Category: San Francisco

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The 2015 San Francisco Real Estate Wrap-Up

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Happy New Year everyone!  San Francisco residential real estate recorded another year of double-digit appreciation last year.  Our Chief Market Analyst has been busy slicing and dicing the data every which-way, and has created over 20 charts that serve up the market from soup to nuts (which, is exactly how some people view it!).  You can experience the full meal at Paragon Real Estate Group’s main website.  I’m doing the prix fixe menu here for those with less time and/or appetite.

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“Bubble” or “Breather”: Whither San Francisco’s Home Market?

image001Just a few days ago, The San Francisco Business Times reported that a third of the national housing experts surveyed by Zillow described the Bay Area’s housing market as being currently in a bubble. Here’s the table that shows how the experts came out on the “bubble” question, courtesy of Pulsenomics, who conducted the survey for Zillow.

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It’s Now a Buyers’ Market for Higher End Homes and Condos

“Months’ Supply of Inventory,” or MSI, shows the theoretical number of months needed to “absorb” available homes for sale in a given month based on the number of homes going into contract in a given month. The shorter the time period, the stronger the market for sellers, leading to upward pricing pressure.  Longer time periods indicate slower absorption and a buyers’ market.

The chart below illustrates the dramatic difference in MSI for homes up to the median price ($1.3 million for houses, $1.1 million for condos) and in the next price segment higher, versus the luxury home segment, defined here as houses selling for $2,000,000+ and condos for $1,500,000+. (By this definition, luxury sales currently make up about 20% of San Francisco’s home sales.)
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Cheat Sheets for (Almost) Everything You Wanted to Know About Rent Control, Owner Move-In Evictions, and Condo Conversion in San Francisco

“June Gloom” has arrived in San Francisco. We’re talking about the weather, not the housing market, though buyers may well continue to feel gloomy as the market shows no signs of letting up. Both condo and home prices continue to hit record highs, with the average home selling for 10% over the original asking price.

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There may be a typical summer slowdown (reflected in the trailing drop in third quarter numbers above) as the Continue reading “Cheat Sheets for (Almost) Everything You Wanted to Know About Rent Control, Owner Move-In Evictions, and Condo Conversion in San Francisco”

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Great Dickens Christmas Fair – December 22, 2013

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The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind holiday adventure into Victorian London – an elaborate party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over 120,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors and Christmas shops.

It’s a twilight evening in Charles Dickens’ London Town; a city of winding lanes filled with colorful characters from both literature and history. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with Christmas gifts. The Dickens Christmas Fair is a treasured Bay Area tradition since 1970 and a splendid way to celebrate the holidays.

Four weekends including the Friday after Thanksgiving: November 29th through December 22nd, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM PST
Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, San Francisco
General Admission, $25. Student/Senior/Military, $21. Children 5-11, $12. Children Under 5, Free. Groups of 15 or more, $17. Pickwick Club (Fair season pass), $60.

For more information go to www.dickensfair.com/

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Union Square Tree Lighting

The 24th annual Union Square Tree Lighting on November 22nd, 2013, featuring Macy’s gift to the City of San Francisco and most recognizable Christmas tree. The 83-foot tall, reusable tree will be dressed with 33,000 energy-efficient twinkling LED lights.

One of the prettiest features of winter and Christmas in San Francisco is the lighting – lights on buildings, on trees and in windows, which look even better as the nights get longer and colder. When the light diplays switch on (starting the week before Thanksgiving) you know it’s the onset of the holiday season.

Friday, November 22nd, 2013
Union Square, San Francisco – located between Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets