24 Karat Gold Coast (2950 Broadway) Brochure, Plans, And History

Fun fact about that swimming pool. It has pretty much the same footprint as the Russia Avenue house (15X39).

Still passes the LBI test with 6 BR and 6 BA — I say this baby moves quick. It will not linger more than 5-8 years at this price. (Seriously, how many people exist on earth who can pay $40 mil for a house? There can’t be more than a few thousand).

Here again is another house with one major flaw…I cannot afford it.

I’m jealous : the lot this place sits on is larger than mine. But then my place is … a little smaller, so the lot seems bigger. So take that 2950 Broadway !
The photographer went a little too far with the exposure compensation of the window views. What could be fabulous views now look surreal, as if someone substituted LCD TVs with the color saturation cranked way up for the views. Maybe the realtor is angling for a very wealthy buyer who’s also into heavy psychedelics.

Oh boy, now that’s a house.
I do wonder what the market is – not just for being able to afford it, but for having a need for a house that is obviously designed for serious entertaining, and in San Francisco. Especially when you can have a large home with a lot of land not too far outside of the city.
I guess the seller only needs one.

water views are overrated
don’t get me wrong — they’re very nice, but not worth the premium.
they’re not worth the premium paid over equally dramatic and nice outdoor views of say, mountains or valleys (in Utah, Colo., Wyoming, Montana, etc.) or city views
especially, as here, when the water is over a mile away. That far and it’s not dynamic, you can’t hear the waves, and depending on the sun/sky the water is usually grey in color
you can get the same or better views every day if you live in these nabes and walk, ride, etc. — just not from your living room. views are better across the bay b/c you get the SF skyline.
my apt. had basically the same view as this house and I loved the sunsets and the rolling fog and seeing the headlands change color, but you get used to it.
From my living room & fire escape I would end up people watching the folks on the street b/c it’s much more interesting while the view/bridge is pretty static. It usually looks pretty much the same a yeserday, and the day before, and the day before . . .
It’s great for a while, and it’s great to show off b/c everyone is always shocked and awed, but it wears off. I’m not saying this to let anyone know that I had a nice view, I’m just saying from experience — both here and in Santa Barbara — it wears off and just becomes something to show off.

Four storeys, no elevator. Reduces the possibility of enjoying this house in your old age. Or presently, your elderly parents. Or retaining staff.
Ridiculous lack of closet space in the master bedroom.
And it looks like a dry dock.

If you afford this house, you can surely afford $250K for an elevator.
This is a great house in a great location in the greatest 20th century revivalist style.
It is a lot of money. Watch out for the nouveau riche who have the cash!

Hey Guys,
Can you please explain to me what that small square room in the same place on each floor marked as Elev. is for? Thanks in advance.

Pricing it at $40M is an attempt to separate this home from logical pricing metrics in order to appeal to the emotional side. It might work, but it probably will not be an effective strategy to sell the home. Clearly, it’s an effective strategy to woo the seller into giving up the listing. That said, $14-21M is probably a more accurate range as it is extremely unique and spectacular. I guess you have to shoot for the moon on a place like this in case the next bebo guy is looking for a home.

I hope they get the price. City needs $ and the property tax revenues would increase by 7x.

In my mind this is what it has going for it:
-The orientation (as Frederick, I think it was) pointed out in a previous Socket Site posting. More rooms with water views.
-Pool
-Morning Room with doors that open to the front garden (essential for any home)
-It IS Outer Broadway
The drawbacks:
-Hike to pool
-The north garden, while nice, is pretty unusable….
-The rooms seem smallish
-It may still be a large house, but not as large as most of the other places on the block
-Driveway seems tight for a Mayback 62S
What I would change:
-Enlarge the pool on the (west side) by another 10 to 15 feet and either do away with the spa or move it downslope
-Get rid of the mirror (yuck) around the fireplace in the Master Bedroom
-Redo the main kitchen
I agree with others that $39.5M is too much. Does anyone believe, except the realtor (if he really believes it), this will actually fetch $39.5M? As chuckie (above) pointed out, one can get so much more house in an impressive area for less. That Sotheby’s listing in Los Altos is fantastic but it’s been on the market for a while. If some nouveau riche person in Silicon Valley hasn’t scooped the Los Altos place up (it is simply spectacular if you haven’t seen it- but some would find it too over the top), then no one will pay $39.5M for this place.
Overall it is a great house (despite a few drawbacks) and location. I think $20MM is more like it.

Beautiful house on a double wide lot at the best address in SF. I can see why they are asking $39.5M. This house is slightly dated. but not nearly as bad as 2901 Broadway (asking $45M). I will take that swimming pool (2950 Broadway) any day over the tennis court (2901 Broadway). There was a house few houses down from this one that was sold couple years ago for around $28M. It needed more work than this one. So I think considering this is double lot on the best street in SF and better condition, I can see why they are asking for that price. But then again, it’s 2009 NOT 2007. So the seller should have put it on the market few years ago. I’m sure it would have flew off the shelf so to speak. My guess is it’ll probably sell for around $30-33M. I would take this house any day before I take the St. Regis penthouse that’s on the market for $50M.

I wish I could get for $20m!