Luba Muzichenko San Francisco Real Estate

San Francisco SF Realtor

San Francisco Historical Photos

San Francisco Photos: Golden Gate Bridge During Passing Storm

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I’ve had a few rough days.  First, it was a sinus headache that (still) makes me feel like I’m being continuously punched in the forehead.  And then, it was the passing of a matriach, my step-grandmother, a 91 year old woman with the spirit of a twenty-something, the memory of an elephant and a heart of gold.  I always knew her as “Babushka Luba” (yes, there are more Lubas out there than just me) and was amazed to discover that she had a life long before she was a Babushka and in fact, she was one of a few female soldiers with the Soviet Army in WWII.  Her platoon made it all the way to Berlin before the war ended.  And, well, her collections of medals was truly impressive.  She’ll be missed by her kids, her grandkids, her great-grandkids, and by anyone whose life she touched.

So when Bennett Hall sent over the above picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, it brought a happy moment to a few otherwise stressful days.  Here he described the photo:

This photograph of the bridge was made in 1980 between passing storms with an 8×10″ view camera.  Waves from the heavy surf hit the sea wall causing these spectacular curtains of water, shooting up to 20′ into the air.

The motion effect is created using a slow shutter speed, about 1/4 second.

Available as a limited edition giclee from the artist studio Studio printed archival 12-color pigment print on premium photo paper Signed and numbered by artist

The original photograph is available.

And as a bonus, readers of Luba’s SF real estate blog get 40% off.

A little bit about the guy kind enough to provide us with such an awesome pic:
Bennett Hall, San Francisco native, photographer and design, operates a San Francisco studio dedicated to sustainable U.S. forested custom picture framing at lower prices for everyone.  Currently, Hall is selling his 30-year collection of framed and unframed San Francisco, and world historical photography, personal art photography and other collectible pieces at clearance prices.  Services for businesses are emphazed through Hall’s company Business Image Group, creating graphical environments that express the culture, history and marketing messages of his clients.

Snapshots of San Francisco's Past: Fort Point

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If you’re at Fort Point today, you’re probably a tourist or you’re wearing a wetsuit!

This photo from 1890 is from the Golden Gate Recreation area from Above Fort Point – but if you notice, something is missing.  It’s big, it’s red, and it’s being retrofitted right now!  (Yes, it’s the Golden Gate Bridge if you hadn’t guessed.)

Fort Point was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1853 and 1861 to prevent entrance of a hostile fleet into San Francisco Bay during the Civil War.  Between 1933 and 1937 the Fort was used as a base of operations for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today, it’s not just a place to go and explore history, but it’s also one of the most unique surfing destinations in the world.

The photo is brought to us courtesy of Bennett Hall, and was hand-tinted by him as well.  It comes from his collection of San Francisco Images, the original photo is mostly like attributed to Taber/Watkins

This image is on display publicly at Momos Restaurant and in the US District Courts Exhibits at 450 Golden Gate Ave
US District Courts  San Francisco Bay Area • Community History exhibits, 2002-2011.

A little bit about the guy kind enough to provide us with such an awesome pic:

Bennett Hall, San Francisco native, photographer and design, operates a San Francisco studio dedicated to sustainable U.S. forested custom picture framing at lower prices for everyone.  Currently, Hall is selling his 30-year collection of framed and unframed San Francisco, and world historical photography, personal art photography and other collectible pieces at clearance prices.  Services for businesses are emphazed through Hall’s company Business Image Group, creating graphical environments that express the culture, history and marketing messages of his clients.

Ranchland in San Francisco?

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I’ve always had a soft spot for cows.  In fact, I envy those with the willpower to be vegetarians.  I even tried it.  Granted, it was only for a week, but I love meat.  I love beef.   But I definitely love cows.  (And yes, I’m  just city slicker enough to make “MOO” noises at them when I drive by them on the back roads of the Bay Area.)
And well, given the state of our current urban environment, it’s hard to believe there was a Ranch in Glen Park.  Even harder to believe that there were ranches and farms all over San Francisco, but I’ll tell you more about that some other day.
I found this photo taken in Glen Canyon where the Good Brother Dairy, among several other dairy companies, had dairy farms.  The notes attached to this photo read:

“Valborg C. Tietz, owner of picture below. The lady pictured was my mother-in-law: Elise Beneke, who later married Alexander William Tietz in 1910. Her husband Alexander Tietz was crushed by 2 railroad cars at the Santa Fe yards in 1920, where he worked. He was taken out beyond the ‘Three-mile Limit’ where he was found. There never was anyone charged with throwing the wrong switch. The family was paid $9000 for his death by the Santa Fe R. R. She never re-married, and lived with her son Wilhelm or ‘Bill,’ who was my husband. We married in 1955. She lived with us for 25 years, and died at age 86 in 1976. This picture was taken of her in the Glen Canyon, where there was a dairy for years. The cows were quite tame, as you can see. The Good Brothers owned the dairy.”
“ca. 1910. originally part of the San Miguel Rancho, by the 1890?s there were several dairies located in the Glen Park Canyon. (Loaned to the San Francisco Public Library by Mrs. Tietz)”.

Poor Mr. Tietz.  I’m kind of curious how you can be crushed by not one, but TWO railroad cars, but I think I probably don’t want to know the answer to that.

I hope you have a safe and happy weekend!  And be sure stay away from railroad cars. 

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

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**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 [email protected] or call me at 415-307-1392 for more information. 

 

 

           

San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts – October 2008 vs. October 2009

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San Francisco Association of Realtors District Map

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.
(Editor’s Note: Set forth below are Unit Sales/DOM/Monthly Supply charts for the month of October for single-family homes, condominiums and 2-4 units, as well as Supply/Demand, Sales Rate and Median Price charts for the same month.)

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.

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Data provided by Terradatum.

San Francsico DPW Map from 1997

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SF Department of Public Works Map from 1997

SF Department of Public Works Map from 1997


I was digging through emails that I meant to get to “one day” on my quest to someday address all the things on my “to do” list when I stumbled upon an awesome map that Mark Pfeiffer, reader of The City Update(TM) – San Francisco’s Friendliest Real Estate Newsletter, sent to me MONTHS ago!!!  Geez – I knew I was behind, but not THAT behind!!!!
Mark wrote:

Hi Luba,
I like your newsletter.  I thought you might be interested in the attached map of San Francisco Neighborhoods that was put out by the Department of Public Works in 1997.  My wife has worked for “the city” for 35 years, in DPW and now PUC, and she gave me a copy of  this map when it first came out.  I’ve searched the DPW web site and have been unable to locate it, so I scanned it.  I’m sorry about the cropping, but my copy is in 81/4”x17” format.
v/r Mark

Thanks, Mark!!!  The map is AWESOME!  And I haven’t had time yet, but I’d like to see how it lines up with the SFAR map.

San Francisco Association of Realtors Map

San Francisco Association of Realtors Map


I’d also LOVE to know if anyone has a more current map???  Anyone in DPW now???  Email me if you do!
And for that matter, email me if you come across ANYTHING cool and San Francisco related! Readers don’t just want to read about San Francisco Real Estate, they want to read about San Francisco!  Right? 🙂

San Francisco Photo Collection – Buy Your Own Glimpse of History

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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.

 

 

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SF Snapshots: San Francisco Living

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How to Recycle Your Old Toilet, originally uploaded on by LubaSF

It’s Photo Friday again here on Luba’s San Francisco Real Estate Blog! 

I’ve got another work weekend ahead of me, selling consulations, showing buyers properties and generally catching up from this past week’s worth of work.  But since I love what I do for a living, it’s a little easier to swallow.

This week’s photo was shot by yours truly – and it’s the best use I’ve seen for an old toilet yet!  Love the ingenuity of SF residents!

Don’t forget to check back next week for another glimpse of San Francisco as seen through the eyes of Flickr’s photogs.

And if you’d like to throw your photos into the pool of candidates for my SF Photo Friday collection, tag your SF Photos from Flickr with LubaSF.

Happy Friday!

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SF Snapshots: San Francisco Living

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Wet Dogs by you.

Wet Dogs, originally uploaded on by LubaSF  

It’s Photo Friday again here on Luba’s San Francisco Real Estate Blog! 

The week has been crazy because it seems that the San Francisco real estate market is picking up steam!  But somewhere between writing offers and preparing listings for the market, I managed to stop by the beach and catch a glimpse of the Doggie Diner heads.  Unfortunately, they were there as part of the memorial service for the artist Tom Kennedy that recently drowned at Ocean Beach.  He was extremely talented and I know he’ll be missed. 

Don’t forget to check back next week for another glimpse of San Francisco as seen through the eyes of Flickr’s photogs.

And if you’d like to throw your photos into the pool of candidates for my SF Photo Friday collection, tag your SF Photos from Flickr with LubaSF.

Happy Friday!

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SF Snapshots: San Francisco Living

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originally uploaded on by Leiflet  

It’s Photo Friday again here on Luba’s San Francisco Real Estate Blog! 

I’m not sure which pier this is, but I’m guessing Pier 7?  It’s just another of those random little glimpses of the City that make me fall in love with it over and over again.  Whether I’m seeing the City through my eyes, or through someone elses, I know I’ll never love another City more than I love San Francisco.   

Don’t forget to check back next week for another glimpse of San Francisco as seen through the eyes of Flickr’s photogs.

And if you’d like to throw your photos into the pool of candidates for my SF Photo Friday collection, tag your SF Photos from Flickr with LubaSF.

Happy Friday!

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