• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Luba Muzichenko San Francisco Real Estate

San Francisco SF Realtor

Archives for August 2009

San Francisco Real Estate August Market Focus Report

August 28, 2009 By Luba

Association Issues August Market Focus Report

The San Francisco Association of REALTORS® has issued its Market Focus report for August and the news is, things are looking better!

The reports are prepared for the Association by the Rosen Consulting Group of Berkeley. The reports are based on information provided by Terradatum which extracts and analyzes information from the Association’s MLS.

Links to both the Market Focus report for August and the press release that accompanied it are provided below.


Revised Market
Focus August2009.pdf


Revised Press
Release August.pdf

Filed Under: San Francisco Local Resources, San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers

Coming soon: THE Destination for San Francisco Real Estate on the Web

August 25, 2009 By Luba

Zinablackbox

Most of you are very aware that I work for Zephyr Real Estate in San Francisco.  Most of you are also aware that I think Zephyr ROCKS! 

Seriously – when I first started in the real estate biz in 2006 I knew right away that Zephyr was the place where I wanted to hang my (imaginary) real estate hat (I rarely wear hats – they’re just not flattering!) 

Unlike many other companies, Zephyr agents have an incredible spirit of commraderie.  It’s not like the nitty gritty cut-throat world of Glengary Glen Ross.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.  New agents are sent through rigorous training, established agents help out where they can, agents share information with each other freely (not confidential client info, but things like resources and experiences that other realtors can learn from) and we have, in my humble opinion, the BEST support team ever – from our sales managers to our office staff, all the way up to the tippy top where Bill Drypolcher and Randall Kostick run the show.

Zephyr already has one of the best websites in the local realtor-o-sphere. But soon, it’ll be EVEN BETTER!

Yes!  I can’t give you a completion date just yet (hopefully by the end of this year or in early 2010), but I can say that by the time it is up, over a year of hard work, research, diligence and more research will be put into THE most comprehensive resource, not just for SF real estate, but for San Francisco in general. 

The site will feature everything from San Francisco listings, to SF real estate data, information on San Francisco schools, in-depth exploration of our City’s diverse neighborhoods, info about community events and even (hold your breath) blogging!  Yes, Zephyr will even have it’s own blogging platform where Zephyr agents, including yours truly, will be contributing to making Zephyr’s recreated website THE destination brokerage website for San Francisco real estate. 

As we get closer to the date, you’ll hear more about it, and I’ll give you more details about it as it comes.  And remember, you heard it here first. 

Tags: San+Francisco+Real+Estate, SF+Real+Estate, San+Francisco+Real+Estate+Web+Site, SF+Real+Estate+Web+Site

Filed Under: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor, San Francisco Local Resources, San Francisco News and Events, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers

July 2009 San Francisco Home Sales Data is Here!

August 21, 2009 By Luba

Yet again, Luba’s San Francisco Real Estate Blog brings you latest San Francisco Real Estate market report here. (You can also view previous market updates by selecting the archives on the upper right portion of the screen).

Heres’s a little glimpse of the report:

San Francisco Home Sales at Highest Level Since October 2006

Sales of single-family, re-sale homes and condos rose 15.5% in July compared to June. Home sales were also up 10.1% year-over-year. This is the first month home sales have been higher than the year before since last September. Year-to-date, home sales are down 12.3%.

Condo sales were up 17% month-over-month, but off 18.4% compared to July 2008. Year-to-date, condo sales are down 30.9%.
The median price for single-family homes rose for the fourth month in a row. The median price rose 0.6% from June, but was down 7.6% year-over-year. The average price dropped 5.7% month-over-month, and was down 10.8% compared to last July.
The median price for loft/condos in San Francisco fell 5.7% from June, and was down 20.3% year-over-year. The average price fell 3.1% month-over-month, and was off 19.8% year-over-year.

Read on for full details.

Tags: SF+Real+Estate+Data, San+Francisco+Real+Estate+Data

Filed Under: San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers, San Francisco Real Estate Market Conditions

Helping Mom and Dad Move: Practical Advice for Adult Children

August 20, 2009 By Luba

The other day, I sat down with a mom and her son to talk about selling mom’s properties.  She owned a few properties, some income properties, and her own home.  Her son lived out of state and was helping her through the process of both selling her real estate and moving, and fortunately for her, it was evident that he was there to support her in every step of the process.  Since there’s a good chance that at some point in the future many readers will be faced with a similar situation, I thought I’d pass on this helpful article. 

Helping Mom and Dad Move: Practical Advice for Adult Children

by Margit Novack, Founding President of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). The following article, Helping Mom and Dad Move: Practical Advice for Adult Children, originally appeared on Gilbert Guide and is re-printed courtesy of Gilbert Guide, Inc. Copyright © 2009, Gilbert Guide, Inc.

Twenty years ago, my grandmother sold her eight-bedroom home in Atlantic City and moved to an apartment in Philadelphia. “Take this tablecloth,” she begged, “this mirror…the china set…this crystal…” And the list went on. “I don’t have room,” I responded. “It’s not my taste…I already have two of those…” I had good reasons for saying “no.”

Now I regret those decisions. It’s not that I have grown to like the things she offered; it’s that I see my actions as self-centered and immature. I was thinking about myself when I should have been thinking about her.

Ironically, I now work as a specialist in senior moves and, consequently, see this scene and others like it reenacted every day. With the perspective and objectivity that comes perhaps only to the professional or the outsider, here are some tips for adult children who are faced with helping their parents move:

Try to replicate the old environment as much as possible.

Your parents will be experiencing a lot of change; it will be comforting to have some things stay the same. Photograph each shelf in the china closet, the arrangement of pictures on walls and items on bureaus. The photographs will help you recreate the feel of the former residence with amazing accuracy and speed.

Let your parents’ emotional and physical comfort guide the process. Your parents’ priorities may be different from yours. If books were very special to them, they may need to determine what will happen to the volumes not going with them before they are willing to focus on other issues. Attempting to force your parents to proceed in a sequence that doesn’t address their priorities may result in your winning the battle but losing the war.

Your parents’ perspective may differ from yours as well. They may prefer old and worn objects to newer items that are in much better condition. Seemingly insignificant items may be loaded with personal meaning and memories, while objects of great material value may be less important. Allow them to make the decisions.

Accept their gifts.

Your parents may want to give you items, including some you may not be happy to receive. Take them anyway. Store the items in your basement if you must, but accept them graciously. Knowing that cherished objects are with family can bring comfort and peace of mind to your parents.

Be tactful.

Often poor health and failing eyesight result in housekeeping practices that are less stringent than they once were. Tactfully offer to clean things as you sort through or pack. Avoid making your parents feel bad about the home they are leaving.

Focus on sorting, not packing.

Preparing for a senior move is a major organizational challenge. It’s not uncommon to have items going to your parents’ new home, to an adult son in Maine, a daughter in Illinois, a granddaughter in Arizona, a niece in Texas, the church bazaar, the Salvation Army, the neighborhood consignment shop, and the township dump. Attics, basements, garages, closets and cupboards….there may be forty years of belongings to sort through. Many people feel overwhelmed.

It’s here more than anywhere else that you are needed. Helping your parents sort and organize their belongings is the single most important thing you can do to reduce the stress of moving, ensure a smooth move, and save money in the long run.

Let your parents say good-bye.

When you work with your parents, keep sorting sessions brief (two–three hours at most). Constant decision-making is emotionally exhausting. Accept that some days you will accomplish less than you had hoped.

The sorting process brings up lots of memories. Stories and reminiscing are natural. It’s all right to be directed in your goal, but let your parents enjoy their recollections. It’s part of saying good-bye.

Be realistic about how much time you can devote to the moving process.

Allow 40–60 hours for the packing and unpacking (once you have acquired all the packing materials), and at least that much time for the sorting process, spread out over several months if possible. If your time is limited, use it to help your parents prepare for their move, and obtain professional help for the pack and unpack.

Concentrate on the big picture.

Senior moves are stressful for the entire family, as adult children assume new responsibilities in addition to their own homes, jobs and families. Conflicts sometimes develop between siblings over who bears which portion of the burden, or over the disposition of material items. As you work with your parents and siblings, keep three objectives equally in mind—caring for your parents, taking care of yourself, and keeping the family intact.

Filed Under: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor

San Francisco Real Estate Facts July 2008 vs. July 2009

August 19, 2009 By Luba

San Francisco Association of Realtors District Map

For those of you that like your San Francisco 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

 


Supply Demand SFR
Condo.pdf


Supply Demand
SFR.pdf


Supply Demand
Condo.pdf


Sales Rate SFR
Condo.pdf


Sales Rate SFR.pdf


Sales Rate
Condo.pdf


Median Price SFR
Condo.pdf


Median Price SFR.pdf


Median Price
Condo.pdf


UC # Units SFR.pdf


UC # Units SFR
Condo.pdf


UC # Units Condo.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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.

Tags: San+Francisco+Real+Estate, SF+Real+Estate, SF+Condominium, San+Francisco+Condominium, SF+Condo, San+Francisco+Condo, SF+Market+Statistics, San+Francisco+Market+Statistics

Filed Under: San Francisco Neighborhoods, San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers

Get "Fresh" in San Francisco

August 18, 2009 By Luba

As if you didn’t already hear, San Francisco LOVES it’s food.  And it loves it’s food fresh and good.

 

And because I’ve got SF pulsing through my veins, when I’m not thinking about San Francisco Real Estate, I’m probably thinking about food… and where to get the good stuff. These days, as I’m getting older, and my body is reminding me to eat healthy, the good stuff tends to include lots of good produce, preferably straight from the farm. But since I don’t get out of the City that often to drive some some of the Bay Area’s farm rich towns filled with roadside produce stands, I need to find my produce a little closer to home.

You might be surprised to find farm fresh produce within San Francisco city limits. Remarkably, for a rather urban city, San Francisco has a wide array of farmers markets where you can experience food at its finest. While some of the markets feel more like a small, mom-and-pop stand, others are large, organized markets with multiple vendors and extensive selections. When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, your local farmers market is the perfect place to locate some fabulous food finds whether you’re a gourmet chef, or just looking for some fresh greens to add to tonight’s dinner salad!

The fruits and vegetables are grown locally and picked when perfectly ripened. This enhances the taste, texture, and aroma of the produce. Often, market prices are lower than at grocery stores. The way transportation and distribution of food occurs today wastes huge amount of resources and energy.

Our existing system of food transportation and distribution requires enormous amounts of energy and resources. The Going Green Painlessly Blog points out that:

When you buy locally, you prevent food from travelling long distances, and therefore reduce the use of fuel. I’ve recently read, “before reaching your table, the average food item in the United States will travel 1,300 miles! In fact, only about 10% of the fossil fuel energy used in the world’s food system is used for production. The other 90% goes into packaging, transportation, and marketing of the food. All this inefficiency creates many environmental problems.” Shopping at the Farmers’ Market benefits the local farmer.

Not to mention, when food is picked at the peak of the season, nutrients, and phytochemicals will be more abundant. And it just TASTES better too!

Below you’ll find a link where you can find which San Francisco’s farmers markets are closest to you. If you go, bring your own bags and lots of small bills and loose change since vendors don’t always have a large amount of cash on them. And don’t be afraid to ask the vendors questions about their products… you might even leave with a recipe or two!

SEARCH FARMER’S MARKETS

 

 

Tags: San+Francisco+Farmer’s+Market, SF+Farmers+Market

Filed Under: Green Living in San Francisco, Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor, San Francisco Local Resources

Investing in San Francisco Real Estate at the Bottom

August 18, 2009 By Luba

I work with a variety of clients, from first time homebuyers to seasoned investors.  And the market affects each one of them differently. 

Recently, NuWire Investor contacted me to talk about how investors are responding to market conditions in SF, and since I am addicted to real estate, I was happy to give them my 2 cents:

With the national real estate market still in tumult, how is the pricey San Francisco market faring for investors?

“The worse the market gets, the more investors tend to come out to take advantage of deals out here,” Luba Muzichenko, a Realtor with Zephyr Real Estate in San Francisco, says. Muzichenko blogs about San Francisco real estate at www.lubasf.com.

Unfortunately for those investors, a credit drought may stand between them and some of the better deals seen in San Francisco in years. “Finding financing has made it much tougher for investors to actually purchase the deals that they’re after,” Muzichenko says. “With down-payment requirements that hover between 30 to 35 percent at a minimum and lenders scrutinizing both the investor and the investment property, closing the deal is that much more difficult than finding it.”

The article doesn’t stop there, and if you’d like to read the remainder (and read my take investing in a home or rental property in current real estate market) you can check out the rest of the article here.

 

 

Tags: San+Francisco+Real+Estate, SF+Real+Estate

Filed Under: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor, San Francisco News and Events, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers, San Francisco Real Estate Market Conditions

San Francisco Photo Collection – Buy Your Own Glimpse of History

August 18, 2009 By Luba

Sf_ppie_towerjewels_ht_S

If you’re like me, you LOVE San Francisco history.  Photos tend to make me especially nostalgic. 

So I’ve always enjoyed the San Francisco Images Web Gallery.  And that means that I was extra excited to tell you about San Francisco Images.

They’ve been around for a little while, but recently redesigned their web galleries.  San Francisco Images features an expanding range of photographic images from San Francisco, the Bay Area, California and around the world. Their historical images are exceptional, San Francisco especially, and include a unique hand-tinted collection.  The new interface makes it easy to select and design a custom frame on-line and (who doesn’t love to hear this part), everything is value priced for 2009!  Orders are shipped from out-of state so they are also tax free.  Or, if you prefer to work with a local vendor and help California earn a little extra cash with your sales tax dollars, they will also custom frame the work locally at their San Francisco shop, Eco-framing, www.eco-framing.com

A little note from Bennett Hall, one of the companies owners:

All images are scanned at high resolution and digitally refined to museum standards suitable for large reproductions for your home or office.

We also design and produce custom projects for your business – if you would like to explore this, let me know you ideas.  We offer on-site consultations, scanning, images restoration, hand-tinting, graphic design, exhibit production, and publishing services.

 

 

Tags: San+Francisco+Photos, SF+Photos, San+Francisco+Photography, SF+Photography

Filed Under: San Francisco Historical Photos, San Francisco History, San Francisco Local Resources, San Francisco Photos

San Francisco Real Estate Sales Data – May, June & July 2009

August 9, 2009 By Luba

I know, I know, I’m a few months behind.  But things have been hectic to say the least.  So this month, I’m catching up, and putting all the numbers into one concise little post for you.  And while I don’t plan on doing it this way every month, it might be a nice little break to stack the months up against each other and see if we can find a trend. 

So, across the board, sales volume is up month over month.  As a Realtor, that makes me excited.  Single family home prices have increased month over month, condo prices have fallen and TIC prices (which do have a much smaller sample, so statistics are less accurate.)  In a nutshell, the San Francisco real estate market is all over the place.  Stay tuned in to the blog the next few days for some details of what I’ve been seeing take place in the crazy world of the SF market.

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 May 1, 2009 through July 31, 2009:

Single Family Homes
May-09 Jun-09 Jul-09
Homes Sold 185 223 235
Median Sales Price $750,000 $762,000 $785,000
Minimum Sales Price $220,000 $195,000 $150,000
Maximum Sales Price $4,200,000 $6,995,000 $11,500,000
Median Sales Price vs. Asking Price 97% 98% 100%
Median Days on Market 47 45 39
Median Selling Price for homes sold within 30 days 101% 102% 103%
Condominiums, Lofts & Co-ops
Homes Sold 126 158 162
Median Sales Price $682,500 $645,000 $642,500
Minimum Sales Price $246,740 $115,000 $186,000
Maximum Sales Price $3,950,000 $2,150,000 $3,158,000
Median Sales Price vs. Asking Price 95% 96% 99%
Median Days on Market 59 57 66
Median Selling Price for homes sold within 30 days 99% 99% 99%
TIC’s
Homes Sold 36 42 46
Median Sales Price $523,250 $600,000 $510,000
Minimum Sales Price $275,000 $230,000 $295,000
Maximum Sales Price $1,400,000 $1,020,000 $2,395,000
Median Sales Price vs. Asking Price 97% 100% 101%
Median Days on Market 65 66 79
Median Selling Price for homes sold within 30 days 96% 100% 96%

Tags: San+Francisco+Real+Estate+Data, SF+Real+Estate+Data, SF+Realtor’s+Sales+Reports, San+Francisco+Realtor’s+Sales+Reports, SF+Home+Sales, San+Francisco+Home+Sales

Filed Under: San Francisco History, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers, San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers, San Francisco Real Estate Market Conditions, San Francisco TIC (Tenancy in Common) Info

Marshall's Garden

August 5, 2009 By Luba

Marshall’s Garden, originally uploaded by LubaSF.

My step-dad, Marshall Cohn, was born in 1922 in San Francisco. His grew up on 7th Avenue in the Richmond District. Even though he passed away, the home he grew up in has remained in our family. And today, when I was at the property taking care of a few things, I discovered this sign. It made me smile. Every property has a history, and sometimes, if you look hard, you’ll discover it. :)

 

 

Tags: San+Francisco+Real+Estate+Blog, SF+Real+Estate+Blog, San+Francisco+Realtor+Blog, SF+Realtor+Blog

Filed Under: Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Looking for Love (More Outer Sunset Street Art)
  • San Francisco Real Estate Update – March 2011
  • Watching Out for Sharks in the Outer Sunset
  • Tulips and Nervous Virgins in the Outer Sunset
  • San Francisco Real Estate Blog Back in No Time

Archives

  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007

Categories

  • Green Living in San Francisco
  • Misc Musings from Your San Francisco Realtor
  • Mobile Post from Your San Francisco Realtor
  • San Francisco Absorption Rate
  • San Francisco Historical Photos
  • San Francisco History
  • San Francisco Local Resources
  • San Francisco Luxury Real Estate
  • San Francisco Mortgage & Financing Info
  • San Francisco Neighborhoods
  • San Francisco News and Events
  • San Francisco Photos
  • San Francisco Places
  • San Francisco Property Profile
  • San Francisco Real Estate
  • San Francisco Real Estate Blog Reader Asks
  • San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts
  • San Francisco Real Estate Info for Buyers
  • San Francisco Real Estate Info for Sellers
  • San Francisco Real Estate Market Conditions
  • San Francisco Real Estate Resources
  • San Francisco TIC (Tenancy in Common) Info
  • San Francisco Videos
  • Sold Properties
  • Uncategorized
  • Weekend San Francisco Real Estate Linkage

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2021 · Luba Muzichenko. All Rights Reserved.

7ads6x98y