Here’s the latest Fast Facts update from the SFAR.  Updates are provided weekly and each week is a different sector of the market (ie. Condos, Single Family Homes, 2-4 unit dwellings, etc.).

Check back next week for more statistics..

Fast Facts

Tags: SF Real Estate Info for Buyers, SF Real Estate Info for Sellers, SF Real Estate Market Conditions by Luba
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No matter how much you love your new home, packing up your belongings and moving them is a royal pain in the ass. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I am in the process of moving to my new home across the street from the beach in the Outer Sunset.

To be frank, moving sucks. As a REALTOR here in SF, I am in the business of making people move. Whether you’re selling your home, or buying a new one - you’re going to be forced to move, and I am the one putting all of the pieces together that eventually force you to do it.

So if you’re a past, current or future client of mine - I’m sorry! I’m sorry for being a part of the process that makes you pick up your life and move it to another shelter.

But I’m only a tiny bit sorry because for the most part, our reasons for moving are usually for the better. In my case, I moved into a home that I’ve been in the process of remodeling for almost 4 years (including the planning and building phases, that is.)

All “movers” have a different reason to move.

Maybe it’s moving into the first home that’s their very own. Maybe it’s moving into a home that will let them create thousands of memories in a space that the entire family can enjoy. Maybe it’s it’s downsizing once the kids have left the nest. Maybe it’s upsizing into a home where they can indulge in some extra little luxuries so that can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Maybe it’s about getting out of an investment that they can no longer afford due to biting off more than they can chew when mortgages were given out like the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.
Maybe it’s about cashing out on an investment that appreciated 570% in 11 years. (A client recently purchased a a home for $1.5M that had sold for $280K eleven years prior!)

No matter the reason to move, most times the move is for the better. So while the move itself and the turmoil it causes in your life make you want to stop halfway, sell all of your belongings and live a minimalist existence in a cave - the payoff is a living situation that is for the better.

One day, probably not too long after your move, you’ll wake up in your new home, the moving boxes will have have been passed on to others (rather than just recycling your moving boxes, post an ad on Craigslist, give them to a friend that’s moving, or have your REALTOR find the boxes a new home - remember it’s “reduce, reuse, recycle” - in that order), and you’ll be able to look around your new home and take a deep breath and think how lucky you are to be where you are living.

Even amidst the boxes I’ve buried myself in, I’m already feeling pretty damn lucky to be in my new home. It was definitely a move for the better. But I sure will feel better when I can find where I packed my toothbrush!

Tags: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor by Luba
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Welcome back to the “Over, Under, At” weekly feature. It’s a simple breakdown taken from MLS data that shows the number of closed sales that sold Over Asking Price, Under Asking Price or At Asking Price.

*Just a reminder that new construction sales are rarely included in this list since they don’t get posted on the MLS.

The San Francisco Market is like a roller coaster. Last week we had 63 home sales, this week we have 20. However, considerinig that a typical escrow lasts around 30 days, this week we’re looking at the sales that closed around the week of Christmas, which is notoriously slow for home sales. However, on a cheerier note, 41 properties went into contract. Places are selling, and the market outlook is still good. Read on for last weeks statistics.

Here’s a quick breakdown of closed San Francisco home sales for the week from January 12 - 18, 2008:

Single Family Homes - 11 Homes Sold

Condos/Lofts/Co-ops’s - 7 Homes Sold

TIC’s - 2 Homes Sold

Tags: SF Real Estate Info for Buyers, SF Real Estate Info for Sellers, SF Real Estate Market Conditions by Luba
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So, you have a random mortgage question that pops into your head in the middle of the night?

You can’t sleep but also you can’t call your mortgage broker at 3am - you need answers.

Well, I found a place that might be able to get you the help you need so that you don’t have to break into the Nytol.

MortgageFit is a site I ran across during one of my own sleepless nights. I found it while taking a break around 3am from packing (yes, I take breaks by looking at real estate blogs and web sites - I love what I do, and even I can admit that it’s somewhat of an obsession for me.)

MortgageFit is a community full of lenders and borrowers where people ask questions, and they get answers from professionals that are part of the communits. Discussions of all sorts are taking place, from first time buyer information, to appraisal information, to credit problems and more.

If you have a question, there is likely a discussion on the topic that is already taking place. Not there? Then ask your question and you’ll get a response in no time.

Of course, the site is not meant to be a substitute for speaking with a professional in person about your issues, but it is great as a sounding board for for your questions and concerns, or to do a little research. Also, one thing to keep in mind is that the site is nationwide - and every state has there own rules and regulations, so be sure to check with your local mortgage broker.

Tags: SF Mortgage & Financing Info, SF Real Estate Info for Buyers by Luba
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This week’s Photo Friday is brought to you by Supervisor’s Aaron Peskin’s attempts to secure some prohibition style regulations in the North Beach. Apparently the man must not enjoy a good glass of wine, or for that matter, he must hate fun and must hate those that want to have fun.

I can only imagine the implications that something like this would have on the North Beach restaraunts, and on the neighborhood in general.

I decided on today’s photo selection in case Mr. Peskin ran across it - people have been having a great time in North Beach with a drink or two for generations - why try to take that legacy away from the City now?

If you don’t already have plans this weekend, consider checking out a North Beach bar or restaraunt before they become an endangered species.

Happy Friday!

Tags: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor, SF Historical Photos, San Francisco History by Luba
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