“If your home is worth less than you paid, chances are you also can get a temporary reduction in your property taxes – without a battery of lawyers or dubious arguments about functional obsolescence.” “Some companies offer to submit a request on behalf of homeowners for $25 to $200,... Read More »

From a plugged-in tipster: “Great new way to see SF neighborhoods – just enter an address and take it for a spin.” Mapjack.com showcases a new level of mapping technology. What others have done with NASA budgets and Star Wars-like equipment, we’ve done on a shoestring budget, along with... Read More »

The 200 winners in San Francisco’s 2008 condo conversion lottery have been drawn. 1,744 units have lost (and will likely roll into next year’s pool). And the redesigned SFgov website remains a good starting point for those wondering about the whole shebang. UPDATE: The protest over the rules to... Read More »

A few new features were rolled out on Redfin early this morning. The one that almost had us at hello: the ability to download basic listing data for up to 500 properties at a time. As far as we’re concerned it’s a step in the right direction (in terms... Read More »

A plugged-in reader notes that Trulia has started mapping foreclosure activity in San Francisco as reported by RealtyTrac (which not only includes bank-owned properties but notices of default and scheduled sales as well). And while we are suckers for a good map (or graphic), we will note that the... Read More »

It was a little over a year ago (May 2006) that housing futures based on the S&P/Case-Shiller index for ten Major Metropolitan Areas (as well as a ten city composite) began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). And it was last week that the market was expanded to... Read More »

Once again, if you’re truly plugged-in you’re already familiar with SocketSite’s Complete Inventory Index (Cii) for San Francisco. But if you’re not: The goal of the Cii (pronounced “see”; we’re hoping Nintendo views it as flattery) is to paint a complete picture of housing inventory and new development in... Read More »

We’re not sure if it was the matter of fact first two sentences that caught our attention (“Bill and Elaine Nolan paid top dollar when they bought their Tiburon house a few years ago at the height of real estate frenzy. Now, of course, the market is cooling rapidly.”)... Read More »

According to a “plugged-in” reader’s comment, 75 Miraloma (another new construction home “bordering St. Francis Wood”) first hit the market in late 2004 with a list price of around $4,000,000. Turned into a rental when it failed to sell, the property retuned to the market four months ago with... Read More »

We can’t vouch for its accuracy, but as a “plugged-in” reader notes, rentometer.com might help shed some light on the question of what currently constitutes market rate rents. Potential landlords and junior analysts rejoice. And as far as annual increases go (again, for what constitutes market rate), we’ve heard... Read More »