1896 San Francisco Firehouse For Sale!!! (And a Tour Business and Memorabilia to Boot!)

**UPDATE** 

We’ve determined pricing for the Firehouse and the Tour Business!!!! 

The Firehouse is $975,000

The Tour Business is $249,000

And if you are interested in grabbing the torch and taking over the complete lifestyle, then make a reasonable offer for both!!!  For once, the sellers are not JUST interested in the price (though money DOES talk), but more than anything, they would really love to see someone carry on the legacy they created.  And frankly, I’d like to see the dream kept alive as well! 

(And ideally, I’d like to reserve the right to slide down the firepole from time to time, but that’s not a deal breaker. )

I’m giving you a fair warning – this video is addictive, amazing and has a jingle you may not be able to get out of your head for days!!!  It is NOT your typical property listing video.  TRUST me. 

And thanks to the video, I’ve been singing the “The Big Shiny Mack Truck Fire Engine!” for DAYS now!  I haven’t had anyone complain yet, and may have been the cause of people all over San Francisco singing that jingle now too!

But the video and the song are just bonuses…. along with the song, you get over 4000 square feet where you can whirl around the firehouse which, to my knowledge, is one of the last San Francisco firehouses (if not THE last one) that has still maintained it’s historical integrity. 

The couple that owned it lovingly restored it (a before & after pic are below), and fell so much in love with the place and the lifestyle that they added a “Big Shiny Mack Truck Fire Engine” to their collection and used it to create a profitable tour business that had made kids (of all ages) from ALL over the world smile!!! 

But as many stories go, it’s time for the current owners to move on.  Which means you can pick up this HOT (badumpum) piece of real estate for yourself.    As a fellow colleague joked, it would make an especially “HOT” Valentine’s present. LOL!

Though the price is still not yet determined, numbers are being crunched and the list price will be announced in the next few weeks.  The building, business and historic collection will all be for sale – together, or separately. 

In the meantime, email me at luba@zephyrsf.com or call me at 415-307-1392 for more information. 

2009 San Francisco Sales Data

I run this report every month, but this time, I thought I’d let you look at the WHOLE year ALL at once!

So here’s 2009’s summary of home sales pulled directly from the MLS. Remember, these are all closed sales and not pending sales.  (And also remember that very few sales from new developments ever end up on the MLS.) 

Check back monthly to get the latest facts and figures – and if you have any questions about these statistics, or the market in general, feel free to give me a holler! I’m always happy to talk “real estate!”

Here’s a quick snapshot of the market from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009:

Single Family Homes

• 2160 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $748,000
• Minimum Sale Price was $115,000
• Maximum Sale Price was $14,000,000
• Median Selling Price was 99.5% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 42
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 102.5% of asking price

Condominiums, Lofts & Co-ops

• 1726 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $670,000
• Minimum Sale Price was $115,000
• Maximum Sale Price was $7,250,000
• Median Selling Price was 96.5% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 61
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 98.5% of asking price

TIC’s

• 406 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $540,000
• Minimum Sale Price was $225,000
• Maximum Sale Price was $2,396,000
• Median Selling Price was 98% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 70
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 99.5% of asking price

San Francisco Real Estate Sales Data – December 2009

As I do every month, I ran the latest San Francisco real estate sales figures from the month of December for you.  Obviously, I’m a little late, since it’s almost February, but as they say, better late than never, right?  

This month, single family sales volume increased.  Median price dipped and days on market increased (not a surprise with lenders dragging their feet at every corner.)  Condos increased in volume by a smidge and median price increased by a smidge too.  and days on market increased (same as single family homes.)  And TIC sales almost doubled from the month before -a BIG surprise since TIC interest rates aren’t usually very desirable and these days, rates on condos and single family homes ARE awesome.  Without some sort of incentive from a seller, TIC’s just aren’t on everyone’s “to buy” list these days. 

So here’s this month’s summary of home sales pulled directly from the MLS. Remember, these are all closed sales and not pending sales.

Check back monthly to get the latest facts and figures – and if you have any questions about these statistics, or the market in general, feel free to give me a holler! I’m always happy to talk “real estate!”

Here’s a quick snapshot of the market from Deccember 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009:

Single Family Homes

• 200 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $757,609
• Minimum Sale Price was $169,000
• Maximum Sale Price was $14,000,000
• Median Selling Price was 99% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 53
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 104% of asking price

Condominiums, Lofts & Co-ops

• 181 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $680,000
• Minimum Sale Price was $212,900
• Maximum Sale Price was $3,375,000
• Median Selling Price was 97% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 70
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 98.4% of asking price

TIC’s

• 55 Homes Sold
• Median Sale Price was $587,000
• Minimum Sale Price was $340,000
• Maximum Sale Price was $1,635,000
• Median Selling Price was 98% of asking price
• Median Days on Market was 72
• Median Selling Price for homes that sold within 30 days was 101.5% of asking price

30 Days of Sold San Francisco Real Estate

Want to know know what sold in San Francisco in the last 30 days? Sign up for The City Update(TM) – San Francisco’s Friendliest Newsletter. You’ll get the details, and then some, in your inbox (almost) every Friday.

If you just want the round numbers, you can check them out below.

Sold Listings 12/25/09 – 1/28/10

Two Tales of One (Real Estate) Market

I called the bottom of the San Francisco real estate market last year.  It felt like things were flattening out.  And in some by some reports, prices were even increasing in SF! 

Since the holidays, I’ve been busy as a bee trying to keep up with buyer and seller demands, and you may have even noticed that blog posts, and my “weekly” newsletter, The City Update(TM), have been rather sporadic. 

So MY take on the market is that it’s picking up, volume is increasing, prices have stabilized and most agents I know are in a pretty good mood.

But still, there’s no consensus on whether or not we’re REALLY seeing the bottom of real estate prices in San Francisco, or the rest of the country for that matter. 

Some people (like the folks at Freddie Mac) are saying the market is at or near the bottom, while other folks (like the Center for Economic Policy and Reseach) are saying prices are STILL too high and need to fall.

My thoughts?  With interest rates at all time lows, if you’re looking to own a home in San Francisco for the long term, it’s a great time to buy if you do a traditional thirty year fixed mortgage.  But if you’re looking at a housing here to try to make a quick buck, then back off and invest in something else. 

Same thing goes if you’re selling.  If you need to sell, and your situation dictates you do it now, you will find a buyer.  They’re out there.  (With the caveat that if you just bought a few years ago, don’t expect to make any money on the deal. )   

And if you need help figuring out  what side of the fence your buying or selling situation falls on, give me a call at 415-307-1392 or email me at luba@zephyrsf.com.  I’ll call it how I see it – though fair warning, you may not always get the response that you want. 

You’re Smart if you Buy a Home in San Francisco

As I’m browsing the blogosphere, I caught a glimpse of yet another article saying something positive about San Francisco real estate. 

Realtor Magazine quoted Forbes Magazine as saying SF is one of the 10 smartest places to buy a home NOW!

Why?

Well, according to them:

For people who want to own a home, the premium to buy—the spread between what they’d spend to rent and what they’d pay for a mortgage—is much lower than the 15-year average in many cities.

To determine what cities are smart buys, Forbes magazine computed the premium and also identified locales where economists predict home prices will go up the most over the next five years.

Click here for the rest of the “smart” cities for purchasing real estate. 

Oh, and give me a holler when you’re ready to make that SF home purchase. 

Real Estate Interest Rates from your San Francisco Mortgage Broker

Tim Higbee, from Guarantee Mortgage gives us the latest mortgage rates for the week ending Friday, January 22, 2010.

Please note that rates vary greatly based on credit scores and loan to value.

To get YOUR rate quote, give Tim a holler, his contact info is below:

Tim Higbee
Sr. Mortgage Consultant
CA DRE LIC #01346292

415-648-1202 (direct)

San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts: December 2008 vs December 2009

For those of you that like your SF real estate market data without commentary, here ya go. Take a look, check it out, come to your own conclusions. Or – you can always ask me questions.

Single-Family Homes

Condos

2-4 Units

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Data provided by Terradatum.

30 Days of Sold San Francisco Property Listings

Want to know know what sold in San Francisco in the last 30 days? Sign up for The City Update(TM) – San Francisco’s Friendliest Newsletter. You’ll get the details, and then some, in your inbox (almost) every Friday.

If you just want the round numbers, you can check them out below.

Sold Listings 12/07/09 – 1/07/10

San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts: November 2008 vs November 2009

For those of you that like your SF real estate market data without commentary, here ya go.  Take a look, check it out, come to your own conclusions. 

Or – you can always ask me questions. 

Fast Facts

Single-Family Homes

Condos

2-4 Units

NUMBER OF UNITS is the equivalent of number of sales/transactions. For condominiums, each unit is treated as a sale. For 2- to 4-unit buildings, the “building” is treated as a sale.

NUMBER SOLD is the number of properties in the market segment that closed escrow during the month.

NUMBER FOR SALE is the number of active properties on the market for one day or more during the month.

MEDIAN PRICE (SOLD) reflects the “middle” price point of a group of properties that have successfully closed escrow on a monthly basis, i.e. half sold for more and half sold for less than the median price. Tracking the movement of median prices over time provides a good indicator of the direction market forces are moving.

If the percentage change is positive between the two periods then there is upward pressure on prices in that market segment. If the percentage change is negative between the two periods then there is downward pressure on prices in that market segment.

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET (DOM) reflects how long it has been taking (on average) to draw an offer on a reasonably priced property exposed to the market. The AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET is defined as: The average number of days it took all of the properties that went under contract during the period to accept a first position offer.

MONTH’S SUPPLY OF INVENTORY (MSI) is a measure of how long it would take, in months, to sell the existing inventory at the current sales rate for the specific neighborhood and property type. The MONTH’S SUPPLY OF INVENTORY is defined as: The number of active properties on the market for one day or more during the month, less the number of properties that have been withdrawn or expired, divided by the number of properties that have gone under contract during the month.

* * * * *

Data provided by Terradatum.