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San Francisco International Film Festival 56

Held each Spring for 15 days, the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) is a glorious gathering of around 200 filmmakers from over 20 countries in this highly anticipated annual event that is a sparkling gem in the International Film Festival Circuit. Founded in 1957, the SFIFF is the longest running film festival in the Americas. Showcasing cinematic discovery and innovation with an emphasis on diversity, the International has earned an audience of more than 80,000 visitors annually. WIth loyal and passionate audiences, champions among civic and community leaders, admiration and close scrutiny by filmmakers and industry professionals, SFIFF is one of the most important events in the Bay Area’s cultural calendar.

Sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society, SFIFF is a celebration of film both as art and as an agent for social change. Featuring a bonanza of narrative feature films, animated shorts, live-action, television and theatrical documentaries, a variety of new digital media and experimental work, as well as industry panels and seminars, awards events, retrospectives and the Schools at the Festival program, this star-studded line-up of film appreciation promises, and delivers, an acclaimed stop along the International Film Festival circuit.

April 25th to May 10th, 2013.

For more information go to

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SF Cherry Blossom Parade – April 21, 2013

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April 21st, 2013 marks the final day of the Cherry Blossom Festival with a great display of art and community that is The Grand Parade. Featuring a number of honored performers from Japan, streams of colorful floats, world-renowned San Francisco Taiko Dojo’s thundering drums, traditionally costumed dancers, musicians, and the Taru Mikoshi (Shinto shrine), this celebration of Japanese heritage and tradition will flow like colorful butterflies from the Civic Center, proceeding up Polk to Post Street, and ending in Japantown at Post and Filmore Streets.

For two weekends leading up to the pageantry of the Grand Parade, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival features food booths, cultural performances, live bands, the annual Queen Program and more. Saturday and Sunday, April 13th and 14th, and the following Saturday and Sunday, April 20th and 21st, all are welcome to participate with some 300,000 other visitors in the 46th annual festivities. Said to be the second largest Cherry Blossom festival outside of Washington, D.C., this celebration is free to the public and an excellent opportunity to support and participate in Northern California’s Japanese American culture.

The Grand Parade commences at 1:00 PM PST, Sunday, April 21st, 2013 at City Hall and concludes in Japantown at about 3:00 PM.
Free to the public.

For more information, go to www.sfcherryblossom.org.
Questions about the grand parade can be submitted to [email protected].

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Noe & Eureka Valley charts

Updated numbers table and graph for houses in Noe & Eureka Valleys. Note that of the houses reporting square footage (which usually runs from 60%-75% of all sales), the average size dropped 12% in the 1st Quarter from 2012’s average size. This will typically affect dollar per square foot (increasing it, because smaller homes usually generate higher dollar per square foot values) as well as average sales price (lowering it because smaller houses sell for less). One quarter’s data is not definitive, though the trend upward is clear.

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Averages are very general statistics that may fluctuate for other reasons besides changes in value. There is no “average house” or “median house” consistent from year to year, of which sales can be annually compared to calculate exact changes in market values. Statistics are most useful for ascertaining market trends over the longer term.

The only way to assess the approximate fair market value of any particular house is by a comparative market analysis crafted to its particular – and in San Francisco, often relatively unique – specifications.

DOLLAR PER SQUARE FOOT ($/sqft) is based upon the home’s interior living space and does not include garages, unfinished attics and basements, rooms built without permit, lot size, or patios and decks — though all these can still add value to a home. These figures are usually derived from appraisals or tax records, but are sometimes unreliable or unreported altogether.

All things being equal, a house will sell for a higher dollar per square foot than a condo (due to land value), a condo higher than a TIC (quality of title), and a TIC higher than a multi-unit building (quality of use). Everything being equal, a smaller home will sell for a higher $/sqft than a larger one. However, all things are rarely equal in SF real estate. There are often surprisingly wide variations of value within neighborhoods and averages may be distorted by one or two sales substantially higher or lower than the norm, especially when the total number of sales is small. Exact location within a neighborhood, condition, curb appeal, amenities, parking, views, lot size & outdoor space all affect $/sqft home values.

All data is from sources deemed reliable, but may contain errors or omissions, and is subject to revision.

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April Newsletter: A Hot Market Getting Hotter

San Francisco: A Hot Market Getting Hotter

1st Quarter 2013 Market Report

In 2012, the market turned with a vengeance and grew very hot very quickly. Now in 2013 it has grown even hotter. Recent deal-making stories almost make the seemingly crazy, multiple-offer tales of last year appear sedate. The supply of listings is drastically low against buyer demand, and the pace of price appreciation looks to be accelerating. Some city neighborhoods appear to be surpassing the previous peak values reached in 2007-2008. As seen below, the first quarter’s numbers reveal big increases in home values year over year. And the month of March alone saw a particularly big jump of almost 9% above February’s median price.

March sales prices reflect the heat of the market 4-8 weeks earlier, when the offers were actually negotiated. Much of the first quarter’s sales data reflects offers negotiated in late 2012. In a rapidly changing market, we’re always looking in the rearview mirror.

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N2How Does Supply & Demand Affect Prices?
The past 18 months give a text book example of how the supply and demand dynamic affects home values. Months supply of inventory (MSI) measures the strength of buyer demand against the available inventory of homes to purchase: the lower the MSI, the hotter the market. The hotter the market, the greater the upward pressure on prices.

This link shows the details of the recent increases in median sales price:
SF Median Home Price by Month

N3Sales Prices Over & Under List Price
As the market has strengthened, the percentage of SF homes selling for over — and sometimes far over — list price, has soared to almost unbelievable levels. In the last 2 months, 30% of SF house sales have sold for 15% or more above asking price.

This link shows the huge decline in inventory since the market turnaround began. Typically, we see a surge in early spring. Not this year, at least not so far:
Inventory of Listings for Sale

N4Percentage of Listings Accepting Offers
This is another excellent indicator of demand vs. supply, and it is now at the highest levels in memory for virtually all property types.

This link goes to our chart on average days on market. Generally speaking, the hotter the market, the faster listings go into contract and that is what we are indeed seeing now:
Average Days on Market

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Real Data SF: San Francisco Prices by Neighborhood

Here’s our latest in-depth price survey by neighborhood and property type. We begin, above and immediately below, with the quintessential American dream: the 3 bedroom single family home. There were 445 sales spanning the five month period from September 2012 through February of this year, making this the second most popular property type in number of sales after two bedroom condos.

Continue reading “Real Data SF: San Francisco Prices by Neighborhood”

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Giants Opening Day – April 5, 2013

Play ball! 2012 World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants, meet the St. Louis Cardinals during their home opener at AT&T Park on April 5, 2013. People in the Bay Area love to see the Giants, and for good reason as the SF Giants are one of the premier teams in the entire league. With history in the Giants favor under the precedence of players such as Willie Mays and Barry Bonds, Opening Day promises to ignite the excitement of baseball lovers with fresh chalk lines, perfectly groomed turf, the thundering of cheers and astounding athleticism.

Chosen as the 2008 Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily, AT&T Park at 24 Willie Mays Plaza has many incredible features. Central location, breathtaking views, classic design, and the family friendly Coca-Cola Fan Lot provide a fully rounded experience of Major League Baseball. Feel what it is like to run the bases, play the game and enjoy the timeless icons of baseball at the Fan Lot, specifically designed for AT&T Park, the Giants, baseball fans and the community to further enhance the experience of a day at the ballpark.

April 5, 2013, 1:35 PM PST
24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco
Seat prices starting at $158.75.

For more information go to http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/ballpark/index.jsp.