In 2007 a still under construction 168 Yerba Buena Avenue (“inspired by Italian villas along Amalfi Drive on the Mediterranean coast”) hit the market asking $12,700,000 as one of two homes in the newly developed “St. Francis Court.”
A few months later construction stopped, the homes were withdrawn from the market, and notices of default were filed. A few months after that, 168 Yerba Buena returned to the market asking $6,500,000 but not including an estimated “$2mil-$2.7 mil. more to complete” the project.
And while we’ve been hearing rumblings, a plugged-in reader steals a bit of our thunder by noting a now finished 168 Yerba Buena Avenue has returned to the market asking $6,250,000. Based on some of the finishes, we’d be willing to bet that the actual budget to complete the project wasn’t at the top end of that aforementioned estimate.
∙ Listing: 168 Yerba Buena Avenue (5/6.5) – $6,250,000 [168yerbabuena.com] [MLS]
∙ The Scoop On 168 Yerba Buena Avenue (And St. Francis Court) [SocketSite]
∙ It’s Not Always Fun And Games At The Top (166-68 Yerba Buena) [SocketSite]
∙ Once Billed As “A Symbol Of Success, Not Extravagance” [SocketSite]
They could have sold in 2007 and give the task of finishing to the buyer. Then again hoocoodanode that prices wouldn’t go on bubbling to the stratosphere forever?
What is the history of this piece of real estate? Was there a house that preceded these?
Sweet parking!
Clearly done before any “Green Landscaping Ordinance”.
I grew up essentially across the street from this home site.
If memory serves, it’s not in St. Francis Wood proper, and the lot itself, based on it’s valley/gully position, in my humble opinion, is borderline irregular.
There is really no “curb appeal” off yerba buena because the home isn’t visible until you’re in the court. At that point, your view is mostly other people’s back yards.
Not certain if there was ever a prior structure on the lot either.
There was never a market for $10M homes in St. Francis Wood, Even at the top of the market.
I’m not sure if they could have sold this home profitably.
Joe, that is a sweet garage though.
based on some of the finishes…
Other than the sad shower enclosure in the photo, I’m not sure I see any skimping.
Nothing too spectacular or offensive, it actually looks like a Texas-style McMansion to me. I’m not an interior designer or even an enthusiast, but I really wish the whole industrial/hospital style bathroom trend (as pictured above) would end. It’s disturbingly reminiscent of a horror movie set.
Hmm, would a lack of washer/dryer be considered skimping on a $6.25MM home? Or a driveway/facade that reminds me of a Vegas casino?
Really, we’ve seen a few examples lately of misguided projects that leave you feeling more sad for the developers than anything else.
I believe that sad bath (from it’s position in the sequence of photos) is in the basement level near the “gym”. If so, I’m not overly concerned that it’s not luxurious.
Agreed, of course, that overall this is a sad McMansion and someone’s hubris got the better of them.
‘Amalfi Drive’ my arse, this house is evocative of the Hollywood Hills, right down to the colour, confused and cliché Tuscan/Mission design elements, and of course the obligatory retaining walls on 3 sides.
Is it only me, or do others not like the look of framed shower enclosures? If you are taller, you will likely hit your head upon entering/exiting, and it just looks bad.
The other bathrooms are questionable too. The master looks like they spent a little bit of money but had no taste or design aesthetic. The other bathrooms pictured, besides the one above, have a cheap European hotel look.
“Expansive ocean views” is an interesting description. I’m not sure the pictures meet the words.
Not sure how I feel about the glass-roofed room.
The other bathrooms pictured, besides the one above, have a cheap European hotel look.
You must stay in some better cheap European hotels than I do. The ones I’ve been in have porcelain tiles, not marble.
Granted, if you go the route of clean lines and no fancy moldings, cornices, and fluting, plain marble does look sort of utilitarian.
And it comes with a complimentary golf cart!
driveway for 10 cars makes it worth it.
Forget the golf cart, I would want a few of the other vehicles pictured in the garage. 😉
I’m a little wary of all that stone on the first floor. Seems a little cold to me. The wood floors on the upper level are more appealing (of course I realize that’s a taste-specific thing). The master bath stone and tile work is top-notch, although I agree the other tubs in bathrooms fall a little flat.
Definitely a classy looking residence, but of course the sale will come down to demand, and a specific person needing/wanting this type of home.
Seems a little cold to me.
I suspect they look cold but are nice and warm.
wow, this place has ZERO character…agree, this is a SF McMansion a la Texas….heee haaaaaww!
why stone on the main floor?
dosen’t hardwood appeal to more people?
wouldn’t this be oneof the most expensive houses in the neighborhood?
cut the price in half again and you might have a buyer…might.
Uhmm.. Pictures 34 and 35, what the hell is going on there? The choice to finish that space like that, then stage it and then include the pictures just seems a bit odd.
the pictures posted here do not do the house justice. I live in the area and checked out the house myself. Having walked through the house, I definitely have seen “McMansions”, and this is NOT one of them. The aesthetics of the house streamline these pictures together nicely. Check it out yourself. And damn, the garage is pretty huge, any car enthusiast would LOVE this place
I agree, this is some sweet San Francisco McMansion action! Good luck with this one, maybe will get 4-5M
know what i like best about this house…NOTHING. its a bland piece of crap. $4.5M tops.
And…when you’re not looking at the “expansive ocean views” from your second story, other windows on that floor look smack into a two story high concrete retaining wall just feet away. What a dreary piece of suburban schlock.
“…Pictures 34 and 35, what the hell is going on there? The choice to finish that space like that, then stage it and then include the pictures just seems a bit odd.”
I think that one of those rooms is supposed to be the “wine cellar”. Which is basically how stagers tend to furnish any windowless oddly shaped closet.
This is a good counterexample for those who claim that staging helps buyers understand how a space can be used. These leftover oddball spaces are presented as exercise rooms, meditation sanctuaries, and wine cellars. The reality is that most buyers aren’t spiritual, athletic epicureans and those leftover spaces will really be used for STORAGE.
Just once I’d like to see a house staged with a room crammed full of skiing gear, bikes, cartons of Christmas decorations, tools, and that box of toys you spill on the floor when children visit. Then I might believe that staging helps a buyer understand how a home will be used.
..and speaking of the pictures, doesn’t picture 48 on the site make you just want to pull up a stool and sit in the dark basement a sip some wine. yeah, staging looks silly.
Seems not being visible from street would be a huge plus – gives you lots of privacy and security – great for a CEO or celebrity
Correct, this is not in SF Wood, technically it is is Monterey. They proposed an amendment to get it included, I don’t think that was approved yet, but I may be wrong there.
There was not building here prior; it was carved out of the adjacent property.
The ocean views are limited but do exist from a couple key places. you do have a good view of the neighbor below, and the neighbor above can fly right on in.
imho, this is a sad mistake of a house, location, design, pricing or all of the above, take your pick. Everyone in this market niche will buy the Hacienda or the Santa Clara property before this one if they want to be in this neighborhood.
I worked for the bank that financed this project and the house next door. Started about 2006 and there were massive cost overruns, contractor delays…it was a true money pit, with tons of personal and bank money thrown into it to try and at least get them finished. But that didn’t happen and the bank foreclosed on both (they share a driveway…you have to drive past one to get to the other).
The bank held a foreclosure sale of one and no one showed up. I don’t know that they ever held one for the other. The pictures that advertised the house online in 2007 were artist renderings. The cars, appliances – all dummied up. The houses were not finished and were totally empty. The idea was to push that the buyers could finish the interior the way they wanted it. Wonder if the house next door (166/168) is still vacant?
I believe it is one block shy of being St. Francis Woods…
Might as well be St. Francis Wood. Right at the entrance – one SFW post next to the driveway, other post directly across the street, the houses around it are in SFW. You don’t see this in SF – new construction – full floor garage. Foggy summer day and inside was still bright and light. Really incredible but outside my pricerange.
The list price for 168 Yerba Buena has just been reduced $400,000 (6%), now asking $5,850,000.
Good thing the next buyer waited. With 400K you can buy yourself a few nice wheels to display on this gorgeous entrance way. Luxury sedan, H3, sports car and small convertible for the missus. And you can pay valet service for a few years for the week-ends, as well as gas for those 4 cars (make it 3: I’d get me-self a Tesla for the times I have to meet green-types friends).
If you wait a little longer, you should be able to afford even a better set of wheels with the next price chop. Wager this bad boy goes no where fast.
The list price for 168 Yerba Buena has just been reduced another $100,000, now asking $5,750,000.
Death by a thousand cuts…