San Francisco Neighborhood Map

This map of San Francisco neighborhoods is according to the San Francisco Association of Realtors district and sub-district, Multiple Listing Service (MLS) specifications. Real estate values and prices, property types, age of construction, architectural styles, views, amenities, commercial districts and home sizes … Continue reading

Luxury Home Sales

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One of the classic seasonal trends in real estate is the decline in the number of luxury home sales in the first and third quarters, because the higher end of the market has a greater tendency to check out for the holiday seasons. This is a major factor behind the typical decline in median sales prices during these periods, as referred to above. Though luxury property sales were far above recent years, this decline in unit sales occurred in this past quarter as well. If market conditions and seasonal trends hold true, we should see a big uptick in luxury home sales in the new quarter just begun. ...  Additional Details

The Government Shutdown and the Real Estate Market

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The U.S. government shutdown and the escalation of concerns about the debt limit/possible default has drastically affected San Francisco market activity as measured by the percentage of listings accepting offers – as in a drop of approximately 50% from normal levels. Of course, this might be a short-term transitory effect that will disappear if these issues are resolved soon, as we certainly hope they are. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that a Pew Research Study showed that the more affluent people were, the more concerned – as in very concerned – they were about the debt limit not being extended and the government going into default. In that study, the affluent were those households with $100,000 and more in household income: Certainly, our demographic of buyers falls into that category. Interestingly, the East Bay, with a median price about half of ours, is not showing the big drop in the percentage of offers being accepted in the past 2 weeks.

3rd Quarter Report

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3rd Quarter Home Sales Snapshot
These statistics for the third quarter indicate a market that is still extraordinarily strong by any historical measure: 87% of home sales sold quickly without price reductions, at an average of almost 8% over asking price. It did cool down somewhat from our insanely frenzied spring season, but part of that is explained by the typical summer slowdown dynamic. How the market performs in the next two months will tell us a lot about whether the market is settling down, transitioning to a new phase or continuing to race along in high gear. ...  Additional Details

San Francisco Real Estate: 3rd Quarter Market Update

San Francisco Median Home Sales Prices
It’s not unusual for median prices to fall in the first and third quarters (affected by winter and summer holidays) and rise in the second and fourth quarters (prime spring and autumn selling seasons). This is what happened in this past third quarter and it typically has more to do with seasonal factors than changes in market values. One has to look at the longer term trend, not monthly or quarterly fluctuations, to determine what’s really happening in the market. For the last 6 quarters, the overall trend in home prices has been upward. ...  Additional Details