While the Times is more eloquent, the Chronicle is obviously closer to home. Another testimonial for renting over buying in the Bay Area: After 15 years as a homeowner in the Bay Area, I’ve cashed out and taken advantage of a bizarre situation: Homes that sell for a fortune... Read More »

Feeling blue or left behind because you’re a lowly renter in the Bay Area? Don’t. The New York Times echoes our insight, debunks a number of home-owning myths, and reaches the following conclusion: In the Bay Area, renting might be more financially savvy than buying. Yes, even accounting for... Read More »

We’re taking the rest of the week off. And encourage you to do the same. And while you’re at it, grab the camera and a notepad and stroll around your neighborhood. Take some pictures, scribble some notes, uncover a scoop; and then drop us a line. Then do the... Read More »

Icer Air Organizers announced their tentative date/time for the rescheduled event: September 29 at noon. And no, that’s not a typo, September 29th is a Thursday. That’s one way to cut down on the crowds (and picket waving NIMBYs.) · Sponsors modify plans for ski jump · Organizers... Read More »

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that 44.8% of all mortgage applications last week were for refinancing activities (versus new home purchases). Implications? Considering mortgage rates have been at historic lows for the past couple of years, it suggests that homeowners, “aren’t cutting their interest rates at all; rather, they’re... Read More »

According to DataQuick, the median price for a Bay Area single-family home hit $651,000 last month (versus $643,000 in July, and up ~19% from last August). At the same time, however, the number of sales fell 4.1% from 2004 and “…insiders say the number of homes for sale has... Read More »

Know the difference between a Benjamin Moore Mulberry, Behr Plum Jam, and Glidden Valhalla? What about the difference between a Queen Anne Victorian, Gothic Revival, and a San Francisco Stick? Neither did we until readers tipped us to these two sites: Colorcharts – billed as the “online library of... Read More »

It appears that the San Francisco Multiple Listing Service has quietly removed listing dates from the properties on its website. In other words, the public can no longer see how long a property has been sitting on the market. Not only disappointing, but a bit suspicious as well. For... Read More »

The San Francisco Superior Court recently tossed the Ellis Act eviction notices for all the tenants of 1357 Folsom Street based on a notification technicality. Andrew M. Zacks, which handles the vast majority of Ellis Act evictions for landlords in San Francisco, failed to provide a crucial piece of... Read More »

Lao Tzu, a sixth century B.C. philosopher, is quoted as having said, “Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.” Or said much less eloquently, and applied to the real estate market: The problem is that no one can predict the precise peaks and valleys... Read More »