Articles, Stories & Questions
Displaying all 18 submissions
Great Loans Available for Purchasers of Many Properties South of Market (SoMa)There are special loans available for purchasers looking at buying properties South of Market (SoMa) that many realtors and mortgage brokers are not aware. Features of this loan include: Loans up to $729,750 in San Francisco Minimum payments of 5% down No PMI insurance needed No FHA approval/streamlined condo review Low rates (4.125% for qualified applicants on 9/7/2011) The property... more...
Blogged on 9/9/2011
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South Beach Condo Prices Rise Since Beginning of the YearAs a realtor I have access to reports on various neighborhoods in the city. One of my various reports covers current trends, based off of listing prices in various zip codes. I just thought I would share some of the results for Condos and Townhouses in 94105 which includes the South Beach. As of August 19th, Condo and Townhouses have been averaging just 95 days on market. Towards the begining... more...
Blogged on 8/26/2011
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What's Going On in the SoMa Condo Market?What’s happening in San Francisco’s South of Market Area (SoMa) during May? As a Realtor I have access to reports on various neighborhoods in the city. One covers current trends based on listing prices in various zip codes, which you can see here. I thought I would share some of the results for condos and townhouses in the 94103. As of May 20th, condos and townhouses were averag... more...
Blogged on 5/27/2011
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Are Condo Prices Going Up In Russian Hill and the Polk Gulch Area?As of April 3rd, condos, TICs, and townhouses in the Russian Hill and Polk Gulch areas—both within the 94109 zip code—were averaging 124 days on market. The median list price was $599K, trending up, and the average list price per square foot was $668. Prices in general had been decreasing since June of last year, ranging from about $550K–$690K in February of 2011, but ha... more...
Blogged on 4/12/2011
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What is going on in SOMAAs a Realtor I have access to reports on various neighborhoods in the city. One covers current trends based on listing prices in various zip codes, and can be downloaded via the link at the bottom of this post. I thought I would share some of the results for condos and townhouses in 94103. As of Feb. 21, condos and townhouses were averaging 123 days on market. The median list price was $529K, ... more...
Blogged on 2/23/2011
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What's Going on in South Beach?What’s happening in San Francisco’s South Beach? As a Realtor I have access to reports on various neighborhoods in the city. One covers current trends based on listing prices in various zip codes, which you can download via the link at the bottom of this post. I thought I would share some of the results for condos and townhouses in 94105 South Beach. As of January 9th, condos and ... more...
Blogged on 1/17/2011
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What’s Happening in Noe, the Castro and Upper Market?As a Realtor I have access to reports on various neighborhoods in San Francisco. One of my various reports covers current trends, based off of listing prices in various zip codes. I just thought I would share some of the results for the 94114, which encompasses Noe, Castro/Eureka Valley and Upper Market Street areas. Something I found very interesting was that as of Dec 12th, single fam... more...
Blogged on 12/16/2010
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What is a Co-Op?A co-op is short for a cooperative housing development. It differs from traditional home ownership because the purchaser does not technically own the real estate; he or she is buying shares or membership into a cooperative housing corporation or development. Ultimately the co-op owns the real estate and the purchaser has exclusive rights to occupy a specific unit. Co-ops are not great in number... more...
Blogged on 11/11/2010
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The Problems with Brick FoundationsRecently I came across a building in San Francisco with a brick foundation. For those of you who aren’t aware of this, brick foundations do not hold up well during earthquakes, so this is one of the things you definitely want to look at and be aware of when purchasing a property in San Francisco. In addition, there are some other things to consider. For instance you should never sand b... more...
Blogged on 10/6/2010
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Waterfront Views and Liquefaction ZonesWhenever you deal with real estate, there are always choices and tradeoffs that buyers must make before considering a property. I recently had a client who wanted to live on flat land near the water in San Francisco with Bay views. I then had to deliver to her the bad news that most of the flat land with Bay views in San Francisco has been built on landfill and is in liquefaction zones. ... more...
Blogged on 9/2/2010
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The San Francisco Luxury Home MarketThis year there has been a healthy amount of activity in San Francisco’s luxury real estate market. An interesting example is 2342 Broadway, also known as “The Green House,” for its platinum LEED rating. It had a list price of $14,000,000 in November 2009 and sold for $13,500,000 in March 2010. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to see the house it has multiple lev... more...
Blogged on 7/26/2010
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Bay Area Foreclosures DecliningForeclosed resales made up 29.5% of Bay Area resales in April. However, this number is in decline. In fact, it was the lowest since May 2008. DataQuick, a company that compiles real estate sales data, went on to state April’s performance was “down from 31.3 percent in March and 46.4 percent in April 2009. Foreclosure resales peaked at 52.0 percent in February 2009.” This is ... more...
Blogged on 5/26/2010
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H06 Policy: From Obscure to EssentialMost condominium owners typically have a master homeowner association insurance policy which protects the rebuilding of the exterior structure. Often times condominium owners also get some type of rental insurance or have some insurance which covers their personal items. What many condominium buyers are finding out now is that they are required to get HO6 policies in order to get funding ... more...
Blogged on 5/6/2010
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Interest Rates on the RiseI read an interesting article today in the New York Times. Everyone knows that interest rates are going to go up. According to the article: “The Mortgage Bankers Association expects the rise to continue, with the 30-year mortgage rate going to 5.5 percent by late summer and as high as 6 percent by the end of the year.” The interesting thing to note was wha... more...
Blogged on 4/11/2010
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Two New Criteria Lenders Look at When Financing CondosWhen purchasing a condo, some of the lender requirements have become more stringent. They are looking into the number of rental units vs. owner occupied units in a building. If the condo has over 30% rental units, you may have a problem getting financing. Also check for HOA delinquencies. Some of the lenders have been focusing on the number of tenants not paying their HOA fees. Th... more...
Blogged on 3/1/2010
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Buying A Condo in San Francisco? Note These 5 Things.There has been a fair amount of real estate activity recently in the South of Market (SOMA) area of San Francisco. So I just thought I would write something that buyers should pay close attention to when purchasing a condominium. 1. The Condo Plan or Tract Map This will show you exactly what you own and what is a common area. This should clarify what you are liable for and what you have to pay... more...
Blogged on 2/2/2010
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Saving Money On Your Applicances This Holiday SeasonI am writing to all homebuyers and homeowners in San Francisco, from Pacific Heights to Noe Valley to the Mission: there are a variety of incentive programs available for “going green.” Local government, utilities and federal tax credit programs are available, and many people are not aware that these programs exist. The incentives vary depending on where you live, but a great website for findin... more...
Blogged on 12/14/2009
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Home Buyer Tax Credit Finally ExtendedThe Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension was approved today by President Obama as part of the $24 billion economic stimulus package. This extends the current $8,000 tax credit for home buyers who have purchased their first home and meet certain criteria. Currently, those eligible for the credit are first-time home buyers who bought after January 1, 2009, went into contract by April 30, 2010, and cl... more...
Blogged on 11/8/2009
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