This is just a quick notice for you to Save the Date!

Zephyr Real Estate’s Dine Around is Wednesday November 14th! Participating restaurants donate 25% of all revenue for the day. Zephyr Real Estate is the sole sponsor for his event. Proceeds benefit AIDS Emergency Fund and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. In 2006 there were 32 participating restaurants and we raised $35,000!

I’ll post details in a few weeks, so stay tuned to find out which restaurants will be participating and where you can have a good meal, and help 2 great causes!

Tags: San Francisco News and Events by Luba
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I went to visit a property today, and was disappointed to find yet another home where the owners had decided to do all of their remodeling without obtaining building permits. The kitchen was missing an airgap device for the dishwasher, there was PVC plumbing for the sink instead of copper, and these are just the things that my untrained eye noticed (I say “untrained” because I’m a Realtor®, not a building inspector). This place was an extreme example. Many San Francisco homeowners will take the time and expense of making any building changes meet the building codes, but opt not to pull a building permit. San Francisco homeowners seem to be notorious for such shananigans. It’s not that people have bad intentions or are trying to avoid having their property meet the codes… it just that they fear that dealing with San Francisco Department of Building Inspection can be a nuisance and that the cost of obtaining permits ups the overall cost of a project. However, skipping the permit process can potentially cost you much more and can potentially cause you huge problems down the line.

One client did a huge remodel to his house without pulling the necessary building permits. The remodel added almost 1,000 square feet of living space. When the buyer’s appraiser checked tax records to see the building’s actual square footage, public records showed much less that the measured square footage. Since the appraiser could not verify that the property had the original square footage added legally (which it wasn’t), he wasn’t able to appraise the house for the full price the buyer had offered. The lender would not fund on the property since it would not appraise at the value of the purchase contract. As a result, the seller had to go to the City building department and take out permits for work that was already done. In addition to the regular permit fees, he received penalties so the permit fees were higher than they would have been if he’d taken permits out to begin with. But my client got off easy - the building inspector could have required that walls be opened up to check the electrical and plumbing installations, which would have cost even more.

It’s ridiculous to throw tons of money on a major renovation without getting building permits. And you might be required to undo work that was done without permits. You could even be stopped from completing a job until you obtain the necessary permits. And if you are planning on converting TIC’s to condos, you will be inviting a city building inspector into your home… and if work is done without permits, you could potentially slow down, or even stall your condo conversion until you get the proper permits.

To make sure that you don’t get into trouble, check with the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection to find out what, if any, permits are required before you start a home renovation project. Not all projects require permits.

Tags: SF Real Estate Info for Buyers, SF Real Estate Info for Sellers, San Francisco Local Resources, San Francisco TIC (Tenancy in Common) Info by Luba
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Some of you know that I’m in the process of a remodel/rebuild of a home on Great Highway in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset district. I was going through some old emails that I had sent back and forth to my general contractor, Chas Voorhis of Abacus Groub Builders. Back in November of 2006, we were trying to figure out what material to use to build our kitchen cabinets.

We’d had REALLY bad experience with veneer in a kitchen. The place we’re living now is only about 20 years old. And the veneer around the sink is essentially gone. In many other places, the veneer has chipped off the plywood, or is just generally starting to look like… well, crap. The kitchen doesn’t look outdated (at least not horribly) but the cabinets look warn and crappy.

So when Jane Woodman (our designer) mentioned the cabinet maker was using veneer in the kitchen, we became concerned. We were thinking that the frames for the cabinets would be plywood, but that the doors and drawer fronts would be solid walnut (which was our original plan… which has since changed to wenge instead). So here was our dilemma… we have a fear of veneer, but Jane told us that solid wood warps. So I turned to Chas for his answer. I asked… “Can veneer be trusted to not peel apart from the plywood and/or chip? We do prefer solid wood, but if it costs more and is likely to warp, then maybe veneer is best. But if we do decide to live there a long time, we don’t want to redo the cabinets in 10 years when they look all worn and are peeling. So… your professional advice would be very much appreciated. What should we do???”

I expected a few sentences at most, but instead, this was Chas’ reply:

Hi Luba,

You ask a good question and it is certainly one that is important to consider. The answer really breaks down to four principal considerations: aesthetics; cost; performance; and maintenance. I shall discuss each of these separately since they all factor into your decision.

Aesthetics: This breaks down into two sub categories: style and appearance. Appearance: Solid lumber is going to appear inconsistent. There will be distinct variations in color and grain throughout the individual doors and drawers, as well as throughout the kitchen. This is usually addressed to some extent by staining everything to achieve a more consistent color. On one walnut job we did, we actually bleached and then stained the wood with a walnut dye back to look like natural walnut; expensive, but it worked well. The point is that woods have a lot of natural variations. Veneers are cut out of the choicest logs and will all match in color and grain since one log can do the whole kitchen. Almost all kitchens that have a sleek, contemporary architectural look are done in veneers. This leads to Style: Solid lumber will naturally want to expand and contract as ambient moisture changes and temperature varies. Thus, whenever a kitchen is designed with solid lumber doors, it is designed with a “frame and panel” type door which allows the lumber to expand and contract within the confined space of the frame which also helps control warping. Stylistically frame and panel doors have a traditional feel—even the most clean and contemporary versions. This is because the frame around the doors accentuates each door and drawer as the grain wraps around. It is this “busyness” that gives it the more traditional feel. If the frame is eliminated, the doors become very unstable and the reveals between each door need to be enlarged so the doors don’t bind.

Cost: A quality frame and panel door job in a premium material that is “color and grain matched” will add significantly to the cost (for the kitchen only, this added cost will be about $4,000 or so assuming no stain and a clear finish only.) If you want solid lumber without a frame and panel configuration (a.k.a. “lumber slab”), it will cost even more and comes with serious disclaimers on stability and performance.

Performance: The solid lumber option without a frame is something we will provide only if we are forced to do so; but we would strongly advise against this option. It is prone to severe warping. Also, the exposed end grain looks unfinished and is vulnerable to water issues. Lastly, the wood grain lay-up on the “lumber slabs” looks very “country” since the material takes on a bit of a “hodge-podge” appearance. The frame and panel doors perform well over time with the only issues faced being that they are vulnerable to water and dirt at the joint between frame and panel. This joint must be free to move as the lumber panel expands and contracts, thus it can’t be caulked or sealed. Otherwise, if the cabinets are going to be subjected to severe abuse, a lumber frame and panel will probably hold up best over time with refinishing being required periodically. Veneer doors have the greatest stability and when sealed with a quality finish, will remain stable and true for their life. However, if they are subjected to severe abuse and the finish is compromised near wet areas, they can begin to fail. However, abuse and poor maintenance are not the fault of the cabinets; it is the fault of the owner.

Maintenance: All cabinetry should be cared for and maintained. Whether it is solid lumber or veneer, if water gets at the material it will stain and degrade the material. Lumber will typically stain but not loose integrity, while veneers are more prone to loose integrity if the problem is not corrected in time. However, the veneers we use are custom made on a water resistant MDF core using water resistant glues. The combination of these unusual precautions results in a product that is able to resist prolonged poor maintenance and still refinish well. As far as chipping and flaking, the veneers will only do this if they are subjected to extreme abuse and poor maintenance. In the most extreme case, the doors and drawer fronts can simply be replaced. Although this sounds extreme, it is actually not that difficult to do and since all the cabinets are made with plywood they will last a very long time and door replacement will yield effectively new cabinets. HOWEVER, the most important thing for all options is maintaining a reasonable level of care for your cabinets. The most important thing you can do is avoidance: don’t let water saturate them; don’t beat and bash them; don’t let kids or animals scratch and gouge them. On the positive side you should keep the cabinets clean and dry and periodically examine them for finish failures. If the finish is compromised, address it sooner than later and you won’t have serious degradation. The real lesson is don’t beat the crap out of your cabinets and they’ll be fine—otherwise you will have cabinets that look they have been beat to crap (no duh…)

So what is my recommendation? I personally believe that it comes down to looks; if you want the clean architectural look of grain matched slab, go with the veneer. If you want the more traditional look of the frame and panel doors, go with that. The performance difference will not be significant between the two unless you are abusive, in which case, the lumber may survive a bit better; but both will look crappy with time and be expensive to repair or replace. The “lumber slabs” will look the worst, perform the worst and cost the most so I would not recommend them at all. I would make my choice based on aesthetics first and cost second. This is about all I have to say on the subject.

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Chas.
———————
Abacus Group Builders, Inc.
PO Box 746
Corte Madera, CA 94976
Ph. 415-927-0667

After reading and re-reading Chas’ answer… we went with the veneer, and eventually went with wenge instead of walnut for the wood choice. We were going for a very clean and modern look, and decided that for us, it was time to overcome our veneer-a-phobia (wonder if that’s a real sickness?) Be sure to check back in a few months. When the project is finally done and I’m all moved in, I’ll be sure to post some pictures so you can see how great they came out!

And by the way… if you do decide to give Jane Woodman (our designer)or Chas Voorhis of Abacus Groub Builders a call, let them know you found them on my blog!!!

Tags: SF Real Estate Info for Buyers, SF Real Estate Info for Sellers by Luba
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If I’m already working with you on the sale or purchase of a home, you already know the answer to the question. Otherwise, the answer can be really simple, or it can be really complicated… it depends on the situation. Sometimes I’m the seller’s agent, sometimes I’m the buyer’s agent… and on rare occasion, I might even be both! How can that be? Do I have split personalities? No… but depending on who I am working with, my role will be very different.

First, I guess I should back up and explain what it really means to be an “agent.” It means that I am authorized to act on behalf of my client in the purchase of real estate. This agency relationship creates a fiduciary duty on my part , which is essentially a legal relationship between me and my clients. In fact, according to Wikepedia…

A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care imposed at either equity or law. A fiduciary is expected to be extremely loyal to the person to whom they owe the duty (the "principal"): they must not put their personal interests before the duty, and must not profit from their position as a fiduciary, unless the principal consents. The fiduciary relationship is highlighted by good faith, loyalty and trust, and the word itself originally comes from the Latin fides, meaning faith, and fiducia.

When a fiduciary duty is imposed, equity requires a stricter standard of behavior than the comparable tortious duty of care at common law. It is said the fiduciary has a duty not to be in a situation where personal interests and fiduciary duty conflict, a duty not to be in a situation where their fiduciary duty conflicts with another fiduciary duty, and a duty not to profit from their fiduciary position without express knowledge and consent. A fiduciary cannot have a conflict of interest. It has been said that fiduciaries must conduct themselves "at a level higher than that trodden by the crowd."

This essentially means that my clients’ interests come first… all of the time.

When I’m working with buyers, I am the buyer’s agent. I represent the buyer’s best interests. While some of the things I do for buyers go above and beyond fiduciary duty (no where does it say that I have to celebrate the purchase of my client’s home with a bottle of champagne or be their real estate consultant for life, but I do these things). Essentially, my goal is to get my clients the best possible place at the lowest possible price and best possible terms.

On the other hand, when I am the seller’s agent, I represent the seller’s best interests. Again, I go above and beyond fiduciary duty (such as giving all of my clients access to Zephyr MLS Direct which provides them with access to 100% of MLS data, and allows them to keep their eye on the competition or referring them to contractors that can help them make their home look its absolute best for the sale).

Of course, there are rare occasions when I am a dual agent! This can present huge limitations. I can no longer represent either client’s best interests… instead, I have to be impartial and am not able to negotiate, or fight for one client’s position over the other. When I say that these occasions are rare, I mean they are RARE! Typically, the only way that I will take on such a situation is when both a buyer and seller approach me to handle the details of the transaction, rather represent either party’s interests. However, such a situation has the potential to crop uo if I am listing a property for sale, and one of my clients is interested in buying it. In those rare cases, I typically refer my buyer client to another agent that I trust for the offer writing and negotiations. There is no way that I would be able to be impartial in such a situation, and having my client be taken care of by someone I know and trust is almost as good as taking care of them myself. The goal is for their interests to be taken care of, not matter what!

You would think that due to the conflict of interest dual agency presents, most agents would avoid it. But often times, a listing agent will meet a potential buyer at an open house and try to get the to make an offer on their listing. This is a lose-lose situation for all parties involved, except for, of course…. the agent.

If you’re a seller, you probably already have your own agent listing your property. But if you’re a buyer, watch out! Make sure YOUR interests are represented. Find an experienced agent to really represent your best interests, and hopefully go that extra mile for you as well. Remember, working with a buyer’s agent doesn’t cost you a thing! And it’s the best protection you can get to make sure you have a smooth and problem free home purchase.

Tags: SF Real Estate Info for Buyers, SF Real Estate Info for Sellers, SF Real Estate Market Conditions by Luba
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If, in the past, you’ve tried to call a City department, say to get a pothole fixed… only to find that the department you called referred you to another department who referred you to another department who referred you to another department that referred you back to the original department you called, you might have lost faith and decided that you were dealing with a bunch of incompetent individuals. But the City has 2,300 different departments, and frankly, not all know what the other ones are supposed to do.

However, in March of this year, San Francisco launched 311 which gives you access to ALL 2,300 departments by dialing a single number. 311 is available 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Are you driving by some graffitti and want to report it? Call 311. Do you see litter that needs to be removed? Call 311. Need MUNI route information? Need to find how to get a business license? A marriage license? Or a dog license? Call 311!

I called the other day to find out where to get more of the City’s prepaid parking meter cards, and found that you can buy them online! I call several times a week (especially on Tuesdays when I’m driving through the neighborhoods looking at real estate for sale) to report graffitti. And when I needed to find out how to get a permit to plant a tree outside of my home, 311 put me in touch with the right people too!

Other major metropolitan areas have adopted this number too for similar purposes, but not all offer it around the clock, every day of the year. The key to success with any task is knowing who to call to get the information you need… if you need real estate information, call me! If you need San Francisco City information, call 311!

Tags: San Francisco Local Resources by Luba
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