SFnewsletter Week ending May 27, 2005

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Welcome:
Hello and welcome to the newest members of the list.  To opt-out, either email me at sfnewsletter@gmail.com, or click on the "unsubscribe" button below.  If you know anyone who would like to be added to this distribution, they must opt-in by emailing me.  For RECENT SALES/LISTING ACTIVITY (COMPS) CLICK ON THE "NEW ON MARKET" AND "SOLD" REPORTS BELOW.*

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Market Update:
Just when you think things couldn't get any better for San Franciscans cashing in and moving onwards and outwards, they do.  Maybe it has something to do with our location. (In case you didn't know, you can put your cursor over the Google map and click and drag literally all the way across the country.)   Notice anything?  We are surrounded by water on three sides.   There is nowhere to build, but up, and the City isn't allowing that in most parts of town, so now what?  It certainly isn't the weather that brings people here.  San Francisco's average temperature hovers around 62 degrees fahrenheit, maybe less (this factors in all months), and it's always windy.  But some people love that.  Compare our map with that of NYC.  They are surrounded by water on four sides.  So what did New York do?  They built up, and prices followed.  I guess it helps not to have the next "BIG ONE" waiting in the wind when you want taller buildings.  Now look at Phoenix.  Surrounded by land on all sides, they have tons of area to expand outward, so prices remain relatively low, until the builders catch up with demand and keep the market in check. So until the 8.0 quake hits California and Phoenix Beach has the best barrel this side of the Mississippi, don't count on prices to go anywhere but up in San Francisco. 

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Maximum Overbid(TM) of the week**:
How is this for marketing...?  "This is not a cute or cosmetic fixer upper.  This small house needs serious help.  No inspection reports due to condition."   Ridgewood Avenue in Westwood Highlands.   Two bed, 1 bath, 888 square feet, asking $410,000 sold for $703,000.  What can I say.   I'm seriously speechless. Here's a link to the property description.

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Comparison Shopping:
Sticking with our water theme (can you tell I haven't surfed in a while) let's jump on over the pond, shall we?  At today's exchange rate $700,000 USD equals roughly L382,000 British Pounds.  Pickins are pretty slim over there too, but at least it doesn't "need serious help".

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SFhotspots:
If you have children under 8 years old, and need some cool clothing and gear for them, check out Beleza at 1947 Union Street. They have some pretty cool stuff. Tell them Alex sent you.

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Questions&Comments:
If you have something to say, send it to sfnewsletter@gmail.com.  You're probably not the only one thinking it.

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My Thoughts:
Where's D, Wardo?
Happy Aloha Friday!

alex

Dear Friends: I didn't have time to do all the html. _____ Welcome: Hello and welcome to the newest members of the list. To opt-out, either email me at sfnewsletter@gmail.com, or click on the "unsubscribe" button below. If you know anyone who would like to be added to this distribution, they must opt-in by emailing me. For RECENT SALES/LISTING ACTIVITY (COMPS) CLICK ON THE "NEW ON MARKET" AND "SOLD" REPORTS BELOW.* $____ Market Update: When is the madness going to stop? I mean really. Continuing with my brief mention of buying outside of the city if you can't afford to buy here, I can tell you I have done well in Phoenix. I also did well in Reno. I know many people who are doing well in Salt Lake City. Some are doing well in Florida (many different areas). Las Vegas...depends on your price range. There is also Boise and many parts of the central valley like Sacramento, Woodland, Fresno, Stockton, Manteca. The list goes on and on. Seriously. If you're going to ride this wave and you can't buy here, buy somewhere else. And if you want to sell your place and get out of here, there is no better time than now. Take your $1,000,000 you make here and buy a mansion in Kansas. It's very "centrally located". $$___ Maximum Overbid(TM) of the week**: Noe Valley getting in the mix again. The little two unit that could. Located at 1059 Church Street, the building is around 2600 square feet, asking $950,000 sold for $1,300,000. OMYGOD! Here's a link to the property description: http://www.sfarmls.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=Sanfrancisco&PRGNAME=MLSLogin&ARGUMENTS=-ASE,-AA,-A,-N873315 $$$___ Comparison Shopping: Check this out. For less than the difference between asking and selling price on the Overbid property ($350,000), you could have a four bedroom, three bath, three story home, with a tennis court, koi pond, double sized lot, two waterfalls, AND! they reduced the price $20,000. No overbidding here. Maybe just give Shorty a call, and he'll hook you up. The only catch...you have to move to Wichita, Kansas. Have a look: http://realtor.com/Prop/1045447600 !!!____ SFhotspots: -Here's a list of great upcoming art shows brought to you by your friends at SF's Receiver Gallery (www.receivergallery.com). They hope to see you there! -Brooklyn based artist, John Copeland, exhibits at Juice Design (www.juicedesign.com), Saturday, May 21. Cowboys and Angels (www.capsule9.com) hosts an artshow for Shawn Barber, Friday June 3. The much anticipated Canceled Flight (www.receivergallery.com) opens Saturday, June 4. Get some! Know of something new, or exciting going on in the city? Send it to me, I'll post it here. ???____ Questions&Comments: -Kris in Florida wrote: "I just don't get how expensive it can be [in SF]. Interesting thought; the Cow Hollow cottage at $2800/ sq ft [last week's overbid]. Imagine, that is roughly seven ounces of Gold ($400/ oz.) with just under 1/2 pound /per foot and 1000 sq. feet, that's like 500 lbs of gold!!!! Think of 2 wheelbarrows of Bling = one cottage?" Kris, you make Snoop Dogg proud. -Ryan in San Francisco wrote: "That's a good point that real estate right now is trendy. It seems like we're at that age or point in our lives when everyone we know is buying or considering buying real estate. It really comes down to personal timing and level of comfort. I feel like there's a peer pressure going on that is driving me to buy something soon." You're absolutely correct Ryan. Just like everything in America, it's all about the next trend. -Aimee in San Francisco wrote: "Seems like you may have missed an Overbid of the Week … check out 321 Duncan that was priced at $579,000 and seems to have sold for $928,000 … is that right?" Yes Aimee, that is right, but that property was only 32% over asking, whereas the Overbid I showed was a whopping 86% over. Good eye though. ;-) If you have something to say, send it to sfnewsletter@gmail.com. You're probably not the only one thinking it. $$$$___ My Thoughts: Who wants a gmail account? I have a million (well maybe only 150) invitations to give. Happy Aloha Friday! alex New on Market Report: http://aclark.grassroots.com/webshare/document.jhtml?id=8161&file=newonmay20sfarrpt1450.pdf SOLD 05/06/05-05/19/05: http://aclark.grassroots.com/webshare/document.jhtml?id=8162&file=soldmay6may19sfarrpt1518.pdf SOLD 04/22/05-05/05/05: http://aclark.grassroots.com/webshare/document.jhtml?id=8163&file=soldapr22may5sfarrpt1544.pdf

SFnewsletter Week ending May 13, 2005

Dear Friends: _____ Welcome: Hello and welcome to the newest members of the list. To opt-out, either email me at sfnewsletter@gmail.com, or click on the "unsubscribe" button below. If you know anyone who would like to be added to this distribution, they must opt-in by emailing me. For RECENT SALES/LISTING ACTIVITY (COMPS) CLICK ON THE "NEW ON MARKET" AND "SOLD" REPORTS BELOW.* $____ Market Update: This week, yet again, the market is still very, very good. Which brings me to a concern one of my readers had. If you haven't bought yet, have you missed the boat? "Missing the boat" implies that you're trying to get somewhere. If we're talking about real estate, where are you trying to go? Is building equity and selling for a higher price than you paid really going somewhere? It's just money. Can you get this by investing in property outside of San Francisco? Or is it the time spent ON the boat that you are missing? It's not a trick question. There is a way to have both. Don't stress about it. Think outside of the box. Real Estate is very trendy at the moment. Find your own style, and take your own boat. $$___ Maximum Overbid(TM) of the week**: Can I get a LOT please!? Ahhhh. You gotta love it. I don't even know if I'd like to describe the "cottage". Actually, I don't. Essentially, we have a lot in Cow Hollow asking $1,500,000 and selling for $2,800,000. Here's a link to the property description: link $$$___ Comparison Shopping: The difference between asking and selling price on the Overbid property is $1.3MM. If my calculations are correct (I've been known to be wrong.), the SF lot is about 5900 square feet. To give you an idea in order to compare, it would take roughly 7 of these lots to make one acre. So why not take that $1.3MM and buy 25 acres in Kennebunkport, Maine? They'll even throw in a remodeled 15 room Colonial Farmhouse. Just tell them I sent you, and save me some lobster. Have a look: link. !!!____ SFhotspots: "Fields of Vacuous Verities" by Chris Pew opens at Receiver Gallery on May 14th. Merging the dynamic, and often polar worlds of science and art, local Oakland artist Chris Pew will exhibit his latest work, "Fields of Vacuous Verities", at Receiver Gallery (8th Avenue / Irving) in San Francisco on Saturday, May 14, from 7 — 10 PM. For more info, please go to www.receivergallery.com. Thanks Jay!! If you know of a good NEW restaurant, bar, club, show, shop, etc. let me know, and I'll announce it to the world. $$$$___ My Thoughts: It's all how you look at it. Happy Aloha Friday! alex New on Market Report: report SOLD 04/29/05-05/13/05: report SOLD 04/15/05-04/28/05: report +For future reference, the only content that changes weekly is the Advertisement on the top of the page, the Market Update, SFhotspots, the Maximum Overbid of the Week(TM), Comparison Shopping, My Thoughts, and the Reports. So next time you get this newsletter, you can skip the Welcome, and the legal junk below, and get right to the good stuff.+ __

SFnewsletter Week ending May 6, 2005

Dear Friends: ****If you'd like to advertise here, send me an email.**** _____ Welcome: Hello and welcome to the newest members of the list. To opt-out, either email me at sfnewsletter@gmail.com, or click on the "unsubscribe" button below. If you know anyone who would like to be added to this distribution, they must opt-in by emailing me. For RECENT SALES/LISTING ACTIVITY (COMPARABLES) CLICK ON THE "NEW ON MARKET" AND "SOLD" REPORTS BELOW.* $____ Market Update: SURPRISE! This week the market is still very, very good. Here is some food for thought. According to Inc. Magazine, San Francisco is rated as the #188th "Best Place for Doing Business in America". We were beat out by pretty much every little po-dunk town in America, and even Los Angeles beat us. Manchester, New Hampshire came in at #21, and they only do business nine months out of the year, because when summer rolls around it's all about sitting on the porch and having a cocktail. Even if the po-dunk towns didn't hurt, getting beat by L.A. is embarrassing! Here is the real shocker. Reno, Nevada, my place of birth (Yeah, I know.) is rated #1. Come again? Reno is Inc. Magazine's number one best place to do Business in America. I need a cocktail. $$___ Maximum Overbid(TM) of the week**: West Portal is getting in the game. A nice three bedroom, two and a quarter bath, two car parking house on Ulloa. (One reader asked, "What is a quarter bath? A urinal in the garage?") A bit of humor always helps. Asking price was $828,000, sold for $1,201,330. What's better is that in 2001 it sold for $762,200. Not bad. Here's a link to the property description: Link $$$___ Comparison Shopping: Do I dare even look at what $1.2MM gets you in Reno, the #1 place to do business in America? Here are a couple choices that you could probably get UNDER asking price. Bargain !!!____ SFhotspots: I'm negotiating with a couple local magazines/newspapers to bring me content for this section. Until then, if you know of a good NEW restaurant, bar, club, show, shop, etc. let me know, and I'll announce it to the world. $$$$___ My Thoughts: If you're thinking about investment property, you might pick up an Inc. Magazine and go down the list to find your next place to purchase. Happy Aloha Friday! alex New on Market Report: Report SOLD 04/22/05-05/05/05: Report SOLD 04/08/05-04/21/05: Report +For future reference, the only content that changes weekly is the Advertisement on the top of the page, the Market Update, SFhotspots, the Maximum Overbid of the Week(TM), Comparison Shopping, My Thoughts, and the Reports. So next time you get this newsletter, you can skip the Welcome, and the legal junk below, and get right to the good stuff.+