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.

Stage 33, St. Francis Wood 4g

St. Francis Wood carries the mystique and aura of Pacific Heights, but is in a totally different part of town, has different weather, and an entirely different feel. Unfortunately for most, if you're looking to get into St. Francis Wood, plan on paying a ton, and competing with several other buyers. It is very quiet (unless you're on Portola, or St. Francis Blvd), has tons of tree-lined streets (some flat, others hilly), and is very "suburban", and feels almost like something you'd find in Connecticut. The area is very lush and green. Homes are typically very well cared for, stately, and expensive. The weather can be brutally foggy in summer, but in fall and winter it is beautiful. Halloween is a HUGE event in this area (like much of the city), and smiles and waves from neighbors are common. The closest shops and restaurants are across Portola into West Portal, and popping on the I-280 to all points south is a breeze.

We leave the rest to a picture medley of some homes including the brown shingled home on the corner of Santa Ana and Monterey that stretches the entire block and has a rather large indoor pool (from what we could tell).
If you'd like listings or comps from the area, please contact us, or your sfnewsletter provider (the links we've been providing expire after 30 days, so we'll no longer be posting them.)

Happy house hunting.

Stage 32, Midtown Terrace

Ahhh, Midtown Terrace. So nice. So quiet. Great views from many of the homes. Suburban feel, but still in the city. Homes are well taken care of, and the magnetism from Sutro tower can't be topped. If you enter this district from Clarendon onto Dellbrook you'd think you were driving into Muir Woods...lush green Eucalyptus and ivy everywhere. Hang an illegal left and climb La Avenzada and you can get stink eye from the guard shack of Sutro Tower.

Dellbrook coming in from Clarendon:


Feel your skin burning? ;-)


This district is very large and not as well defined as many of the others around town, but don't hesitate to go check it out. It is home to Laguna Honda Hospital, and one of two main access roads to Twin Peaks. Judging by our calculations, 195 Marview could possibly be one of 5 or 10 homes with the highest elevation in the city (please correct us if we're wrong). The only homes higher would be those on Palo Alto, but that street is actually in Clarendon Heights, so we're not thinking about that district right now.

Very "modern" looking home at 416 Portola...the low point of Midtown Terrace:


Its front door:


Very typical house on Midcrest, this one at 39 Midcrest:


Just like Diamond Heights was the district with all the streets named after gems, Midtown Terrace takes the cake for "view" street names (Farview, Clairview, Marview, Dawnview, Cityview, Longview...you get the picture.) And yes, there are some great views in pretty much every direction from this neighborhood. Long views...you know the kind you get when you climb a mountain. Longviews out to the ocean, down into the southbay, and even east bay.

View from Panorama west out to Pacific Ocean:


These homes on Panorama have that view:


View looking west where Cityview and Knollview converge:


View from Dellbrook looking east into Midtown Terrace and the lower parts of Twin Peaks (homes on Aquavista, Skyiew)


So how do these homes sell? Very well, thanks.


We invite you to check this area out. It is, like every other district in this city, completely different from the others, and nothing like the other District 4 areas.
Happy House Hunting!

the listings
the stats