Awesome MLS Photo - 01/31/11 11:36 AM
The MLS in San Francisco is the primary vehicle for getting the word out about your listing. Which is why it always astounds me when people are careless or do a poor job in presenting their property. Some homes are fixers, and that’s okay. There is much to be said for presenting a property as it is, and not being unrealistic or misleading in your advertising (which, for those of you keeping track would be a violation of the National Association of Realtor’s Code of Ethics). However, regardless of the home’s condition, it seems to me that a professional Realtor would take the time to check … (0 comments)

Real Estate Times Deathwatch: January 2011 - 01/26/11 01:58 PM
The Real Estate Times San Francisco is a local magazine advertisement that, in exchange for a hefty sum of coin, features real estate listings for sale in full-color glossy glory. When I started in the business, back in the dark ages of 2002, it was “the” place to have your listing advertised, even though print schedules often meant that by the time your house for sale in San Francisco was featured you had already received multiple offers.
Back in the day, Real Estate Times San Francisco was hundreds of pages long, and was probably 3/4″ thick. And then real estate agents finally got smart … (1 comments)

Guest Blog: Richmond District Neighborhood in San Francisco - 01/25/11 12:20 PM
I'm so excited and thrilled about today's post, written by Sarah B., the rockingest Richmond neighborhood blogger in San Francisco. She was gracious enough to share what she loves about life in the Richmond district of San Francisco. If you aren't already a fan of her blog, be sure to check it out on a regular basis and/or add it to your favorite RSS feed reader. Without further ado... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh the Richmond District. Yeah, it's nice. Sort of sleepy though. And sooo foggy!" Those are probably the most common characterizations that I hear about my neighborhood when I meet people … (0 comments)

Millennium Tower San Francisco Spiderman/SpiderDan Update - 01/24/11 03:43 PM
Back in September, Dan Goodwin aka SpiderDan, was arrested for using suction cups to scale the San Francisco Millennium Tower. Yes, that same Millennium Tower that we’ve written about on several occasions, including the City Residences, Residences, and Grand Residences. Millennium Tower San Francisco
His trial for three misdemeanor charges started last Thursday. He is charged with being a public nuisance, delaying or obstructing arrest, and trespassing. He claims he is fighting the charges to bring awareness to skyscraper safety issues, and points out that his arrest at the top of the Millennium Tower was delayed because firefighters had to wait for the building’s security manager … (0 comments)

We Conquer the 49 Mile Scenic Drive in San Francisco - 01/21/11 11:10 AM
The 49 Mile Scenic Drive in San Francisco. Known for it's iconic signs that are scattered across San Francisco in seemingly random locations, it turns out that it is one heck of a long drive. The San Francisco department for getting you to come leave your money with us has a good description and overview of the 49 mile scenic drive: The 49 mile scenic drive was created in 1938 by the Downtown Association to highlight the city’s beauty and to promote it as a tourist destination. The route was also created as a way for visitors to see The City … (0 comments)

What is a California Redevelopment Agency? - 01/20/11 12:42 PM
What is a California Redevelopment Agency? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have heard that California has both a major budget deficit and a new governor. One of the proposals to balance the California budget from our new Governor, Jerry Brown, (full disclosure, I voted for him) is to eliminate California Redevelopment Agencies. There have been quite a number of San Francisco projects that have been funded by these agencies, and until I heard about the budget proposal I had really never given much thought to what they are. And why eliminating them would be a good or bad thing. … (0 comments)

Big and Little in the Excelsior, San Francisco - 01/19/11 07:10 PM
Following up from the post about Excelsior 2010 market statistics, I thought it might be fun to look at the biggest house that sold in the Excelsior neighborhood, as well as the smallest house to sell in the Excelsior in 2010.
For those of you with an excellent memory, you may recall that the smallest house came in at just 540 square feet and sold for over asking after about a month on the market. Located at 717 Paris, according to city records this tiny litte Excelsior house had no permitted bedrooms or bathrooms, but the structure was legal! And from the … (0 comments)

Whole Foods Haight Ashbury Gets the Neighborhood Welcome - 01/19/11 07:06 PM
Well, that sure didn’t take long. Whole Foods Haight Ashbury, not yet even open for business in the Haight, has already been welcomed to the neighborhood in a very Haight kind of way. Driving through the Haight yesterday on broker’s tour, I noticed that the building has already been tagged with graffiti. The picture below is of the north wall along Haight street, but there was also graffiti on the front of the building, even though it is fenced off and under “24 hour video surveillance.”
Haight Ashbury Whole Foods
I really hope that this doesn’t become a common problem for the Whole … (0 comments)

Excelsior, San Francisco 2010 Market Statistics - 01/18/11 01:28 PM
The Excelsior neighborhood consists almost entirely of single family homes. In 2010, there were 107 sales of homes in the Excelsior, and all but two of those sales were of single family homes. And for the most recently ended year, what would describe the average homes in the neighborhood?
2010 Sales Statistics for the Excelsior
Statistically average homes in the neighborhood had two bedrooms, one bathroom, 1,200 square feet of living space and listed for $499,000 and sold for just slightly over the list price. The median days on market was 39 days.
What was the smallest home sold in the Excelsior neighborhood … (0 comments)

3 Great Things about Houses in the Excelsior - 01/17/11 02:01 PM
The Excelsior neighborhood in San Francisco is a quiet neighborhood of predominantly single family homes located on the south eastern side of the city. Homes tend to be a little more affordable (for a San Francisco neighborhood), and this area became more popular as buyers began getting priced out of Bernal Heights around 2005. Some buyers feel it is too far and remote, but others feel as though they’ve found a hidden gem. If the Excelsior neighborhood is on your radar, here are three great things about houses in this San Francisco neighborhood. Excelsior street sign by Whole Wheat Toast on Flickr
1) … (0 comments)

Meet McLaren Park in San Francisco, CA - 01/17/11 02:00 PM
McLaren park, immediately to the east of the Excelsior district, is San Francisco’s second largest park after Golden Gate park. Even though it ranks just behind Golden Gate park in size, it lags miles behind in popularity. It was originally proposed by Daniel Burnham in the Burnham Plan published in 1905 but the vision didn’t become reality until 1934. Progress always seems to have been slow going since the first recreation facility didn’t open in the park until 1958. John McLaren Park
 
The long neglected stepchild of San Francisco outdoor space, McLaren park has over 300 acres of park space, and … (0 comments)

3 Great Things about Houses in Glen Park, San Francisco - 01/16/11 12:53 PM
Glen Park is a quiet neighborhood just to the south of Noe Valley in the central area of San Francisco. The houses and lots are often a bit smaller than those found in neighboring Noe Valley, so they tend to be more affordable. The neighborhood also offers great access to recreation and transportation, particularly for those that commute to the South Bay or Silicon Valley. It also has a reputation as a neighborhood that is a little more low-key and laid back than some of the surrounding neighborhoods. You’ll also find it be a neighborhood filled with plenty of dogs! Glen Park … (0 comments)

3 Great Things about Houses in Pacific Heights - 01/16/11 12:51 PM
Ah, Pacific Heights, San Francisco. The neighborhood that was home to the most expensive sale in 2010. Home to Billionaire Row, alleged to be the wealthiest block in the world . The fact that one of the 9 most expensive homes belongs to the owner of Add-A-Garage should tell you something about how valuable parking spots are in San Francisco! Also found along the row are houses belonging to heirs from the fortunes of Weyerhaeuser, Levi Strauss, Getty Oil and University of Phoenix (to name but four). Pacific Heights, San Francisco
So what is there to love about houses in Pacific Heights, other than their sheer … (3 comments)

3 Great Things about Houses in Cole Valley San Francisco - 01/16/11 12:48 PM
Cole Valley is a sweet little neighborhood tucked in the southeastern shadow of Mt. Sutro in San Francisco. On a San Francisco MLS map, you would find it described as Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights. There’s a lot to love about living in Cole Valley. The weather is fairly mild and sunny, with a geography that shelters it from the fog fairly successfully. It’s also within walking distance to Golden Gate Park, Kezar Stadium, UCSF Parnassus Campus, the Haight, and offers good public transit access to downtown via the N-Judah as well as several bus stops. The neighborhood consists of a mix of single-family houses, … (0 comments)

High/Low San Francisco Listings for Week of January 14, 2011 - 01/14/11 12:31 PM
Happy foggy San Francisco Friday Morning my dear readers! This week's high/low game includes a Nob Hill headscratcher. The most expensive new listing in San Francisco real estate (per the MLS) is listed as a 4 unit building in Nob Hill with an asking price of $7,500,000. The headscratcher part is that it is a 4 unit condominium building, so each condominium has its own San Francisco APN (assessor's parcel number) for tax purposes, so each unit could separately be sold, and while all 4 condos are for sale, (currently registered to two different legal entities, but they share the same PO … (0 comments)

What a Structural Pest Inspection Report Looks Like in San Francisco - 01/13/11 12:46 PM
This week we've looked at both the property inspection contingency as well as the structural pest inspection contingency. Today I'm going to share with you an actual San Francisco structural pest inspection report. I've blurred out the property specific information, but the format of the report is consistent. They can be a bit confusing to read, so it is helpful to understand how they are structured before you find the home that you really care about!
The pest inspection report that is reproduced below was performed by a reputable San Francisco inspection company with a long track record of work in San Francisco. The property … (0 comments)

San Francisco Structural Pest Inspections - 01/12/11 03:48 PM
Yesterday, I looked at paragraph 12A in the San Francisco Real Estate purchase contract. That’s the paragraph that gives a buyer the right to inspect the property to their heart’s content, and walk away from the purchase if they aren’t satisfied with the condition of the property or aren’t able to come to a new understanding with the seller after the inspections disclose additional (unknown) information. Today we look at paragraphs 12C and 12D, in which the buyer either stipulates a structural pest control inspection contingency (12C) or waives their right to one (12D). San Francisco Structural Pest Inspection Contingency
If you are … (0 comments)

Alamo Square Mansion History - 01/11/11 06:57 PM
Thinking of an Alamo Square Mansion? The area bounded by Golden Gate Avenue, Divisadero, Webster Street and Fell Street is formally designated as the Alamo Square Historic District.  If you are thinking of an iconic San Francisco mansion, you are probably thinking of something in Alamo Square. The mansion in the title credits of “Full House” sits directly off of Alamo Square park, and was listed last year by a Zephyr agent. It was originally listed for sale at a price of $3,999,999 and when it was withdrawn the asking price was $2,950,000. No word on if it will be back this year, but … (1 comments)

San Francisco Real Estate Contracts: Meet the Property Inspection Contingency - 01/11/11 01:28 PM
Disclaimer: Real Estate transactions are governed by a contract. I am not an attorney, nor am I qualified or attempting to give legal advice. This blog post looks at one specific contract (published by the SFAR) and I discuss how the property inspection contingency generally works in San Francisco real estate transactions. This post is not intended to be nor is it a substitute for legal advice, and if you are currently in a deal, there may be specific circumstances, documents or agreements that modify the operation of this contingency. Do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Brush your … (0 comments)

High/Low Listings for Week of January 7, 2011 - 01/08/11 01:03 PM
Welcome to 2011. If reading about the 10 most expensive houses of 2010 is too depressing and/or unbalanced, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to the weekly high/low game that looks at the most expensive and least expensive San Francisco houses newly listed for sale in the San Francisco MLS. Let’s jump right in and take a look at the least expensive home: For the low low (for San Francisco) price of $195,000 you could be the next owner of a short sale condominium that is currently tenant occupied and offers 492 square feet of living space with monthly HOA dues of $343/month. … (0 comments)

2010 Most Expensive Homes Sold in San Francisco - 01/07/11 02:21 PM
Inspired by Ginger Wilcox and a Zephyr Premiere luxury real estate meeting on Friday morning, I decided to take a look at the 10 most expensive homes sold in 2010 in San Francisco, as reported in either the San Francisco MLS or the county of San Francisco tax records (provided by Realist). Many high end luxury sales in San Francisco are private transactions that are either never reported in the MLS, or are reported as a “comps only” after the sale  has closed, but never actively listed through the multiple listing service.
2600 Pacific Ave.
You won’t be surprised to find that Pacific … (2 comments)

San Francisco Property Tax Informal Review/Appeal process FAQ - 01/06/11 02:01 PM
The city of San Francisco assessor's office (the tax man cometh) has just posted their FAQ about how to go about an informal review of your San Francisco property tax valuation for the 2011 - 2012 tax year.The following information is taken directly from the FAQ posted at the assessor-recorder's website. This is the process to follow in San Francisco. Don't be fooled by scams you may receive in the mail!


SAN FRANCISCO ASSESSOR-RECORDER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 2011-2012 INFORMAL REVIEWS
Q1:  I BELIEVE THE MARKET VALUE OF MY PROPERTY IS LESS THAN MY CURRENT ASSESSED VALUE. HOW DO I … (1 comments)

A Nip ‘n Tuck at 88 King Street in South Beach - 01/04/11 02:10 PM
Ah, the agonies of aging. Or, for those of you not feeling so charitable, the agonies of what some would describe asquick-and-questionable construction. Either way, as I was driving by 88 King St - The Towers at Embarcadero South yesterday I noticed that there was a lot activity on the exterior of the building, more cranes, pulleys, and workers than you would expect for a simple window wash!
(click on any photo below for a larger image)
Additional Exterior ViewWide View of 88 King St.88 King ExteriorNot 88 King, But What??? 88 King St., also known as The Towers at Embarcadero South, is a condominium … (2 comments)

Home improvments that add value in San Francisco - 01/03/11 01:08 PM
I’m starting the new year off with a new account over at quora. Today’s question is: “What should I do to increase the value of my San Francisco home?” and my answer is as follows:
Well, that depends on how much you want to spend! If you are considering major home improvements or remodeling, as a general rule in San Francisco, kitchen and bath makeovers will give you the biggest return on your investment when you sell. However, that assumes you will be selling your home within a short time-frame of completing the home improvement. Remodeling now with a plan to sell … (0 comments)

 
2006_matt_britton

Matt Fuller & Britton Jackson ...

San Francisco, CA

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Zephyr Real Estate

Address: 4200 17th St. , San Francisco, CA, 94114

Cell Phone: (415) 203-1745

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