Stage 36, Sherwood Forest, 4k

Sherwood Forest is near the top of Mt. Davidson, looking down onto St. Francis Wood. Homes in this area, like many parts of the city, are pretty darn nice. The views up on Lansdale to the south and east are incredible, by the way. Up towards the top of the hill on streets like Robin Hood, Lansdale and Dalewood the homes are very similar to those found in Miraloma Park. Down the hill towards the west, the homes are much more West Portal, Monterey Heights, and even a bit St. Francis Wood. Dalewood has to be one of the steepest streets in San Francisco that very few even know about. Do a few sprints up that and you'll be good to go for the coming ski season.
The area is very quiet and feels very much disconnected from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco, unless of course, you're on Miraloma. That is a very busy street. But check out this place on the north side of Lansdale, 101 Lansdale, and let us know if you think you're in San Francisco when you see this.
Homes in this area generally sell pretty quickly, averaging 56 days on the market (according to mls). Prices range from high $800,000s to the $3.5M (anomaly). There aren't any condos, and as far as we know, no multi-unit buildings either.
This area is sweet. Go check it out. It's so small there is not much to say.



Home on the corner of Casitas and Lansdale

More homes on Lansdale...south side

Home on Casitas

Another sweet home on Casitas...we think Darth Vader lives here.

Home on Miraloma

Robin Hood

The end of Casitas, or beginning depending on how you look at it.

The end of today's stage, or beginning of the next...depending on how you look at it.

Stage 35, Forest Hill Extension (4j)

As with every stage we've done so far, we are continually blown away with how different each area is from the other. As Realtors we have been around this city countless times, seen oodles of property, been lost on more than one occasion, but still there is so much to discover it is not even funny, and when you're touring with the goal of sharing with others, you look at things differently than just touring property.
Forest Hill Extension is no exception. There are so many different types of property in this area, so many great views, and so much history we could go on forever, but we won't. We'll just share some pictures and a little bit of insight.
When homes go for sale in this neighborhood, they're pretty much gone. Of course, as with every home in the city, if you over-price you will be on the fast track to Staledom, but price it right and life is good.
There is another factor in selling a property in this district, especially when you get up on the hill, Edgehill that is. The neighbors got each other's backs...big time. Families trade properties with one another off market and keep their hill a tight knit group of interesting people. Take for example this lot for sale on Edgehill. The neighbors want nothing to do with the sale, and they've made it known. If the neighbors don't hinder you, mother nature will. This very lot was the site of the collapse of Edgehill during the El Nino storms of 1997. The road completely collapsed, but has been rebuilt since then. The views are incredible, but the risk is huge.
Picture this retaining wall gone! (Edgehill road at the top)

Even the Sangiacomo Family, who pretty much have their own compound on the other side of Edgehill, won't touch it.

Foresthill Extension is also home to one of the few gated communities in the city, Knockash Hill. (Sorry didn't get a pic, but you can see it from the view on Edgehill above. They're the townhomes in the foreground.)
Many homes feel very "Outer Sunset", many feel very "Forest Hill", some are very modern, and others are just down right ugly.

Homes on Ulloa

Homes on the "triangle" block off of Laguna Honda across from Balceta

Home on Merced

Home on Rockaway at Rockwood (Sweet isn't it!)

Views from all sides of the hill are incredible, and it is very quiet. Heck, there's even a street that when you drive down it, you feel like you're in the backwoods of New Hampshire and not a "suburb" of San Francisco.

This is the view looking north from the lady we'll just call the Grande Dame of Edgehill's home...not for sale, and probably never will be. 180 degree views north to Sausalito, south to Pacifica. That is Foresthill in the foreground.

There are a fair bit of rundown homes, dead front lawns, and random architectural choices, but there are very few areas in the city that don't have that, so don't let that sway you.
This district is home to St. Brendan school, and the commercial hotspots are the same as for Miraloma Park, but we suppose you could easily haul off to West Portal too.

This is a very cool street that is narrow and has really great homes with spectacular ocean and southern views. (Kensington)
Is this home in San Francisco? It was in another picture, can you find it?


View from Kensington at Vasquez up towards Edgehill.

Homes on Ulloa on the southside of Edgehill

The blue beauty of the neighborhood, also on Ulloa.

This home was so sweet and so new, and so modern...at least from the outside. (Rockaway)

Rockridge Terrace looking up the hill. The End! We hope you enjoyed this stage of the tour. We did. And we particularly enjoyed the weather this day.

As always, contact us if you have any questions.

Stage 34, Miraloma Park (4h)

Lots of pictures below!

Miraloma Park is quite possibly one of the most diverse (talking properties) districts we have toured as of yet. Geographically, it is the largest of the sub-districts in district 4. You get a taste of Glen Park, Balboa Terrace, Diamond Heights, Parkside, and Forest Knolls all wrapped into one. As you'll see from the pictures, there are Tudors, Mid-Century Moderns, 80's boxes, mid 20'-40's junior and full-fives, Spanish Mediterraneans, and so much more.
As much as there are these types of properties in this district, they are very much in certain parts of the area. The Tudors are found mostly on the northwest side of the district near Portola on Evelyn. A lot of the mid-century moderns are found on the east and south sides of the district on streets like Myra, Reposa, Sherwood, and Hillcrest. The 40's "Parkside" homes are mostly around Teresita, Fowler, Rockdale, and a little pocket down on Vista Verde around Stillings. Take a drive up Del Vale to Encline and you'll feel like you're driving from El Camino del Mar up to Seal Rock in the Outer Richmond. From a lot of the homes on the eastern slope, they have some pretty spectacular views of the Bay all the way to Mt. Diablo.
The district experiences at least three different types of weather on a typical summer day. West of Teresita (a very busy street) is the fog. Along the ridge the wind HOWLS and has a nice sun/fog mix. Get down to the east side closer to Glen Park and the sun is out, wind is lighter and air temp is 5 degrees warmer.
As for commercial attractions, there is Tower Market, Mollie Stone's, Tower Burger, First National Bank, and the Taqueria in Miraloma Market all up on the corner of Terisita and Portola.
Portola is an insanely busy street, as is O'Shaughnessy, but there are also tons of streets that are so quiet you can hear yourself think, streets like Sherwood and Hillcrest (save for the wind noise), Bella Vista, Foerster, and Molimo.
As for the stats:



This district is a perfect example of why it is soooo important to work with someone that knows this city in and out. There are so many pockets of good and bad homes in each district that you really can't afford to say, "I don't like the homes in Miraloma Park", because chances are pretty good in this district there is something for everyone.

Molimo and Bella Vista looking east.

Homes on Myra around Reposa

12 Sherwood...imagine the touches you could put in this home!

32 Agua, you can see at Kopffhomes.com as it is not yet on the market, but coming soon.

There has to be at least one in each neighborhood...84 Rockdale.

Home on Melrose

Views down Melrose to the East Bay. Glen Park is at the bottom of this hill, and the homes toward this side of Miraloma Park feel very Glen Park.

740 Foerster. This home is on the market, check with your sfnewsletter provider for details.

Homes on Stanford Heights

Gee, wonder where this photo was taken.

You see? This home looks nothing like any of the others. Malta @ Valetta

More Malta homes

Definitely some good gardening that goes on here. Also on Malta.

Not something you see everyday in San Francisco architecture is it? It's out there, and in abundance in Miraloma Park. These homes are on the corner of Mercato and Malta.

If you drive down Marietta and park at the bend, you can walk out onto a rock, practically a cliff that hangs over Glen Park and O'Shaughnessy. If you look back towards the west, this is what you'll see.

This is what you'll see if you look south. All the homes in this frame are in Miraloma Park.

And this is what you see if you look east.
The homes on the top of this frame are up on El Sereno, and the foreground are homes on Marietta.

A taste of homes on Vista Verde @ Stillings

Busy Portola in the foreground, and the abundance of Tudors in Miraloma Park on the Northwest slope. Lots of street noise here.

Nice home on Juanita

Another beauty on Jaunita

Just another example of the diversity of property on one street, Juanita.

And with that, we end out tour of Miraloma Park. It was a bit of a "Picture Medley" wasn't it?

Happy House Hunting. Let us know if we can help.