Got snow?

San Francisco is at sea level, so it is a big deal for us to have snow predicted in the next couple of days…whether or not we get some. 

In fact, San Francisco has only had snow on the ground 11 times in the past 155 years. 

Snow possible in San Francisco now?

The last time we had snow in San Francisco was 35 years ago on February 5, 1976 with one inch of snow.

Much of the terrain in San Francisco is hilly, so to have snow on our 7 Hills in San Francisco will be quite a treat!

San Francisco's typography for views

What makes San Francisco so special for everyone living in San Francisco is that we all have so many beautiful views of the hills and/or of the water…and now with snow?

Probably the best vantage point for snow sightings will be from the top of our highest hill, Twin Peaks at 922 feet above sea level, right smack dab in the center of the city with 360 degree views of the Pacific Ocean to the West, the San Francisco Bay to the North and East, and the Peninsula to the South. 

Get your camera out and make history  & share those pictures of your neighborhood…if and when it snows!

Rhode Island and 20th by Allio from Flickr

 

Farleys - 18th @ Missouri by cd_1940 from Flickr

The North Slope of Potrero Hill's hangouts

The North Slope of Potrero ’s “Big’s 4″ puts new meaning to ”Location, Location, Location” as one of the best places to call home in San Francisco.

North Slope of Potrero Hill called "ph stormbreak by vespadiso at Flickr

Have you ever wandered around San Francisco and came upon a neighborhood that you fell in love with …and you didn’t even know where you were? 

And the next thing you wondered was, can we afford it?

As I was putting out my last Open House Sign this past Sunday in Sea Cliff, a couple stopped me to ask me just that….”What is this neighborhood called?” and “How much are these homes selling go for?”.   I told them to follow me into my Open House to find out more.

They loved the grand homes’ style of architecture and they were fasinated by the gently sloping streets that captured the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the water at every turn.  Had they wandered 2 or 3 blocks to the West, they would have been on the  Lincoln Park Golf Course and 2 or 3 blocks to the North, they would have found the path down the cliff to China Beach, not to mention the world class path along the water’s edge from Ocean Beach to Crissy Field.

Close enough to the water to hear the waves at night

The streets of Sea Cliff climb up the hillside gently to capture the views of the Golden Gate

Anyone wandering into one of my Open Houses will walk out with more knowledge about the real estate market activity for the surrounding neighborhood(s) and San Francisco’s Real Estate trends &  other statistics than when they walked in.

As someone said at last week’s Open House, “It is like you set up a real estate course here”. 

In our rapidly changing San Francisco market, it is a difficult decision in finding,  much less choosing, a real estate agent to assist one in buying and/or selling one of their most important and largest investments, their home.  Therefore, what better place for them to start their interview process than at an Open House, by interviewing for their future agent.

Every Buyer and Seller wants to understand the real estate market before they buy or sell and while I am at an Open House to show them the value of the home I am selling, I am also there…prepared to show them why it is the best time in history to buy or sell a house and why I may be the best agent to get them where they want to go or be at the best possible price.

For example at last week’s Open House, one of my  hand-outs, ”The 3 Year Trend of Homes SOLD  in Sea Cliff and in the Surrounding Neighborhoods over $1.5 Million”  showed that the real estate market is beginning to show momentum upward with:

• The Median SOLD Price in December 2010 at $1,865,000, up 2.8% from $1,815,000 in December 2009, yet down -1.6%  from $1,898,250 in November 2010. 
• The Average SOLD Price  in December 2010 was $2,669,750, up from $1,895,667 in December 2009 and up 12.2% from $2,380,417 in November 2010. 
• December 2010 Average SOLD Price was at highest level compared to December of 2009 and 2008.

SOLD Prices are fairly stable over $1.5 Million in the past 3 years

I quickly explained that with zero SOLDS reported in January & February 2009 and February 2010 as indicated by the arrows above, there is an explainable dip in the trends for those months.

Let’s meet.  Stop by and pick up one of my hand-outs at any of my Open Houses…and let’s start the interview process by asking me. “How’s the market?”.

Just follow my Open House Signs, they are everywhere!  Or give me a tweet @AnnScherbert.

Follow Ann Scherbert's Open House Signs to understanding the market

On May 8, 2009, Mick Dawson and Chris Martin set off for the Golden Gate Bridge in their 23 foot row boat envisioning San Francisco real estate?6,000 miles away and arriving 189 days later on Friday, November 13th crossing?under the bridge at 37 degrees 49 minutes.

The skipper, Dawson said, “The Golden Gate and the city beyond looked ‘like heaven’ in the bright morning light”, as they arrived. And “heaven” it is, for many of those that have traveled near and far to own a piece of San Francisco real estate here.

Just as Dawson and Chris were envisioning San Francisco for 189 days by further saying,?”if anything means San Francisco, it is that bridge”, there were also those that had been envisioning the same image of the bridge when they bought and/or sold a piece of their “heaven” during those same 189 days.

Of the 2,183 San Francisco homes on the market from May 8, 2009 to November 13, 2009 (189 days), 72 had views of the Golden Gate Bridge:

40?Homes have sold from $565.101K to $11.5M

9 Homes have accepted offers with asking prices from $775.K to $9.M.

24 Homes are still on the market for now an average of 66 days, asking from $649K to $15.2M.

Of the 2,544 San Francisco Condos, Coops, Lofts, and T.I.C.s on the market from May 8, 2009 to November 13, 2009, 117 had views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

59 have sold from $360K to $7.250M

17 have accepted offers with asking prices from $449.9K to $3.495M.

41 are on?the market an average of 61 days, asking from $419K to $8.5M.

Do you want to know how much a piece of “heaven” with a 37 Degree 49 Minute view is worth?

Ask me by emailing me at ColdwellBanker@AnnScherbert.com

The?1930′s grand dames along the?San Francisco northerly skyline have the most elegant glorious spacious?rooms?with lovely views, yet?the more dramatic?floor to ceiling windows in?buildings built thereafter?capture?more of any view.?

What is your preference in finding the best views?in San Francisco real estate??

I know?how to?get them,?email?me at ColdwellBanker@AnnScherbert.com .

Yet, it is worth knowing what the coveted 2000 block of Jefferson has been touting for decades…and that is, there is another island in the Marina District of San Francisco.

Over the years, these neighbors have shared and accumulated?documentation showing that they are living on top of an?”ancient island” that was mapped as early as?1789,? just off of?”Wash Woman Cove”.

These neighbors know the “ancient island” as “Strawberry Island” surrounded by an estuary to the West and South West and the Bay to the North and North East?extending over portions of 10 blocks in the?Marina.?

The National Geologic Map Data Base for the Marina also shows “Strawberry Island” as “Qb” made up of coarse gravel and large cobble stones.

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This little bit of Marina trival is worth?knowing, if you live on “Strawberry Island”.

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Mark your calendar as your zipcode’s 3 free days only come twice this year.

On the Northside of the city in zip codes 94115 (Pacific Heights,? Lower Pacific Heights, and Western Addition), 94118 (Presidio Heights, Laurel Heights, Jordan Park, Lake Street, Lone Mountain and the Inner Sunset) and 94121 (Sea Cliff,?Central and Outer Richmond) and 94129 (The Presidio), the free days are May 15-17 and October 2-4, 2009.

On the Northside of the city in zip codes 94123 (the Marina and Cow Hollow), 94115 (Russian Hill) and 94133 (North Beach and Telegraph Hill) ,the free days are May 29-31 and October 16-18, 2009.

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Go green and take the bus.? And start early the Academy opens on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 AM and on Sunday they open at 11:00AM.

From the West end to the central Northside of San Francisco, the bus ride easy and?scenic.

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Don’t forget to?provide?your proof of residency by either having with you, a postmarked envelope, postcard, or magazine with?your name and date. a driver’s license that was issued in the last 6 months, or?utility bill (i.e. PG&E?or cable), bank statement, or letter from?a government agency that has your name and?address.?

Go with a?friend?from the neighborhood and enjoy your free days together this spring….otherwise you will have to wait until October for your next free days.

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This year, as every year, those Marina residents that participate “In the Marina” Spring Clean Garage Sale receive a free garage sale kit (upon request) with 3 garage sale signs from its sponsor, ColdwellBanker@AnnScherbert.com

1. Each Marina participant will determine when their garage sale begins and ends by placing one sign in front of their residence and the other two signs at both ends of their street. The participants will take down their signs when their own garage sale is over.

2. The San Francisco Sign Ordinance allows for garage sale signs posted on city streets provided that: (a) The garage sale signs will be posted only on city light street posts and/or muni poles (nothing will be posted on telephone poles, stop signs, etc.), and (b) The garage sale signs clearly state the date of the event?and its sponsor.

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3. Early Saturday AM, April 25th, directional signs & mini-map-flyers will be posted on Chestnut St., Marina Blvd, Bay St., and/or Fillmore St. pointing into the Marina: (a) The mini-map-flyers on the directional signs will mark the block (not the address) where a garage sale signs kits were delivered & where one might expect a garage sale during the day, (b) Mini-map-flyers will also be available at the individual garage sale locations, and (c) The directional signs will be taken down and the mini-map-flyers removed by late Saturday afternoon on the street corners.

4. All participants are encouraged to post their own ads on www.craigslist.com and/or www.sfgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle) with the details of their garage sale (i.e. what they are selling & when they will be open) to increase everyone????s success in participating in ??œIn The Marina??? Neighborhood Annual Spring Clean Garage Sale.

5. As in years past, avid garage sale aficionados that scour the ads expect all garage sales to be promptly open between 8AM or 9AM???so Marina participants are encouraged to put their signs out early & be ready for bargain-hunters.

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6. This is a neighborhood event to have fun making some extra money, meeting one’s neighbors, keeping our neighborhood clean, and afterwards…treating ourselves well by shopping & eating out locally in the Marina.

Watch for your?door hanger…and?get?inspired to have your own Garage Sale on April 25th “in the Marina”.

So check out what you need to do to participate.

It is an annual event and timely…perhaps for you(?).

…even if you do the numbers?to check out price per square feet, days on the market/when properties came on the? market, original price?/current price, built date, …etc. etc. etc.??

This is not an ordinary market on the Northside of San Francisco. And Buyers that are really seriously looking to buy and do not have an agent yet…need an “experienced” agent?early on.

At my Open Houses now, I have set up an easel to show 1st time Buyers the opportunities they are not recognizing for themselves.

Cutting through the numbers on a spreadsheet and visiting open houses is worth the time in recognizing this rare moment in time for 1st time Buyers on the Northside of San Francisco.

Yet,?there are actually 3 markets for one bedroom condos on?the North side of the city…

… and without recognizing these 3 markets, one will not to?see the “real values” of buying in?the one bedroom condo market?on the Northside of San Francisco.

Market One – New construction with & without parking located on the edges of the Northside of San Francisco.?

Market Two – Condos without parking or with only leased parking available are generally considered the lower end of the market.

Market Three- Condos with parking (deeded) that is included in the price of the condo?tend to have the highest resale value of all three markets.

Recognizing the?”real value” of?each of these one bedroom markets is important and more important is, “What do you want that you don’t have now?”