I am considering buying a condo in the Noe Valley/Mission Dolores (around 21st and Church) area and I am trying to understand what the going rate for a garage is in this area. I have the option to purchase a space with the condo. I've heard between $75-100k. Is this accurate?
Thanks, C

C, It depends largely on what type of space you get. Something like the above stacked parking might drop the cost a little, but as we know these brilliant uses of space are few and far between in San Francisco (we're ahead of the curve, but still a couple hundred years behind Europe), we'll assume it's a space with either tandem or individual parking. Our estimate is that it would be closer to the $75k range rather than the $100k, but wonder if some readers might be able to shed some light on the matter as well.

Anyone?

[Editor's note and update: The cost for a garage is entirely different than the cost to purchase a single parking space. Our estimate is assuming you're talking about one space, not an entire garage.]

You should see me right now. . . . . .

I've got clothes all over the place because I'm still
sorting through winter and summer stuff. . .

. . .suitcases I just pulled out of the garage that need to
be wiped down (with Thieves!) because I'm on my way to Young
Living convention,

. . .piles of paperwork and bills on my desk to sort through
before I go away,

. . .a frig full of veggies half recently bought and half a
week old that I have to sort through,

. . .a shopping list that goes on and on and the purchases
must be made today. . .

(I'm sure this is mild compared to many of your situations,
but its enough to put me into overwhelm!)

It's overwhelm and its common.

The scary thing is overwhelm is becoming our norm. Its like
we've unconsciously re-calibrated our personal operating
equipment to accept that this is a normal value and it is
okay.

Well, its not normal. And its not okay. Our health is at
stake.

People handle overwhelm differently.

Some people get frantic and run around in circles trying to
do everything at once and end up hardly getting anything
done.
Although this may look like high energy, it actually
de-energizes and depletes the bodily system.

Some people get a semi-paralysis where they can't move on
what they want to do, and end up procrastinating or not
doing anything at all. This too is very de-energizing.

I can relate to both of these scenarios.

After being so tired for so long of being de-energized from
overwhelm, I came up with these "simple solutions for
self-care at home" to deal with the overwhelm. They really
work for me, and I hope they will work for you too:

--Brain Dump

--Do a brain dump on paper by making a list of
everything
that you need to do, prioritize it, and lay the list
out
in front of you on a clear surface in your office,
den,
kitchen, or where you mostly work on projects

--Brown Rice

--Okay, this might sound silly but it makes perfect
sense to
me and it works really well. . . and, if you are a
"sensitive "like I am - to people, food, energy, etc,
then I
bet this will work for you.

Brown rice is the most balancing food there is. When we
eat
food that is balancing, then we become balanced.

Make yourself some brown rice (high quality and organic
if
possible) and eat it as a snack or with a meal

--Bancha Tea

--Another balancing food to put in our body. This is
also
known as "twig tea" or "kukicha" tea. Great to have
with
your brown rice.

--Think About What Excites You

--We change our energy when we change our thoughts.
Overwhelm
always seems to be more bearable when we have something
exciting to look forward to pull us through. Thinking
about what excites you will "energize" you and your
thoughts.

--Ningxia Red Juice

This is the most incredible delicious nutritious high
antioxidant juice - truly the best on the juice market.
The wolfberries in this juice are from the Ningxia
region in
China - a very special place irrigated by the Yellow
River -
This place has better energy than any other place that
grows
wolfberries.

But check it out for yourself! Start by comparing the
label
to other juice labels that have apple, pear, grape
juices in
them as filler (cheap and high glycemic). Ningxia Red
has
pomegranate, apricot nectar, dark grapes with the skin,
not
to
mention the essential oils and the delicious agave.
Very LOW
GLYCEMIC.

--Valor on feet

This is powerful. Valor essential oil blend is
extremely
grounding, balancing , centering and brings you to the
present moment. Its as simple as pouring a few drops out
of
the bottle onto your hands and rubbing it on the bottom
of
your feet.

If you have never done this I say to you "don't take my
word for this - try it yourself and you will see!"

--Peace and Calming on wrists

Another little what I like to call magical technique to
pull
us out of overwhelm and allow us to calmly deal with
what
is presently at hand.

This blend is a favorite for hyperactive children and
anxious
pets and those of us who take care of them!

--Diffuse Christmas Spirit and Orange

I know, you are saying. . . it's not Christmas! it is
summer! But yes, I diffuse Christmas Spirit all year
long
and it doesn't steal that holiday spirit away from the
winter
one bit! A fabulous combo is C.S. with orange essential
oil.

www.alife4sale.com

Here's an article, one of dozens I imagine that have been written.

And here's the link to the eBay item, it went live yesterday and will stay up till next Sunday.

I know the answer rt away.. TEA.. i have always been a Tea Girlie..or a Teapot??

I think i got this habitually from my father who was an avid-tea drinker,shd i say...

He used to drink easily 8-10 cups of tea a day!!! Surprisingly..My Mom n my Brother can't drink tea ,that they are so used to drinking coffee..more the Indian version of "filter coffee"..

I was an addict to tea until I was in My 12th standard ie until the age of 18..that i cannot start my day without a tea..i need it rt after i finish gargling my toothpaste after i brush..n i need it steaming hot...i cannot stand even a minute later than that..Many times i have fought with my Mom though 99.99% she will b on the dot with my tea..

same goes after i come back from school..I feel that My Brain starts workign only after a Tea!!!

Then..finally i decided that i shd over come this addiction but not quitting tea..n i took it as my resolution for the 1998..n i overcame it..

that's when i started drinking coffee..once in a while...But That TEA satisfaction nothing else cd match for me..And was on Tea twice a day..But i could manage even without a tea rt after my brush!!The change was awesome..thats what even My MOm felt...

Off i got married in Mid 2004 n My dear Hubby is an avid -coffee lover like my Bro n Mom..as well my In-laws family..

so I switched over to coffee..with not so much interest though...

after moving to SG immediately after my wedding,i had the option to make both at home..but laziness won over me n was making coffee only!!!

Now..after 4.5 years of married life..m back to MY luving tea..

Yep..I have become a Tea girlie again since last 15 days n Coffee for my Lovely Coffee lover only!!

Now u all cd have come to a conclusion why m suddenly blabbering out here abt my tea -stories???

U like what Tea or Coffee?

My First Tag..Felt so awesome..to b frank to b tagged!!!

the first thing i did before i wrote her an email on how to tag others was to google the word "quirks"..LOL :)

 The rules are

1. link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours...
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them…
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged..

So here i go

My Unspectacular Quirks are

1. I can't stand late cooking...meaning unnecessarily wasting time in the kitchen and cooking the breakfast by 10 n lunch by 2... (two cases - one ^ starting  cooking early ,still ending up late.. two ^ starting to cook late without no reason everyday n ending up late on the table..)

M a fast cook as well I cook on time..whether its a holiday or no..Breakfast by 8.30 n Lunch by 12 will b ready on the table,,, Cooking early doesn't mean to force people to eat immediately as I have finished cooking..they can eat according to their hunger !!!

I always stick to the point,if u think u are a slow cook..then start things early!!!

2.I jus love the smell of nail polish though i dont paint my nails often  n the varnish on the walls n the smell of petrol!!!LOL

3.M a Chicken n egg freak...Can survive with eggs only as my meal , one whole day!!!!!half boil- full boil- scramble - omelette's..whatever.......

4.I'm a Newspaper girlie....Until recently I had the habit,the i need to read newspaper everyday morning compulsorily......i mean the print version..n i jus love the smell of a morning newspaper with a hot cup of tea!! Without reading the print version ,or whenever the newspaper doesn't get published during some public holidays (one/two)..i feel so incomplete!!!

Now cos of time constraints ,i have become a digital newspaper freak!!!

5.I see "watz the time " more often on my wrist watch..say every 2-3 minutes...Weird???

My Best schoolie gave her my watch to wear for the day once ,when i forgot my own watch n was just rotating the wrists every now n then n getting upset after seeing that there is not mine in there..n more frustratingly asking her ..(we used to share the same desk at school) for the time... HE he he

6. i love to watch songs with more of scenes that make the choreo rather than dance steps..like the one below..though its in my mother tongue..watch it.. u will feel the love..

7. My additional one..m a compulsive n obsessive planner...rt from the finance to anything and everything.. eg: even buying groceries n veggies...LOL

So I'm passing the tag on to three instead of six..

Bhony

Ganesh

Erin

What is Walk Score? "Walk Score's patent-pending technology calculates a Walk Score for any property and shows a map of what's nearby with reviews to help you find a great neighborhood." Brilliant!

-WalkScore.com [Check it out, if you haven't already.]

HybridCars.com - follows all the news relating to evolution, design and release of hybrid cars.

MattPalka.com - website and blog of a local guy who wrote and published his own book -plus recorded and produced an accompanying album-  and is on tour promoting said book and album wherever the road takes him.

PostSecret - each week the postcards change on this website but each week anyone's secrets can be anonymously revealed.  (then anonymously published in a book that's available for anyone to buy)

StarbucksGossip.com - a website devoted to monitoring every move that Starbucks makes.  Quite a few Starbucks employees weigh in with their comments.

CatsThatLookLikeHitler.com - a website where cat owners can submit pictures of their "kitlers" AKA cats that have a small patch of black fur under their nose.

Click here and follow the directions for a cool illusion that'll trick your brain.

Honor Flight of NW Ohio - this organization provides a day trip for  veterans to visit the memorials to their respective wars in Washington, D.C.

A calendar like no other you've seen!

StephenWiltshire.co.uk - website for a gentleman who -after viewing a cityscape for a short period of time- can accurately draw, from memory, everything he saw.  It's truly amazing.  Check this one out.

EnergyFiend.com - offers you information on ANY caffeinated beverage on the market today!

Snopes.com - get any forwarded emails lately that seem a little far fetched?  Copy and paste a line that contains some key words into the search box at Snopes and you'll be able to find out the validity.

Unclutterer - a blog about getting organized and staying that way...lots of neat tips here.

StrangeMaps - a blog that highlights all sorts of weird and wacky maps.

GroceryLists.org - a wacky collection of discarded grocery lists.  Yup, that's it.  But's it's strangely fascinating.

I have lots of other websites on the list but these are some of the highlights.  When I feel better I'll hopefully have some more to write about.

Very interesting reads.

I commit myself 100% to the lightworker's aims, but the methods I use, sometimes they are of the darkworkers.

Simply because sometimes the lightworker way would not work.

From The Ohio Historical Society's website:

William Henry Harrison built Fort Meigs on the Maumee River in 1813 to protect northwest Ohio and Indiana from British invasion. Today's reconstruction is one of the largest log forts in America. British and Canadian troops, assisted by Indians under Tecumseh, besieged the fort twice. The 10-acre log enclosure with 7 blockhouses and 5 emplacements presented a formidable defense. The first assault was in May of 1813 and the second was in July. Both failed and the British retreated after the second. In the spring of 2003, the fort underwent a major renovation and the construction of a Museum and Education Center.

The Museum and Education Center has 3,000 square feet of exhibits and artifacts - including soldiers' letters and diaries, weapons, maps, and uniforms - that describe Fort Meigs role during the War of 1812. Exhibits themes include The Lore of the Land, The Sixty Year War for Ohio, and Building Fort Meigs. Original artifacts from the War of 1812, including swords, uniforms, and maps highlight the events of the war and the impact it had on soldiers and thier families. 

It's a very interesting and educational place to visit.  As is often the case for people that live so close to something famous, I had never visited the fort in the almost 18 years I've lived in the area.  If you live in NW Ohio maybe these photos will entice you to want to check out the fort.  Here are details for your visit.

We had guides for our arranged tour of the fort.  They dress in period uniforms, exacting in detail, and are very knowledgeable about the history of the 10 acre fort and the War of 1812.

Here are the attentive Cub Scouts, wating for our guiides to demonstrate firing their muskets...which, by the way, had a 50% rate of misfire.

In a few of the photos you can see mounds of dirt.  These are original to the fort and served as defense for the soldiers against cannon fire from the British.  They are currently about 4 or so feet high due to erosion but were 14 feet tall when the original fort was in place.  This is a reconstructed fort, but made as true to the original as they could.  Before the reconstruction all that was here were those dirt walls to serve as a reminder of what happened here.

Here is one of 7 blockhouses that make up the fort.  The only irregularity that the reconstructed fort doesn't have that the original fort did is that they weren't able to build the blockhouses with that "hang over" balcony type section that you might attribute to what a fort should look like in your mind. Here's an example of what I mean.

Inside four of the blockhouses are displays showing what transpired when the fort was in active use.  This display in blockhouse 7 explains why the location was chosen and a depiction of what it was like when the fort was constructed.  The original fort was built between February and April of 1813...in the snow, in the freezing cold and in the muddy conditions that are created when stripping the land of all available trees.

In blockhouse 6 you can view the types of weaponry that were used in the battles between America and the British.  There are several types of ammunition that could be loaded into a cannon and fired at the enemy, from the traditional cannonball to a tin can that would break apart in mid-air scattering 9 smaller cannonballs to cause more destruction.  In addition, there were also bombs.  Hollow cannonballs filled with gunpowder and a fuse.  The firing of the cannon would light the fuse and if the fuse was cut to the correct length and timed out correctly, it would explode over your enemy - and not before it got there.  I was interested to hear that even back in 1813 they recycled.  The same cannonball might be fired back and forth over and over between forces.

Here's one of 5 battery positions at the fort where cannons would be fired.

From this battery you can see the monument in the distance, more of the dirt hills and a shelterhouse that was built by the WPA in the 1930's.  The shelterhouse that was left standing during the restoration because it, by itself, is now historic.

Our tour guide is showing the scouts one of the forms of discipline that was used on the soldiers.  I think this is called a "horse."  The soldier would be stripped down, set on top of this Snoopy doghouse shaped contraption and then have his hands tied behind his back and cannonballs tied to his ankles.  Ouch!

Inside blockhouse 4 we find an example of a soldier's tent at the fort.  No one slept in the blockhouses, they all used tents and while this tent might look comfortable for 2 men, it was more likely that 6 men stayed in here, with all their gear....and if they were married?  yup, she slept here too.  It was considered a luxury to have wooden slats that you could lay down for a floor, otherwise you just laid in muck and mud.

These larger tents were for officers, and only 2 officers were assigned to these tents that were outfitted with cots, tables and desks.  Obviously, there was a lot of incentive to become an officer.

In blockhouse 2 there is a cannon and here the scouts watched as the window was opened to reveal a suitable sized hole for firing the cannon.

The blockhouse walls were constructed of 2 foot thick oak.  Cannonballs would bounce right off the sides.  This is a hole designed for firing a musket.  Notice how it tapers in size from the inside to the outside by several inches.

Here's the granite Fort Meigs Monument that honors all the men that died at the fort.  It's 82 feet high and was erected in 1908.

And finally, here's Ethan walking away from the museum that was opened as part of the restoration in 2003.  Of course, there's a gift shop but there's also a museum with a number of fascinating displays showcasing articfacts found from the fort and items that would have been used during the war.

http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/

My favourite is "Security". It's just so true, even if Mac does that too, albeit less frequently.

You've seen it before, you're sitting at a light, yours turns green, the Muni bus driver toots his/her horn and just rolls right through the red that has been red for a good 20 seconds. Same goes for the street cars. The drivers are for the most part rude, lack basic social skills, and are generally really horrible drivers. What's the deal? Who hires these people?

-Man killed in gruesome Muni streetcar dragging [sfgate]

From our reader:

Hello,
It was really great that you did your post on the oil spill, so I thought I'd throw this out there. Our sewer system is old, cracking, and needs an overhaul in a bad way. You think the water is polluted now, wait 'til we get a big rain, and/or major earthquake. You'll never want to surf again. Anyway, here is a link to an informational site that will help you all learn a little more. I'd appreciate if you could put it on your site."

Wish granted. We'll just go ahead and add some quotes from the sewer site for you:

San Francisco’s first 250 miles of sewers were built in the late 1800s and by 1935 almost two thirds of the system we have today had been installed. The normal life expectancy of sewers ranges from 50 to 100 years, so a large portion of our pipes have exceeded their expected lifespan.

Every time you flush your toilet, wash your dishes and clothes, or take a shower, your wastewater empties through pipes in your home into San Francisco’s combined sewer system. Each day more than 80 million gallons of wastewater is collected and transported to treatment plants, where pollutants like human wastes, oil and pesticides are removed before reaching the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean. In fact, every six days, San Francisco generates enough wastewater to fill a football stadium from top to bottom!

Feel free to get involved, and definitely touch up on the master plan which might help keep our bay and ocean clean. You might also tell your neighbors to pick up their damn trash, and stop flicking cigarette butts into the street. Just some added thoughts.

Well.....we get just about every tip, and "can you post this" email you can imagine, (and we love them, so keep them coming).

Now back to real estate.

Assistant Arrested in Killing of Real Estate Agent-[NY Times]

"[the agent, her boss] 'just kept yelling at her...'"

That's just plain sad, and for the record we think it is awful, but we want to know if you've ever wanted to kill your Realtor (figuratively of course) for any particular reason. Such as, not answering your calls, not showing your house, not putting pictures on MLS, etc....

It is Friday after all. Let it out, then hug it out. And of course we're not getting out of real estate. Don't be silly.

-Why are Realtors so arrogant and such Assholes [theFrontSteps]
-Internet Marketing for Real Estate 101 [theFrontSteps]

Now the market has cooled, but at last check there are still some 4500+ licensed real estate agents in the city of San Francisco, and a lot less deals going around, and still "20% of agents doing 80% of the business". So what happens to the rest? They need to pay bills, put food on the table, and pay the cost of living in San Francisco, and that leads to my theory.

The "theory of the starving real estate agent": I think that a good percentage of the astronomical overbids, and market run up we had seen, were a result of agents pushing their clients to a higher offering price in order that they themselves would get paid. This is a theory I've had ever since I got my license and represented my first client on their first losing offer, and I thought, "How can you possibly make a living in real estate when you not only have to hustle to get clients, but also compete on every offer you write for them?"

Who knows, maybe I'm just frustrated myself for the countless buyers I represent that continue to get blown out of the water by other buyers, and I'm trying to come up with a logical explanation as to why this keeps happening, but I'm still left scratching my head.

I know the majority of agents in this city, especially those that I have dealt with first hand, would never do such a thing, but sometimes I wonder about many others. This is America after all. Capitalism at its finest, where only the strong survive.

A lot of the overbid prices were, in fact, a result of frustrated buyers who had been beaten out on several other offers, then just got fed up and threw in the highest offer they could and usually blew the others out of the water. But it's the properties that sold over asking when perhaps they shouldn't have, that give me concern, and those alone could have had a sizable impact on the market dynamics, given the limited supply here in San Francisco.

I don't know, but it's a burning thought that's been lingering in my head nonetheless, and aren't you lucky I'm sharing it with you. ;-)

And yes, you heard me correctly, multiple offers are still happening...regularly.

-Why's this keep happening to me!? [theFrontSteps]
-636 Steiner, an offer and a UFC style beat down [theFrontSteps]
-Battle Royale: San Francisco or New York City, if you had to choose [theFrontSteps]

Just a question I've often wondered. Who's idea was it to allow, or encourage Realtors to put their pictures all over everything from biz cards, to shopping carts, to buses, etc.? Why Realtors and not all the countless other professions out there?

Good question. I don't have the answer. Not sure it was one person or a group of people that collectively sat down and said, "Hey...Realtors should use their pictures on their advertising!" I'm thinking it kind of just happened gradually as a way for Realtors to focus on face recognition, as their image is their brand.

Sorry I'm not much help on this. Regardless, thank you for writing in. Maybe our readers or stammtisch can shed some light on the matter.

Personally, I prefer to put my mug on top of the tram at Snowbird....over and over again.

-Why are Realtors so Arrogant and such Assholes? [theFrontSteps]

One of the best shows on TV (in my opinion) is Mythbusters.  In this piece of video they demonstrate what you can and cannot do in the case of a submerged vehicle.  Watch it.

It's also a good idea to have an emergency hammer  in your car.  I have one and it sits in the map pocket of my door so it's handy should I need it.  There are several companies that make them and they are available in the automotive departments of many big box stores.  Almost all of them have a hammer to break your car window along with a knife blade in the handle which will cut your seatbelt should it become jammed.  While it's good piece of mind to have one for myself in my car, I also can see it's use if I happen upon an accident where a car is flipped over and the weight of the person inside causes the seatbelt to lock.  And for that matter you can always whack some idiot who tries to rob you.

Glenn Kelman, CEO of discount real estate brokerage Redfin, recently boasted that "Most agents only close about eight deals a year. Our agents can close 100." So when Carol Lloyd, the SF Chronicle's real estate columnist responded, "They can, but do they?" I immediately set out to find the answer.

And the answer, my friends, is a big fat NO.

A review of Redfin transactions, as recorded by the San Francisco Multiple Listing Service from July 2006 to July 2007, shows that the widely publicized firm has had only 15 closed transactions in the city, with work divided among three agents (the bulk of it was done by one.)

It's astonishing that such a small firm has received so much attention, with coverage nationally on "60 Minutes" and locally on the cover of the San Francisco real estate section. Kelman may not be a great real estate person, but he sure excels in publicity!

He's also good at convincing investors that his company is destined for financial success when, in San Francisco at least, the evidence would suggest otherwise.

In July Redfin received $12 million in venture capital financing. This, despite the fact that in San Francisco -- one of the strongest and highest-priced real estate markets in the country -- the company has received, by my estimate, only about $125,000 in revenue to date!

That $125,000 figure is based on total commissions received, minus the 2/3rd rebate it pays back to its customers.

Redfin's site shows that the company is currently doing business in seven other markets -- like Baltimore, Boston, and San Diego. Could it be any more profitable there than in San Francisco? The agents would have to close twice as many transactions in Baltimore to bring in half the commissions they make here!

How Redfin is ever going to make money is beyond my grasp, but it hasn't stopped the media from covering it as if Kelman is some business genius who knows more than all us old fashioned pre-internet dinosaurs. At least Carol Lloyd voiced the question no one else has bothered to ask. And now you've got the answer.

-- Damion

-Redfin.com [website]
-The changing face of real estate deals [sfgate]

Real Estate Bubbles and California's Economic Growth, Part 2

Real Estate Bubbles and California's Economic Growth, Part 3
Keeping in mind this was filmed in November 2006, this economist's predictions were that the housing market will really start to deflate in 6-9 months. That puts us right smack dab in the middle of his predictions. One prediction to note, "Your house will be worth the same in 2012 as it is today." Remind us in 2012 to see if he was right.

-Part One [theFrontSteps]

Amongst the sea of utterly useless bits of crappy real estate videos on YouTube, I was able to find this very informational piece that made me wish I was back in Santa Barbara attending a lecture. (Okay, maybe it was the carefree lifestyle of UCSB that made me feel that way, but it sounded good.) Either way, it's fine time we all get schooled on the California Economy and Real Estate Bubbles:

Part two...tomorrow.

Our neighbors were a lovely couple who, while living in the house, remodelled their home over the last 2 1/2 years with the intention of staying put (not flipping the property). But an out-of-state job offer was too good to pass up so they decided to sell. If I had the money I would've made an offer. The house was lovely. 90% of the furniture and accent pieces actually belonged to the owners (so no full on staging was done). I think it sold for $1.21M [yes it did.]

43 Forest View Drive:
Right across the street from #56 is this property. It was flipped and the quality and workmanship was lacking (even by flipping standards) [agreed, and purchased in Nov, 2006 for $805,000].

I think this home went on the market in February [yes, for $988,000]. The
bathrooms and kitchen were not quite done at the first open house and the old washer and dryer (from the 1970's I think) were still there (no new machines included). The "bedroom" downstairs, although done with permits, could hardly fit much more than a full sized bed. I don't know if #43 has sold [nope...expired in June at $975,000], but the "For Sale" sign on the (now brown grass) lawn is gone and there's no evidence of new owners yet. Both homes had an asking price of just under $1M. [#43 was $988,000, #56 was $998,000.] (Although #43 increased and then lowered the price a couple times and switched agents once too) [we won't even get into that].

If the MLS photos are still there, you could see why the former sold so quickly and the latter home sat as long as it has. Seems like a perfect example of doing everything right versus everything wrong for a successful sale. [We would agree...anyone else?]

-56 Forest View Drive [mls]
-43 Forest View Drive [mls]
-A Tale of Two Districts [theFrontSteps]

"So 2 new properties hit the market today at similar prices / features and I thought it would be fun to watch both of these listings mature. The first is 2679 Sacramento, a small 3 bed 1 bath single family home in Pacific Heights at Pierce Street for $1.55M. Needs work and a garage, but you can't beat the location.

[Editor's note: We chose the floorplan photo, because the other photos were crap! Rule #1 when putting a property in MLS, have the most/best photos you can right when it hits MLS.]

The other property is 689 Douglass in Noe Valley near 23rd Street for $1.895, a totally redone property that looks pretty clean inside and out and has a great location near 24th street. It's also not too far up the hill in Noe to make it less desirable.

[Editor's note: much better pictures...the winner, by far!]

Both properties probably appeal to similar buyers -- young famlies looking for a single family home.

The Noe listing is boasting an "offer date" of July 17th; no doubt counting on some of the recent record breaking sales prices in Noe to drive interest there. The Sacramento listing isn't touting an "offer date", but there aren't too many single family homes that come up in this area for under $1.5M. So it's attractive in as much as you get to own a 'home' in a prestigious neighborhood and be a bit closer to downtown.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on pricing and marketing strategy. I thought it would be interesting to track these properties. For me, I'm going to say that Noe goes over asking and closes fast, while Sacramento sells for asking, or slightly under, after seeing a healthy DOM of 45-60 (Days On Market). How about you?"

Thanks "Eddy". Much appreciated.

Some quotes worth noting:

"The best way to judge a buyer's vs. a seller's market is a simple supply vs. demand analysis of housing stock: At the current rate of sales, how long would it take to sell off the inventory whether single family homes or condos?"

"In the case of San Francisco, which ranked second on our list, it's an issue of geography: There is little space for growth or new development and the local government doesn't do much to incentivize new construction." [We bolded that for you...think Daly, McGoldrick, Ellis Act restrictions, the growing number of TICs, etc.]

But damnit! Why aren't we #1? Losing sucks! Good thing at least one of us has some rental property close to Raleigh, NC.

If you have something to contradict this article, please share it. If it is an entire link/post, just email it to us and we'll gladly post it for you.

-Top Home Sellers' Markets [Forbes.com]