One of the more popular requests from my new buyer clients is that they need to live in a neighborhood with easy and relatively quick rail or bus access to downtown San Francisco. So I thought I’d pull together a list for all those prospective home buyers and downtown commuters out there who may be considering a home purchase in 2012. I’ve also linked each neighborhood to its corresponding profile on my Zephyr company site, so you can see stats and available homes. And if you want Muni maps, click here.

1. Noe Valley. Yes, everyone loves Noe for its retail area, wide streets, and overall appeal. But it’s also excellent if you need to get downtown regularly. The ideal commuting section of Noe is anywhere east of Sanchez. From there, you can walk to the J Church, and also to the 24th Street BART station.

2. The Mission and Mission Dolores. Just next door to Noe is the popular Mission district, with its hot Valencia restaurant/shop/cafe strip. The Mission is directly served by the BART line, which runs downtown and into the East Bay. Ideal areas of the Mission would be within blocks of either the 16th or 24th and Mission stations. And on the Mission Dolores front, you have your 18th Street BiRite/Defina/Tartine empire, which are great places to stop off on your way home from the 16th and Mission BART station, or the J Church.

3. Glen Park. In the heart of Glen Park’s downtown area is the BART hub. This is pretty accessible from most parts of Glen Park, as well as the more northern section of Mission Terrace and the eastern portion of neighboring Sunnyside.

4. Lower Pacific Heights. No rail lines service this area, but buses run frequently to and from downtown on practically every east-west street, including California, Pine, Bush, Sutter, and Post. There’s also an excellent stretch along Fillmore that offers a variety of restaurants, shops and cafes.

5. Cole Valley.  A bit more low key than its Haight Ashbury neighbor, Cole Valley is served by the N Judah. The station is located on Cole, adjacent to about three blocks’ worth of restaurants, shops and cafes. The train can get pretty crowded at peak times, but it’s definitely a direct line to downtown.

6. Duboce Triangle. The N Judah also runs through Duboce, but the residents of this very small section of San Francisco can also walk over to Church and Market for the J Church.

7. Eureka Valley/Castro. The Market and Castro Muni station is ideal for Castro dwellers, who have a variety of train lines running to downtown.

8. West Portal. Sleepier than some of the aforementioned nabes, West Portal is a very cool area with a mom-and-pop retail strip that’s pretty much the opposite of Union Street. The area is served by the L Muni line. It may take a little longer to get downtown from this western San Francisco location, but West Portal is the most convenient area west of Twin Peaks for commuting.

9. Hayes Valley. Also the keeper of a hot retail area, Hayes Valley hosts a variety of bus lines that run to Market Street, or you can walk over to the Muni stations at Market and Van Ness or Civic Center to get downtown. You can also walk downtown on a good day.

10. Dogpatch. Otherwise known as the Central Waterfront, Dogpatch became the beneficiary of a bonafide Muni line back in 2007. The T spirits residents from the easter edges of the city right through Mission Bay and past the Giants’ ballpark. And Dogpatch’s growing number of hip, high-quality restaurants are making it a destination for foodies citywide.

It’s been a while since I’ve rounded up a trio of homes with high Walk Scores. Today we take a look at a two condos and one single-family home that have 90+ Walk Scores—meaning you’re in proximity to restaurants, services, shops and public transportation. 

82 Liberty, Eureka Valley
$1,150,000
94 Walk Score

82 Liberty is a top-floor condo in a two-unit building. The home has 2BRs/1.5BAs and one-car tandem parking; at approximately 1700 square feet, it’s very spacious. There’s an additional room that’s usable as an office or guest space, as well as a lovely shared garden. HOA dues are a low $80 per month. The bedroom above gives you a sense for the period detail and finishes—there’s a lot of wood. The kitchen has been updated, as have the bathrooms. 82 Liberty last sold in 2005 for $1,004,000, so let’s see if this baby has appreciated since the go-go real estate market died off. At $1,150,000, I’ll venture to say that the price is on the high side—even if you can walk around the block to Delfina and Bi Rite.

49 Alma, Cole Valley
$1,350,000
92 Walk Score

49 Alma has changed hands a few times over the past decade. The 3BR/2BA single-family home with two-car parking sold in 2002 for $1,050,000, and then again in 2006 for $1,325,000. The Edwardian home features a remodeled kitchen with soapstone countertops (above) and a newly added family room with direct access to a south-facing deck. The seller completed these and other substantial renovations subsequent to their 2006 purchase, so the current $1,350,000 list price doesn’t seem too off base to me. They also did a test run in late 2010, putting the property on the market for $1,475,000 and ultimately withdrawing it earlier this year. But maybe the current market will do the trick for this well-located home.

1961 Pine, Lower Pacific Heights
$1,200,000
98 Walk Score

1961 Pine is a pre-Victorian era condo with 4BRs/1.5BAs and one-car parking. There’s a formal dining room, spacious kitchen and southern views from the rear of the unit. HOA dues are $380.75, and there are three units in the building. 1961 Pine is the middle unit. The location is phenomenal (though Pine is a busy street), as you’re in proximity to Lafayette Park, the upper Fillmore, Japantown and Van Ness corridor. The property also has our highest Walk Score of the bunch!

I routinely check sales prices to get a timely sense of where the market is, and how buyers are responding. As is typical, some properties are selling very quickly and for well over their asking prices, but others are not experiencing such good luck. Here are two examples of what I call market mood swings that occurred last week:

The 4BR/3BA Edwardian single-family home above at 892 Ashbury in the coveted Buena Vista neighborhood is a real charmer. The kitchen was nicely renovated, and the home was featured in design publications. There’s plenty of room (4300 square feet), and there is also a legal 1BR unit.It was listed for $2,795,000 in early April, and closed last week for $2.5M after 70 days on the market. So there was clearly some room to move on the list price.

On the other end of the spectrum is 575 Belvedere in Cole Valley:

Belvedere Street in Cole Valley is one of the most desirable streets in the neighborhood. And this sale proved that point. The 4BR/2BA home needed updating and refreshening. But there were good bones. (No garage, though.) The property was listed at the end of May for $1,095,000. It closed last week for $1,350,000. Someone obviously needed to be on Belvedere. Let’s hope their plans include a garage door installation.

Last sold in 2006 for $1.1M, this 2BR/2BA condo at 756 Clayton on the Haight/Cole Valley border will be coming on the market at $889,000. I checked out the unit today during our weekly Zephyr Preview Tour, and I really liked the space. The well-appointed kitchen (photo above is from the last time the unit was on the market) has a very cool breakfast area. And the master bedroom is at the rear of the unit with an ensuite travertine bath.

This is the lower level in a two-unit building, so you enjoy the benefit of having a lovely walkout garden.

There’s also one-car independent parking and storage. This stretch of Clayton is attractive, as it’s tree lined and only a short walk to the heart of Cole Valley—as well as a block and a half to Haight Street. (Walk Score is…100.)

Give me a call if you’d like to schedule a showing.

I previewed a lovely condo that’s perfect for buyers who need space, parking and a central location.

Listed at $1,050,000, the unit at 215 Carl at Stanyan is on two levels. The attic was developed into two bedrooms and one bathroom, and it’s actually done well. The staircase leading upstairs is narrow, but it’s better than some of the other attic conduits that I’ve seen in the past. There are eight rooms in total, with two additional bedrooms and one bath on the main level. The unit is in nice condition, with 1906 period detail.

There’s also a nice yard, one-car parking and only one other unit in the building. 215 Carl is on the edge of Cole Valley, which means it’s close to the Haight, Golden Gate Park, and the Inner Sunset, too.  The home is on the N Judah line, which means you will hear the train going past the house. But the flip side is that public transportation is easily accessible.

Contact me if you’d like to get in before the masses! And for a quick look at the property and block, click here and then click on “Street View” on Google Maps.

Two big sales closed last week, both for substantially less than their original asking prices. Though the sellers of these Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights and Buena Vista/Ashbury Heights properties were probably a bit deflated, I’m sure the homes’ buyers ended up feeling pretty snappy. Here’s how things went down:

226 Edgewood is a 4BR/4BA home (above) that hit the market at the end of October 2010 for $3.5M. The sellers did a price reduction in early December, resulting in a $3,150,000 list price. An offer was accepted shortly thereafter, and the final selling price was $2.9M.

Over in Buena Vista/Ashbury Heights, the 4BR/3BA home at 893 Ashbury came on the market in September 2010:

The initial list price was $1,795,000, and the sellers made a couple major price reductions in the ensuing months. The sale closed last week for $1,385,000. Seems about right for a home with no garage.

Under the annals of “cool properties” comes 8 Carmel, a 3BR/3.5BA condo with 3173 square feet and the distinction of being former Engine Co #40. The building was converted to two townhouses about a decade ago, and 8 Carmel occupies the front half of the building.

There are five levels of living space, along with a firepole:

The house has its share of funky spaces, but it appears to have lots of room to run:

And don’t forget the bathroom with glass walls, perfect for those who enjoy their privacy:

List price: $1,895,000. Go and get it! And check out the rest of the photos here.

Coveted Edgewood Avenue in Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights is a small, brick-lined street with a sudden spike in inventory over the past few weeks. Over the past three years, three homes have sold per year. It seems like all the neighbors banded together and decided that Fall 2010 was the time to meet the sales quota. (Though one other home has sold this year.) I thought it’d be fun to check out each available property so you could get a sense for values on Edgewood Avenue.

We’ll start with 226 Edgewood:

226 Edgewood is a 4BR/4BA, three-level Craftman-influenced home listed at $3.5M. It has a gated entrance, sweeping city and bay vistas, and walk-out decks on every level. The interior is nothing fancy, with basic finishes. But it’s clean, and has a lovely garden.

Next up is 227 Edgewood:

227 Edgewood also has 4BRs/4BAs, but is a bit less expensive at $2.6M. The home was last remodeled in the late ’80s, and the design scheme is dominated by wood finishes. The bedrooms are scattered among three levels, so this is a good place for people with guests. Like most of the homes on Edgewood, this property has mega views. But it needs major updating, so the price seems a bit high to me (particularly as there’s no garage).

Last up is 285 Edgewood, the newest kid on the block:

285 Edgewood has 3BRs/3BAs and about 2500 square feet. It was built in 2006 and features nice touches such as surround sound, a gas fireplace, spacious kitchen with a Wolf six-burner range and a large view deck with a built-in gas grill (love that!). All three bedrooms are on one level, each with its own bath. 285 Edgewood is listed at $2,195,000, and it’s my pick of the three.

The 3BR/1.5BA single-family home at 75 Carmel in Cole Valley is back on the market a second time since its initial mid-June listing. The newly remodeled property hit the market in June for $1,295,000, and then was reduced to $1,230,000 when it fell out of contract the first time in the summer. Problems with buyer loans seem to be the reason for the boomerang activity, according to the listing agent.

I toured the home in the summer and thought it was cute; however, with less than 1500 square feet, it is a little small for the price. The remodel didn’t involve any structural work, just a kitchen and bath remodel, as well as some peripheral items like a new water heater. But 75 Carmel seems more like a condo than a house to me. And the floor plan is only okay; there’s not really a master suite, so anyone looking to use the one full bathroom needs to come down a few stairs toward the kitchen. The kitchen itself, though large and featuring nice finishes, is not wildly well appointed. For example, the refrigerator is a bit isolated on one side of the room:

Regardless of whatever lender issues are coming up with the buyers for this property, I think the home should be viewed as a condo alternative in this neighborhood. Most Cole Valley single-family homes are substantially larger than that of 75 Carmel. (The average this year is 2,599 square feet for 3BR+ homes.) A good reference point for this property is 16 Hillway, a 3BR/1.5BA, 1690-square foot house near UCSF that wasn’t quite as smartly done, but which sold for $1,135,000 in June.

When you’re talking 1500 square foot houses in Cole Valley, you’re probably talking “condo alternatives.” For example, five of the 3BR condos that sold in the neighborhood this year ranged from 1300-1575 square feet, and sold for between $900,000-$1,008,213. Combine this data with the Hillway comp, and it’s starting to seem like $1,230,000 may be most specifically an appraisal problem. (But I’m speculating here.) Additionally, the location on Carmel near Clayton is not exactly in the heart of Cole Valley, which may be deterring some buyers.

I’m often asked what types of properties are available in San Francisco in the $300,000-$350,000 range. And I have to say that there aren’t many. But I thought I’d profile a couple different offerings that have sold recently in this range. Of course, in other parts of the country you can buy yourself a sweet house for this amount of money. But as usual, things are different in San Francisco, particularly if you want to be in a desirable neighborhood with a lot of restaurants and services nearby.

First up is 1452 Waller #2:

This Cole Valley studio is in a great location at Downey, and has nice Victorian detailing throughout, such as high ceilings and oversized bay windows. The unit has nice light, a lovely shared garden, hardwood floors, ample closets and cabinets, and HOA dues of $99/mo. (There is no garage in the building.) There are also only two other units in the building, which makes things manageable. This unit sold for $330,000 last week, and was listed at $275,000. Keep in mind that Cole Valley is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city, and home prices are typically very high.

Another recent sale was over at 2 Fallon Place #9, in Russian Hill:

This studio is about 500 square feet and is located in a 60-unit complex built in 1980. The kitchen and bath have been remodeled, and the unit has expansive views toward Coit Tower. One-car parking is included. HOA dues are $466/mo and property amenities feature a tennis court, roof deck with panoramic views, laundry, twelve overnight guest parking spaces, and earthquake insurance. Here’s a very cool shot of the tennis court against the backdrop of San Francisco’s skyline:

This property sold in August for $345,000, and the list price was $299,900.

Keep in mind that you can get more space (and potentially, a parking spot) for your money if you’re flexible on your selection of neighborhoods. In San Francisco, that’s what it all comes down to.