Thursday, June 14, 2007

Stage 29, Forest Hill (4c)

As much as you thank us for doing this Tour, we have to thank you too. We are, ourselves, learning a ton about the nano-markets of our city. We knew they existed and knew about a lot of the properties and areas anyway, but now we're looking at them differently. So thank you for keeping us motivated to write this...stuff. ;-)


Last week, our eyes were opened as to how many mid-century gems were hiding away in Diamond Heights (funny, most of the streets in Diamond Heights are named after gems). This week, we're again blown away at how unique Forest Hill is from any other part of town, how few homes come up for sale in this area, and how this area is a perfect example of why our market is the way it is. Forest Hill is an extremely desirable neighborhood with narrow, steep, winding, tree-lined streets. It is extremely quiet, "pride of ownership" homes are everywhere, and you truly feel removed from the city. Why move to the suburbs? Just move to Forest Hill.

The area is filled with mini mansions, beautifully landscaped yards, and big views to the South, East, and North. Surprisingly, this district also has a ton of mid-century homes. Is that just something we noticed last week, and now we're stuck on it? Who knows. Don't think this neighborhood is all Tudors either.




By standing in the middle of the street (yes, this is what we did), you can look one way and see this house:


Look to the left and see this:


Turn around and see these two modern gems:


Drive down the street and see this mid-century marvel:


Do a U-turn and see this:


Round the corner and see this:


ahhh, what the hell...here's one more:


And of course, we couldn't pass up the home that needs a new gardener:


Or the home that simply appears forgotten:


When homes come up for sale in this area, if the sellers are realistic about price expectations, they are sold in the blink of an eye.


And these, our loyal readers, are some very reasons our market is the way it is... Unique properties, in A+ locations, that rarely go up for sale. There aren't any neighborhoods in San Francisco with the same Italian-esque winding, narrow, one way streets, distinct properties, feel, look, and market as Forest Hill. This is truly a one-of-a-kind neighborhood (we've said that before), and it commands big prices, so if you're thinking of buying in this area, you better go in with both guns drawn and expect a bit of a battle.

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