San Francisco, Peninsula & Marin off-lease dog havens may become significantly smaller under GGNRA proposal
Doggy heaven as we know it may become significantly more limited in space! My recollection is that GGNRA has gone down this road a couple times before. Take a look at the proposed reduction in off leash areas at 19 GGNRA parks; there is a significant reduction in off leash space.
In a city where there are more dogs then children I can only imagine if these proposals are implemented how much more crowded these off leash areas will be if dogs are confined to smaller off leash space. Hopefully a balance can be struck between preserving this open space & accommodating the various park users.
Concerned about losing your dog's favorite romping grounds? Now is the time to get involved!! Here is a petition circulating to sign in opposition of this proposal:
There are demographic changes that have been in motion for several years that you've likely been aware of if you've lived in S.F. for any period of time. For those who are curious about neighborhood demographics this is an interesting read. I wasn't aware that Golden Gate Park had such a large homeless population.....
What changes have you seen in your 'hood?
The SF Examiner:
The latest U.S. census data confirms much of what we knew about already San Francisco. That white hipsters are displacing Hispanics in the Mission. That Asians are now as common as blacks in the Bayview. And that the population in the South of Market area has exploded.
But the numbers also contain surprises. That Chinatown is becoming less Asian. That Treasure Island is the most diverse neighborhood in The City. And that if you count the homeless community in Golden Gate Park as its own neighborhood, it becomes the second-whitest neighborhood in the county.
Among the trends highlighted by a San Francisco Examiner analysis of census data by neighborhood for the past 20 years is that Caucasians are concentrating in the center of The City: The Mission district, Haight-Ashbury, Nob Hill, Potrero Hill, Chinatown, Russian Hill and the Western Addition have all seen increases in white populations.
Meanwhile, the neighborhoods on The City’s southern and western periphery are generally getting less white and more Asian and Hispanic. The Outer Mission, Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, the Sunset and Parkside are a few neighborhoods where these trends are prominent.
Moving to the S.F. Bay Area with a dog or cat? Tips on how to make your rental app stand out for a pet-friendly rental
Planning a move to San Francisco or surrounding regions & you have a dog? Here are a few tips to help your rental application stand out from your competition. (Side note: typically it's easier to find cat friendly rentals, so this post is more geared to dog owners but will be helpful for cat owners as well)
If possible, bring your pup to the showing (you may want to confirm in advance what the owner/showing agent prefers). I like to meet dogs in person & again ideally at a park to confirm he/she is socialized especially if the rental is in close proximity to other dog owners coming & going (on leash) in the common areas.
Sometimes meeting in person is not possible especially when one is moving from another state. In those situations, I ask potential applicants to email me photos, pet references & a dog resume.
In general, your app will stand out if you can provide the above, including details on your dog's exercise schedule & if you will be hiring a dog walker if you don't work from home & are away for more than ~6 hours. A tired dog is a happy dog which I know from personal experience as a 2 dog owner as well as from owning pet-friendly rentals since 1997.
There is the mis-conception that large dogs can be more problematic & higher demand then small dogs. Large dogs actually sleep more & need less exercise than small dogs (depending on the breed). It's always unfortunate to see condos & rentals that have size restrictions.
I do understand breed restrictions, typically those dogs that tend have the reputation of being more aggressive since some insurance policies won't insure properties with specific breeds & there can be more liability/risk for a property owner & other residents.
If you are a property owner considering going pet-friendly, I'm happy to talk offline about best practices. In my 14 years of renting dog-friendly rentals I've never had to deduct from security deposits for pet damage but I also have systems in place that work really well.
With any dog moving to a new home, it's quite typical for he/she to be nervous/stressed with the change which can result in temporary nervous barking as Fido gets used to new surroundings, sounds, etc. This is normal & to be expected; I always let existing renters know when a new dog is moving in so they are prepared for this temporary nervous barking.
Some non-pet friendly rentals may be open to renting to a dog owner with the offer of a larger security deposit. I personally indicate that the entire security deposit in the lease docs can be applicable for either pet or human damage.
Craigslist is usually the best place to locate S.F. Bay Area rentals; the SPCA website also has a list of pet-friendly buildings & sample pet resumes.
You can always check in with me to see if I have any vacancies or new rental listings coming up. If you have tips to share please pass along. Best wishes in the move!
San Francisco: Portola district home market sales activity
The full report for Portola district single family home sales 2010/2011 comparison can be downloaded at the link below.
A few highlights include that inventory has come down quite a bit from 2010 to 3.8 months of inventory. A balanced market is considered 6 months of inventory; more than 6 months is a buyer's market; less than 6 months is a seller's market. (Click on each chart to zoom in)
While there are certainly more buyers out than in 2010 & median price has inched up, days on market is long at 80+ days. As always, accurate pricing is critical otherwise one is chasing the market & buyers with price reductions.
Bank owned (REO's; real estate owned) & short sales (SS) are still a part of this district as broken down in the under contract data.
Based on what the media portrays which is reporting on data at the national & statewide level, it's really important to analyze data at the micro-market/specific neighborhood detail.
San Francisco has some micro-markets that are doing quite well (IE: Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, Noe Valley) where buyers are dealing with multiple offers & properties are going into contract within 7-14 days if they are priced well.
I'm happy to answer any questions about sales trends in this neighborhood or other areas of interest.
About Portola as provided by Zephyr Real Estate:
The Portola area was named for Don Gaspar de Portola - an explorer in 1769 who was charged with finding Monterey Bay. He overshot his target and stumbled upon San Francisco Bay instead. In the early 1900s it remained mostly agricultural with cattle grazing on the hills, and produce and flower gardens near what is now the 101.
Today, the Portola neighborhood is approximately one square mile in size with a high percentage of owner-occupied single-family homes. Residents can be found taking a stroll through McLaren Park or shopping along San Bruno Avenue- home to a variety of eateries, markets, bakeries, many schools, churches, a business strip and the groundbreaking Family Connections community resource center. Family Connections was established in Portola in 1993 and exists to develop healthy families, thriving communities and opportunities to share cultures, values, knowledge and resources.
Arts & Crafts inspired Redwood Shores condo for sale, San Mateo County, CA
Kiteboarders at 3rd Avenue, San Mateo
Welcome to the Redwood Shores lifestyle. Bay trails, nature & water abound; there is easy 101 access to S.F., SFO, Caltrain & SiliconValley. For outdoor activities, there are world class kite boarding & windsurfing spots, paddle boarding, sailing & biking/walking trails on the bay.
Oracle is just down the block-what a short commute!
This top floor, 2 level spacious & bright Arts & Crafts inspired condo has a master bedroom suite including a small deck in addition to a private main deck overlooking beautifully landscaped grounds & a lagoon.Heath Ceramics themed bathrooms, a beautiful custom Arts & Crafts fireplace surround as well as custom A & C wall paper make this end unit stand out.
Perfect for the buyer who wants a low maintenance, stylish, inviting home.
In addition to the Red Cross, the following are recommended reputable agencies involved in helping Japan. Thank you Zephyr Real Estate for compiling this list & for donating $1000.
I will be donating at least $150 from my next 5 escrows to these agencies.
What is your pledge?
This tragedy certainly is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have the basics: food, shelter & heat.
Living Social raised $2.3M in a matter of days by matching $5 donations. The power of community!
At long last San Mateo County communities will have single stream recycling & composting of food waste service available!
Great news! Recologywill be the new service provider for garbage, recycling and compost pick up for San Mateo County residents. Under the current service, pick up of recyclables happens bi-monthly which means multiple bins fill up & sit at the side of our house. Residents also have to sort paper from metals/plastics and pick up of compostable food waste is not a provided service.
As a former San Francisco resident up until 2004, I've been sorely missing this type of compost/recycling program which SF has had in place for several years.
The following as provided by the City of Burlingame e-newsletter. If you live on The Peninsula or near Caltrain & haven't been following this project (especially if you own property in San Mateo or Santa Clara County), here is your chance to stay in the loop.
This is one of several meetings that communities along the train corridor are hosting.
The Community Coalition on High Speed Rail (CC-HSR) will present an informational program on High Speed Rail and Eminent Domain. You're invited! As many of you know, the California High Speed Rail Authority is proposing to build an elevated structure between San Jose and San Francisco along the present Caltrain corridor.
If that proposal comes to pass (and it's not a "done deal" yet, and CC-HSR and other groups are fighting it), the Authority will need to take property from private parties along portions of the corridor. Some takings will be permanent but others will be for construction purposes only. In either event, these takings will have a significant impact on Peninsula homes and businesses.
Eminent domain attorney Andrew J. Turner, Turner & Turner, P.C., will be our guest speaker. Mr. Turner will provide a brief overview of the eminent domain laws as they relate to residential and commercial properties in California. In addition, Gary A. Patton, Of Counsel, Wittwer & Parkin, LLP, will provide updates on the Community Coalition's efforts to force the Authority to 'do it right' or not to do it at all.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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