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

Stage 31, Ingleside Terrace (4e)

First impression: lots of dead grass in Ingleside Terrace. We're not sure if that is a drought thing, or a neighborhood thing. We get around in this town (don't laugh), and we can honestly say, we have not seen as much dead grass on front lawns in the city as we have in this area. Maybe it is because they have really big front yards and lots of space. Not sure. Anyway.....

Ingleside Terrace [enlightened by a reader]has everything a neighborhood could need to be a top area in the city, but the homes or the care they are given, simply come up a bit short. That's not to say there aren't a few standout homes with well manicured yards, good coats of paint, and nice views, but for the most part, many homes come up lacking.

The neighborhood itself is like a little oasis amongst some otherwise less desirable locations (Merced Heights, Ingleside), but on the other side of Ocean Ave., there are beautiful areas like Balboa Terrace, and Mount Davidson Manor (not yet toured). Oddly enough, the noise coming from Junipero Serra isn't that bad once you get inside the Ingleside Terrace gates.

Homes in this area, like anywhere in the city, sell quickly when priced right. There are homes from $800,000 all the way into the mid to upper $2Millions.
Here's a look at the averages:


135 Cedro ($2,950,000), a bit above average.



If you're looking for areas with serious upside, and a possible good investment, it's places like this that you want to look. The homes are very large, and the area is a little run down, but that can easily be improved, and there are many a standout home that definitely raise the bar.

Nice home on Lunado


Not so nice home on North Entrada


This is an Assist 2 Sell home coming on the market soon at 860 Head St. How 'bout watering that grass? Assist 2 Sell sure knows how to spruce up a home.


Views to the south at the corner of Cerritos and Lunado


The home that has been forgotten, there were a few of these. This one is also on Lunado.


The Standout on Mercedes


Winner of the brightest color award


A tiny fixer at 710 Victoria


And the sundial where North and South Entrada converge


For your commercial fix of restaurants, you'll want to hit Ocean Ave, and for your escape out of town Junipero Serra is right out your door, and that will take you onto the I-280 to all points south in a matter of minutes. Stonestown Galleria is nearby for your mall fix, and you're close enough to the ocean that you might even hear it at night. So check it out, you might be surprised.

If you look at "the listings" you will see a decidely different set of pictures and homes than what we've showcased here. That was the goal. Show and tell the side you most often wouldn't hear. Happy house hunting!


the listings
the stats

Stage 30, Forest Knolls (4d)

Forest Knolls is so unbelievably different from any other area in the city, it just blows us away. Homes don't appear to have been built before 1950, there are duplexes, multi-unit, single family, town homes, and condos. They are very "boxy" and have that mid-century look without the mid-century charm like we saw in Diamond Heights.



Views can be had from just about any street, Crestmont to the north, Christopher to the south, and a lot of the homes are held up by long skinny concrete columns.



If you have a fear of earthquakes, we would advise you not buy a home on the north, or north-west slope of Crestmont Hill. At the very least call in all the qualified experts that can set your mind at ease. These homes are literally clinging to the mountain. But...big risk affords big reward in the way of stellar views. Take this view from around 400 Crestmont for example:



The homes on the north slope are the ones you see if you are down in the 9th & Irving area, or in the park and you look toward Sutro Tower. You'd think the home-owners need climbing gear to get to their front door, but there is actually a road. A road that would take you to this listing at 465-467 Crestmont, a two unit building asking $1,530,000. And here's what the back of these buildings looks like from close up:



There is UCSF housing on the North East slope (Johnston Drive) tucked amongst towering eucalyptus, pine, and redwood trees,



and there is even a little development that is so out of character for San Francisco, you wonder what the heck the developer was thinking...that would be Galewood Circle Town homes.





One of the most desirable Elementary Schools, Clarendon, is located in this district (don't think you have a shoe-in by moving here though), and there is even a street named after Mr. Adolfo Sutro. Oh...and we almost forgot the unobstructed views of Sutro Tower from most of the homes in this area.




Homes don't tend to sell as briskly in this part of town, especially if priced wrong (high). They require a very specific buyer, and those buyers aren't out there in droves. Charm is not really a part of this area, but there is tons of nature, trees, views, and nice people. It is very windy, and can be unbearably foggy, but so can other areas of the city, so don't let that stop you. The hills are steep, and the roads are narrow and a bit winding in places. If you're looking for that mid-century home to remodel, keep your eye on this area, you might find one...we think there is opportunity on that home at 465 Crestmont, so if that is your thing, you know who to call.

There was/is a big development planned for the north slope called the Crestmont Hills Family Homes Development, but it appears to have been derailed. Judging by this sign we saw in 9 out of 10 of the windows in the area, the neighbors put up a good fight.



Why not throw in one more photo for good measure. These are the homes on the hillside between Oak Park and Crestmont.



We'd have to think that is a fair bit of information to help you decide about whether you like Forest Knolls. We focused a lot on the north end of the hill, but the south should not be forgotten. We leave that to you to discover. Happy hunting!

the listings
the stats

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.

the listings
the stats