this a “contemporary Fairmount Heights residence.” Excuse me? “Fairmount Heights?” Surely this is Glen Park Well, yes, it … Continue reading Forgotten San Francisco Neighborhoods: Where the Heck Is Fairmount Heights?

Balboa House Repurposes Destroyed Cathedral

Here’s a riddle for you: 220 Westgate Drive is a four bed, two bath house that just went up for sale near Balboa Terrace, so what does this place have to do with St. Mary’s Cathedral, clear across town? Well, answering that demands some history:. Old St. Mary’s has overlooked Chinatown since 1854; another St. … Continue reading Balboa House Repurposes Destroyed Cathedral

Maximum Overbid: Make Yourself at Home

The US Census estimates that the average American move more than 11 times in their life, or about once every six or seven years. But someone just plain has to be ahead of the curve, like the case of this week’s biggest overbid, 2494 35th Avenue, a three bed, three bath Parkside house that came … Continue reading Maximum Overbid: Make Yourself at Home

Why Does This $8.9M Nob Hill Condo Look Like a Museum?

What do you get for $8.9 million in the Nob Hill condo market these days? Well, at 1001 California Street #3, which just listed for that very rich sum, you get not only a two bed, three bath home but also history–or at least, the modern equivalent of history. If these interiors look surprisingly lustrous … Continue reading Why Does This $8.9M Nob Hill Condo Look Like a Museum?