If you are considering buying a home in San Francisco, budgeting for your monthly housing payment will include budgeting for property taxes. The primary determinant of your tax bill will be the purchase price of your property, which is taxed at about a rate of .0118%/year. A substantial addition to these bills for some homes […]

Escrow or Impound? Some loan scenarios require the buyer to have an impound account with their mortgage. These impound accounts are often also referred to as escrows or escrow accounts, but these escrows aren’t those escrows. For other loans, an impound/escrow account is an option. What is an impound account and should you get one? […]

We are often asked by buyers considering a condo, TIC, or stock cooperative purchase if they will be able to use their new home as a short-term rental. The answer is almost always: No, no you may not.    Short Term Rentals in SF Condos, TICs, Stock Cooperatives The use of your home in a […]

San Francisco homes for sale in 2023 have a story that goes with them, from the home to the neighborhood to the people that developed and built it to all of its past owners. Some of those stories are recently written, like the newly developed Mission Bay neighborhood. Other neighborhoods, like St. Francis Wood or […]

Last week, I had a chance to tour The Bristol on Yerba Buena Island. The 124 residences of The Bristol offer panoramic views of Clipper Cove and the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, with a landscaped open-air courtyard that provides an escape from the energy of the city. Featuring thoughtful design by Hart Howerton […]

I had a private tour of the construction progress at Yerba Buena Island, as well as a preview of the towers to come that recently began construction on Treasure Island. I am happy to report things are happening over on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, and they are happening quickly. For example, Treasure Island’s […]

Meet the Interior Bedroom It’s pretty well known that real estate professionals; developers, builders, and agents can be optimistic and exuberant when marketing their properties. A layout I’d never seen in two decades debuted around 2015 at The Rockwell, a condo building in Lower Pacific Heights. Residence 901 was the first two-bedroom layout I’d seen […]

… in this case, sometimes both things can be true! In the Bay Area, gates and barriers protecting the entrances to our homes and condominiums are necessary and sometimes frustrating parts of daily life. Keeping doorways and entrance areas safe for public egress, and making sure Amazon and other packages have a safe place to […]

The homes on Belgrave Avenue in Cole Valley did not exist until developed as part of the Clarendon Heights neighborhood on the northern slope of Twin Peaks. Why does Cole Street dead-endsat the base of a rocky cliff while Stanyan and Shrader dead-end at a two-block street that goes from a hike/bike trailhead at Sutro […]

Everyone has been asking me what’s up with the market, will SF and bay area housing prices drop? While I have no crystal ball, this is what I know: Real estate is exceptional (unlike other goods), and real estate stats eventually reduce to the three basics of  how many, how much, and how long: How […]

From venetians to victorians, terrazzo tile has been in and out of style more times than San Francisco has foggy days and bad press on Fox-aganda “news”. What is Terrazzo? Terrazzo tile is a low-maintenance material that is: A composite made from types of stone such as marble, granite, quartz, glass, and more… Held together […]

There are many factors to consider when you buy a house. Price…location…school district…type of loan…  One more issue you’ll want to understand before you buy in California: Mello Roos. Understanding Mello Roos is critical if you’re new to the area, and come from a part of the country that doesn’t have the same kinds of rules, […]