You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for January 2009

FHA Loans Cover Condos

January 30, 2009 By 1 Comment

Though Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans cover single-family homes and multi-unit buildings, these loans include condos, too. The loan amount maximum is $625,500, and you can obtain a loan with as little as three percent down.

However, the condo must be located in an FHA-approved building. So what buildings are approved? Here’s a partial list:

Arterra (300 Berry, Mission Bay)
Baycrest (201 Harrison, South Beach)
Candlestick Point, The Cove (301 Crescent, South SF)
Diamond Heights Village (115 Red Rock Way, Diamond Heights)
Dolores Plaza (15th Street, Mission Dolores)
Goldmine Hill (Ora Way, Diamond Heights)
McAllister Mews (Western Addition)
Parkview Commons (Carl and Arguello, Cole Valley)
Symphony Towers (750 Van Ness, Van Ness Corridor)

Keep in mind that, according to my loan guru, Sue Ballinger at Guarantee Mortgage, the loan limits are set for the year, but will change on December 31st. However, many lenders begin the loan limit change in November if the maximum is lowered.

Filed Under: Condos, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: , ,

First-Time Home Buyers Snap Up Deals

January 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The past month’s sales figures are an excellent indicator of how the market is doing for single-family homes. Here are a few quick updates:

Total Houses Sold: 59

Number Sold Under Asking Price: 36

Number Sold At Asking: 4

Number Sold Above Asking: 19

Average Sale Price: $747,231

Though sales were scattered across many neighborhoods, a bulk were centered on the Bayview/Excelsior/Visitacion Valley/Portola/Silver Terrace areas, which had an average sales price of $488,270.

Only nine single-family homes sold for above $1M. I’m thinking there are quite a lot of first-time buyers out there using the market to their advantage.

Filed Under: Market News Tagged With:

Buyers Just Not That Into Luxury TICs

January 27, 2009 By 2 Comments

church Got a luxury tenancy-in-common (TIC) building you’re ready to sell? Keep this in mind: Buyers are just not into luxury TICs these days.

TICs were traditionally a way for first-time home buyers to get into the housing market. So TICs priced well above $1M are facing particular challenges.

Case in point: 1278-1282 Church in Noe Valley. These three TIC interests hit the market in July 2008. Though the developer did a great job with the floor plans and finishes, the property has had poor sales luck. The two-level unit with the deeded yard sold for under the $1,395,000 asking price in September. But the other two units were withdrawn in December. (Both had accepted offers at one point, but the contracts fell out.)

The top unit is back on the market for $1,165,000, but the owners haven’t officially brought the middle unit on; they may rent that out if no buyers materialize. Its last official price was $1,179,000.

But in an age of loan defaults and job losses, do buyers want to be on title with other owners? Condo prices are dropping, and buyers have their pick of units in this price range (not to mention houses). Though many TICs did sell for above $1M over the past year, many more such listings have been withdrawn.

Filed Under: TIC's & Multi-Unit Bldgs Tagged With: ,

New Resource for Homeowners

January 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The San Francisco Realtor Association recently launched a great new online resource for homeowners, called San Francisco Bay Window. The site contains more than 130 articles on issues such as property taxes, insurance, and home maintenance, as well as background on neighborhoods. There’s also a government section that provides descriptions of legislative proposals and ballot measures that affect the interests of property owners at the local, state, and federal levels.

Filed Under: Home Owner Tips Tagged With:

Dearborn Duo Languishes

January 22, 2009 By 1 Comment

I stopped in this week at two condos on Dearborn Street in Mission Dolores that were a few doors apart. Both have been sitting on the market, which is surprising given the very popular location: 26dearborn 26 Dearborn is a 2BR/1BA unit with less than 1,000 square feet and no parking space. It’s a first-floor unit that feels a bit cramped and dark, listed at $599,000. Last sold in 2005 for $560,000, the owners are now relocating and need to sell. (Update: 26 Dearborn sold for $550,000 in April 2009.)

38dearborn Over at 38 Dearborn, things are a little brighter. Though the unit is technically smaller than that of 26 Dearborn, this 2BR/1BA seems more spacious. You also get your own garage. Asking price is $649,000, down from $679,000 when it first came on the market in December 2008.

Filed Under: Mission Tagged With:

Santa Rosa Returns

January 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

santa-rosa1 After coming on the market in November 2008 and going in and out of contract, 212 Santa Rosa is back on the market at its holding-strong list price of $649,000.

This 2BR/1BA house in the popular Mission Terrace neighborhood definitely has potential. Big-ticket items are the $35,000 pest work, asbestos removal from the ceiling, and a kitchen remodel. But the average price of a two-bedroom home in the neighborhood is about $620,000 (based on sales from Oct 1, 2008 to today). So if you factor in anywhere from $50,000-$100,000 worth of work on probably the low end—I’m not factoring in all the odds and ends that the contractor report indicated—the list price is probably too high.

But as with all homes on the market, this one is likely ripe for negotiation (especially given the fact that it’s a probate sale). For the right price, the project could be a sound one—especially given its prime Mission Terrace location.

Filed Under: Bernal/Excelsior Tagged With:

Noe Fixer For $1.1M

January 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

douglass I saw 884 Douglass on my Tuesday broker tour last week, and thought it was a great project house. Given the overall size, and the fact that the the 4BR/1BA floorplan is reasonable and intact, a good down-to-the-studs situation may be in order, with plumbing/electrical system upgrades, and the addition of a bath or two. But you don’t have to necessarily expand horizontally or vertically, so you could probably get permits fairly easily. In fact, the neighbors and the Building Department would appreciate the improvements. And the location within Noe is excellent. We will wait and see who has the financial means to purchase the property and complete the renovation. My guess is it will be an owner occupier.

Update: 884 Douglass sold for $1,050,000 in February 2009.

Filed Under: Noe/Eureka Valley Tagged With: ,

Cow Hollow Hideaway

January 19, 2009 By 2 Comments

14harris 14 Harris Place isn’t stunning to see from the curb, but the home has been featured in various design books in the past. Situated at the end of a small street off Laguna between Filbert and Greenwich, this 3BR/2.5BA home has a master suite on the third floor with partial views of Angel Island and Mount Tam. There’s an open floor plan with a loft-like feel, and the living room has 17′ ceilings and looks out through walls of glass at a private garden with hot tub. The price tag for all this? $2,150,000. The property last sold in 1999 for $525,000.

Filed Under: Cow Hollow Tagged With:

Market Update: Bernal, Mission, Potrero

January 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With a penchant for warm weather, Bernal Heights, The Mission, and Potrero Hill are popular among first-time home buyers. Here’s a look at the price averages in these neighborhoods over the last quarter of 2008:

Bernal Heights
Single-Family Homes
$827,877 (25 sold)

Condos
$641,333 (6 sold)

The Mission
Single-Family Homes
$690,220 (4 sold)

Condos
$638,545 (11 sold)
Take note: The most expensive condo sold was a 3BR/2BA, top-floor condo built in 2000, on Capp at 22nd Street with one-car parking.

Potrero Hill
Single-Family Homes
$811,250 (4 sold)

Condos
$619,677 (21 sold)
Take note: The 888 7th Street development represented many of the 21 condo sales in the past quarter. The highest-priced condo was a two-story 3BR/2BA unit on San Bruno Avenue (right opposite 280) that was listed at $869,000 and sold for $920,000 in early October.

Filed Under: Bernal/Excelsior, Mission, Potrero/Dogpatch Tagged With: , ,

2200 Mission: A Hit with First-Time Buyers

January 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I toured the recently opened 2200 Mission building, at 18th Street. Though the 23-unit property won’t win any architectural awards, you get pretty good square footage for the money. The building has one- to four-bedroom units, some with private patio areas (though in a few cases, you can’t access those deeded areas from your actual unit). If you can score a unit on the fifth floor, you can actually get some views, and avoid seeing eye-to-eye with some of the less attractive properties at the intersection. Many of the units feature bedrooms which face Mission Street; for some prospective buyers, the noise level will likely be too abrasive. But if you’re looking for reasonably priced units in a very central, urban area, 2200 Mission’s got it goin’ on. There was a steady stream of foot traffic in and out of the building during the first Sunday open house, and a few of the units are already in contract. Prices range from $449,000 for a one-bedroom with parking, to four-bedroom units starting at $674,000.

Filed Under: Mission Tagged With:

Market Update: The Sunset

January 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Here’s a look at the price averages for the three areas of the Sunset in the last quarter. Though the Sunset neighborhoods can feel a bit out of the way and foggy, you can find some of the best values there.

Inner Sunset
Single-Family Homes
$1,001,667 (6 sold)
Take note: House prices remained very reasonable in the Inner Sunset in the last quarter. A lovely 3BR/2BA home with two-car parking at 4th Avenue and Hugo sold at its $1,195,000 asking price.

Condos
$754,600 (5 sold)

Central Sunset
Single-Family Homes
$826,854 (15 sold)
Take note: The Central Sunset saw many homes change hands, with a bulk of the selling prices ranging from the mid-$700,000s to $800,000s.

Condos
None sold

Outer Sunset
Single-Family Homes
$703,167 (12 sold)
Take note: Most house sales in this past quarter were in the $600,000-$700,000 range.

Condos
$665,000 (1 sold)
Take note: The sole condo sale took place at 45th Ave and Lincoln, where a new-construction, 3BR/2BA, first-floor condo in a two-unit building sold for $34,000 under its asking price after 122 days on market.

Filed Under: Sunset/Parkside Tagged With:

$10M for Your Own Castle

January 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

One of the most interesting listings out there right now is over at 601 Dolores, opposite Dolores Park. This 9,690-square foot historic church was purchased in October 2007 for $2,210,000 with the full disclosure that the building involved unreinforced masonry, an order of abatement, and a pending lawsuit.

It’s now a pocket listing of sorts, and can’t be found on the Multiple Listing Service just yet. With an asking price of $9,950,000, I’m not sure what the prospects are in the current economy. For that price, far better locations can prevail. But you just know there’s a buyer out there somewhere (probably from overseas) who will think 601 Dolores is da bomb.

Filed Under: Mission Tagged With: ,

Market Update: Pac Hghts, Cow Hollow, Marina

January 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Today we take a look at these three neighborhoods, always popular with buyers. Here’s how these areas fared in the last quarter of 2008:

Pacific Heights
Single-Family Homes
2BR: $2,505,000 (1 sold)
3BR: $3,950,000 (2 sold)
Take note: Both the $3M and $4.9M 3BR homes that sold were on the market for 92 and 88 days, respectively. Not too bad for the current market.

Condos
1BR: $765,833 (6 sold)
2BR: $1,134,208 (12 sold)
3BR: $1,307,357 (7 sold)
Take note: The most expensive condo sold in the last quarter was a 2BR/2BA view unit on Broadway at Buchanan that had two-car parking, listed at $2M. The buyer paid $2,125,000 in the middle of November.

Cow Hollow
Single-Family Homes
3BR: $1,817,5000 (2 sold)

Condos
2BR: $842,000 (1 sold)
3BR: $1,772,500 (4 sold)

The Marina
No reported sales for single-family homes or condos.

Filed Under: Cow Hollow, Marina, Pacific Heights Tagged With: , ,

Market Update: The Richmond

January 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A mix of single-family homes and multi-unit buildings, the Richmond district saw a fair amount of two- to three-bedroom property sales in the last quarter. Here’s a look at the price averages in each area of the district.

Inner Richmond
Single-Family Homes
3BR: $1,166,250 (2 sold)

Condos
2BR: $810,000 (1 sold)
Take note: The only condo that sold in the Inner Richmond last quarter actually sold for above the $765,000 asking price. And it closed after October’s stock market crash. Go figure.

Central Richmond
Single-Family Homes
2BR: $801,250 (4 sold)
3BR: $1,075,000 (5 sold)
Take note:Where else can you get a 3BR/2.5BA, two-story Edwardian with 2,000+ square feet for the price of a luxury condo elsewhere in the city? Such a home sold at its $1,250,000 asking price on 25th Ave and Cabrillo in early December.

Condos
2BR: $798,333 (3 sold)
Take note: Two of these condo sales took place in the same newly converted, two-unit building on 16th Ave and Balboa. The top-floor unit was listed at $779,000 and sold for $800,000; it included a sunroom and deeded bonus room & storage. Parking was tandem.

Outer Richmond
Single-Family Homes
2BR: $625,000
3BR: $865,500 (5 sold)
Take note: A pretty decent 2BR/1BA home sold for $550,000 at Balboa and 43rd Avenue. Good deal.

Condos: None sold

Check back tomorrow for a look at Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow and the Marina.

Filed Under: Richmond/Lake Tagged With:

Market Update: Noe/Eureka Valleys, Glen Park

January 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The poor economy didn’t seem to slow down purchases in Noe and Eureka Valleys, or in Glen Park. This entry kicks off a look at various areas of the city and how their price averages for condos and single-family homes fared over the last quarter of 2008.

Noe Valley
Single-Family Homes
2BR: $985,600
3BR: $1,304,000

Condos
1BR: $324,000
2BR: $910,222
3BR: $1,370,000
Take note: I actually sold the one-bedroom condo, and it was within a building that had no garage and required residents to be 62 and over. One-bedroom units are typically much higher in price in Noe. Some of the 3BR condos that sold were luxury homes, bringing up the average.

Eureka Valley
Single-Family Homes
3BR: $1,628,750
Take note: Though no 2BR homes sold here over the last quarter, three of the four 3BR homes that sold ranged in price from $1.6M-$1.9M.

Condos
1BR: $603,250
2BR: $822,375
3BR: $930,000

Glen Park
Single-Family Homes
2BR: $622,500
3BR: $700,000
Take note: Both of the 2BR homes that sold were small; one was a foreclosure, and one was a fixer.

Condos
2BR: $700,000
Take note: One condo did sell in Glen Park over the last quarter; this was a house-like unit in a two-unit building. Glen Park’s inventory is typically filled with houses.

Check back tomorrow for a look at the Richmond district.

Filed Under: Glen Park, Noe/Eureka Valley Tagged With: , ,