Mayor Newsom Launches SFGreasecycle

A perfect Idea

Sometimes an idea is conceived that is a total benefit to everyone, even those not involved like it. This is one of those perfectly conceived ideas. The PUC came up with a wonderful idea to provide free fuel for city vehicles, help reduce costs for our restaurants, keep sludge out of our sewers and green the city by reducing emissions.

i wish I knew about htis program last week. We had a sewer back up on a weekend day. The restaurant was going to have to close. It took us one hour to locate a service that could jet stream the sewer main on such short notice. The cost was $568 for the fist two hours and then $175 per hour. This job took three hours and what was the culprit. You guessed it, grease from the restaurant had built up and then backed up.

Worst part of this ordeal was plumber insisted on being paid in cash. All the Roto Rooter services work the same way. Now we have a great answer to this problem.

SFGreasecycle; How it Works

Mayor Gavin Newsom today launched an innovative solution to collect fats, oil and grease (FOG) free of charge from City restaurants and turn them into biofuel for City-owned vehicles. SFGreasecycle is a program that was developed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) as a sustainable alternative to combat sewer blockages, largely created by grease from restaurant kitchens.

Each year, the SFPUC estimates that 50% of sewer emergency calls are related to backups caused by grease blockages costing their ratepayers $3.5 million a year in repairs. SFGreasecycle program provides an immediate financial benefit to one of San Francisco’s most important economic engines – the restaurant. This is foodie heaven.

For more information or to sign up for the SFPUC’s free restaurant waste oil collection service, please call (415) 695-7366 or visit sfgreasecycle.org.

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Howard Bell
www.yourpropertypath.com
A web site of over 450 articles related to real estate focused primarily on property management.

Your Property PathSF
A blog for San Francisco owners and managers of real property

San Francisco Renters Are Suffering Too

Sticker Shock

San Francisco is the new Manhattan, people coming into the city are telling me that its harder to rent here than New York City. We have almost a perfect storm for renters looking for a place to put their booty.

The weathers great and its beautiful. We have little ability to build up and little land to do it with. Add to that a great economy comprising new media, Bio-Science and all the Google people willing to live here and commute. To complete the recipe for the final ding to affordable housing people who would love to buy are holding back, assuming you can qualify these days. Consequently, more and more people are staying in the rental market

Most new construction is San Francisco has been condo development and some new home development, but not much. The apartment segment has not seen the boom and isnt overbuilt. Too many homes and too few apartments and guess what.

Result: The most expensive Bay Area city to rent in is San Francisco, where the average stood at $2,326, up 14.4 percent from a year ago.
Human Cost: Near impossible to find affordable housing if you are a student or a nurse or an average wage earner, changing the entire human typography of our once diverse city.

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Howard Bell
www.yourpropertypath.com
a 450 article web site focused primarily on property management

Your Property PathSF
A blog focused on trade talk for owners and managers of San Francisco property
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Walking Away From Your Home: Think Twice

More people who find themselves unable to make the mortgage are deciding to walk away. They simply stop paying the mortgage, live there for a few months and then when the lender begins to start legal proceedings mail the keys bank and leave.

Sweet revenge?

No says Fannie Mae.
Not a good idea at all. In March, Fannie Mae responded to this growing stroy by issueing new guidelines to lenders. Applicable to all walk aways and foreclosures. Owners who have walked away or foreclosed will not be able to borrow from Fannie Mae for 5 years. After that, they will need a 10% down and a FICO of 680 or better.
No says Freddie Mac.
They view walk aways as severely as bankruptcies and will hinder you from getting credit cards, auto loans for 7 years. If you are thinking of walking away, they will chase you. In some cases pursuing legal action to be sure that preserve their deficiency rights. In some states its legal for the lender to sue for the difference between the loan and the foreclosed price. In California, powerful anti-judgment protection for borrowers, what happens to the loan that the lender made? In short, the lender takes a loss on the loan, and the borrower, while immune from lawsuit, gets a very serious negative mark on his or her credit.

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Howard Bell
www.yourpropertypath.com
a 450 article web site focused primarily on property management

Your Property PathSF
A blog focused on trade talk for owners and managers of San Francisco property


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T Line Extension Brings 4th & King to Chinatown in 7 Minutes

T Line Extends & Connects 4th & King to Union Sq, Chinatown and Visitacion Valley

In February an new 1.7 mile extension of the T line will knit together a 1.7-mile Fourth/Stockton alignment and adds a surface station at Fourth and Brannan Streets and extends the tunnels to North Beach.

The Central Subway segment will reduce travel time between the Caltrain station at Fourth Street and King Street to Chinatown from 20 minutes to 7 minutes. This will serve regional transit connections, major tourist destinations, convention facilities and the large number of residents in the corridor who do not have cars. The project has received Federal approval and funding from Congress as well as the state.

The mantra of buy low and sell high gives us some thought to the value of properties located near the new extension. We wonder whether this will ignite values for Chinatown and Visitacion Valley as these areas become commutable to Caltrains, to the Peninsula and parts of North Beach. The Bayview also gets a lift as workers find it easier to commute from outer areas of the city.

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Howard bell

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A real estate website of more than 450 articles focused primarily on property management
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Trade talk for owners and managers of San Francisco real estate.

San Francisco Upper Market Development is Finalized

More Details About the Market Octavia Development

On April 8th, the legislation required to implement the Market Octavia Plan was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, needing only an additional reading on April 15th and the Mayors sig. Its a done deal, 8 years of negotiation to get this one off the ground.

What Neighborhoods are Impacted

• The new Octavia Boulevard area
• Hayes Valley
• The Castro
• Duboce Triangle
  
• Parts of the Civic Center.

Whats the Plan

• 6,000 units of new housing concentrated along Octavia Boulevard and the Market/Van Ness intersection.
• $85 million in funding for infrastructure including new open space, streetscape improvements and transportation improvements.
• 1,500 additional affordable units and $50 million in new funding sources.
• Preservation of neighborhood character
• 900 units of housing and affordable housing along the former Central Freeway right of way.

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Howard Bell
www.yourpropertypath.com
A real estate web site with more than 450 articles, for owners and managers of property focused primarily on property management
Your Property PathSF
Trade talk for owners and managers of San Francisco real estate

San Francisco Adds 6000 New Units to Upper Market

San Francisco Sets Standards for New Real Estate Projects

More than 20 years ago, in 1989, the city passed the Van Ness corridor plan, re- zoning the Van Ness corridor from commercial to "commercial/residential." The plan also raised height limits to 80 feet in some parts of the avenue and 130 feet elsewhere.

In 2001, more than 8 years after the projects were brought before the board upwards of 6000 units may be added to the Market area. Thanks to the Loma Prieta earthquake and the addition of the central freeway exit to market street

We will have something like 10 new buildings as much as 40 stories high, moving us more and more to city like density rather than the single family homes of the last 100 years. San Francisco grows up, no doubt conflicted with its new urban digs.

Still, in typical San Francisco style, the city pushed hard and and on Tuesday the board approved the plan unanimously, with final confirmation coming next week.

According to the SF Chronicle: "the plan requires developers to sell or rent 25 percent of the units they build at below-market rates and imposes fees on developers that could amount to $50 million for an affordable-housing fund.

Developer A.F. Evans' plan features 10 buildings with approximately 400 rental units, including about 90 affordable units geared toward gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender seniors. Thirty-seven percent of all new homes in the project would be rented to be affordable for residents earning just half of the San Francisco-area median income of $77,850 for a household of three. The plan also includes 5,000 square feet for retail outlets."

As much as I love the older neighborhoods that make this city so special, they no longer serve the needs of this city. They will make this town less and less affordable as new people come into the area and as we age and want to stay. Since every city must maintain its diversity, density and development that is profit driven and mindful of the needs of the community needs is indeed welcome.

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Howard Bell
www.yourpropertypath.com
a 450 article web site focused primarily on property management
www.Your Property PathSF
A blog focused on trade talk for owners and managers of San Francisco property

Van Ness gets a Face Lift: Greening the Civic Center

Continuing Improvements in the Civic Center Area

Van Ness: Grand Historic Avenue is getting some new greenery and this wonderful part of the city will see improvements in the Civic Center area, from Market to McAllister Streets, including widening and landscaping the center median from Market to Fell Streets.

The civic center has been coming back from seedy to elegant for quite a few years now. Hayes valley development has become quite an appendage to the area and now we get some beautiful street planting. Expect to see raised planters of blooming shrubs and new street trees, accented by decorative paving and ornamental metal rails.

The city and the planning dept goals for the area are to create a classic civic area that will knit together City Hall and the Davies Symphony hall area by creating a more beautiful corridor, a more pleasant pedestrian walk way and a greener city.

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Homes Sold in San Francisco as of April 6, 2008

1278 23rd Avenue $920,000, sold 02-20-08, 2250 sq. ft., 1914		834 27th Avenue $1,300,000, sold 02-26-08, 1925 sq. ft., 1932
591 29th Avenue $975,000, sold 02-22-08, 3 bdrms, 1800 sq. ft., 1936		650 2nd Street #604 $1,315,000, sold 02-22-08, 1807 sq. ft., 1996
2030 3rd Street #15 $729,000, sold 02-20-08, 1 bdrms, 1547 sq. ft., 1999		2190 43rd Avenue $630,000, sold 02-21-08, 995 sq. ft., 1944
2523 46th Avenue $594,000, sold 02-20-08, 800 sq. ft., 1944		219 4th Avenue $2,175,000, sold 02-21-08, 2800 sq. ft., 1900
708 8th Avenue $914,000, sold 02-25-08, 2472 sq. ft., 1900		1212 Arguello Boulevard $1,650,000, sold 02-22-08, 2100 sq. ft., 1904
235 Berry Street $725,000, sold 02-20-08, 2 bdrms, 1000 sq. ft., 2007		229 Brannan Street #14C $1,750,000, sold 02-20-08, 2 bdrms, 1387 sq. ft., 2001
1301 Buchanan Street $279,000, sold 02-20-08		3027 Buchanan Street $1,250,000, sold 02-20-08, 2 bdrms, 1400 sq. ft., 1900
107 Caselli Avenue $810,000, sold 02-26-08, 873 sq. ft., 1927		521 Castro Street $2,200,000, sold 02-20-08, 4370 sq. ft., 1900
142 Clifford Terrace $1,210,000, sold 02-20-08, 4 bdrms, 1515 sq. ft., 1978		301 Crescent Court #3404 $660,000, sold 02-25-08
301 Crescent Court #3405 $540,000, sold 02-25-08		283 Cresta Vista Drive #V $618,000, sold 02-20-08
90 Crown Terrace $1,500,000, sold 02-20-08, 1666 sq. ft., 1949		821 Dartmouth Street $470,000, sold 02-20-08, 836 sq. ft., 1952
5175 Diamond Heights Boulevard #209 $544,500, sold 02-26-08, 2 bdrms, 1175 sq. ft., 1980		1828 Eddy Street #7 $552,000, sold 02-22-08, 866 sq. ft., 2000
102 Everson Street $705,000, sold 02-25-08, 1360 sq. ft., 1973		725 Florida Street #2D $615,000, sold 02-22-08, 1 bdrms, 914 sq. ft., 2000
733 Front Street #508 $1,350,000, sold 02-22-08		1829 Fulton Street $1,800,000, sold 02-21-08, 2464 sq. ft., 1917
145 Gardenside Drive #7 $616,000, sold 02-25-08, 2 bdrms, 1014 sq. ft., 1981		1618 Great Highway $815,000, sold 02-20-08, 2 bdrms, 1125 sq. ft., 1949
461 Hoffman Avenue $1,250,000, sold 02-26-08, 4 bdrms, 1889 sq. ft., 1907		1234 Howard Street #3A $395,000, sold 02-20-08
2618 Hyde Street $2,245,000, sold 02-22-08, 3016 sq. ft., 1922		1701 Jackson Street #507 $678,000, sold 02-21-08, 743 sq. ft., 2001
140 Jasper Place $1,260,000, sold 02-25-08, 2340 sq. ft., 1911		2501 Judah Street $3,100,000, sold 02-21-08, 6639 sq. ft., 1964
451 Kansas Street #428 $730,000, sold 02-21-08		1905 Laguna Street #202 $550,000, sold 02-20-08, 1 bdrms, 795 sq. ft., 1924
152 Lombard Street #506 $575,000, sold 02-21-08, 709 sq. ft., 1975		154 Lombard Street #57 $825,000, sold 02-20-08, 1274 sq. ft., 1975
240 Lombard Street #338 $485,000, sold 02-26-08, 644 sq. ft., 1993		116 Lyon Street $1,525,000, sold 02-20-08, 3800 sq. ft., 1900
301 Main Street #8A $990,000, sold 02-22-08		83 McAllister Street #106 $305,000, sold 02-22-08, 331 sq. ft., 2007
85 Miguel Street #87 $1,270,000, sold 02-21-08, 2392 sq. ft., 1939		247 Minerva Street $550,000, sold 02-20-08, 792 sq. ft., 1908
188 Minna Street #33C $2,700,000, sold 02-21-08, 2 bdrms, 1670 sq. ft., 2005		1160 Mission Street #1203 $489,000, sold 02-22-08
1160 Mission Street #802 $670,000, sold 02-20-08		845 Montgomery Street #G $1,200,000, sold 02-25-08
1451 Montgomery Street $1,000,000, sold 02-25-08, 1465 sq. ft., 1975		295 Munich Street $650,000, sold 02-22-08, 2023 sq. ft., 1926
379 Munich Street $678,000, sold 02-20-08, 1305 sq. ft., 1926		61 Naples Street $576,000, sold 02-25-08, 2 bdrms, 1150 sq. ft., 1900
33 Nebraska Street $1,075,000, sold 02-21-08, 1785 sq. ft., 1970		501 Noe Street #201 $1,015,000, sold 02-22-08, 2 bdrms, 1366 sq. ft., 1900
2945 Pacific Avenue #6 $755,000, sold 02-22-08, 1 bdrms, 1223 sq. ft., 1923		781 Page Street $855,000, sold 02-20-08, 1233 sq. ft., 1911
800 Page Street $1,050,000, sold 02-22-08, 4 bdrms, 3680 sq. ft., 1900		725 Pine Street #104 $395,000, sold 02-20-08
1314 Polk Street #505 $575,000, sold 02-20-08		960 Potrero Avenue $917,000, sold 02-26-08, 2560 sq. ft., 1904
444 Roosevelt Way $2,100,000, sold 02-22-08, 2558 sq. ft., 1935		2200 Sacramento Street #1201 $1,920,000, sold 02-26-08, 2 bdrms, 952 sq. ft., 1964
2200 Sacramento Street #507 $995,000, sold 02-22-08, 1000 sq. ft., 1964		156 Shawnee Avenue $715,000, sold 02-21-08, 1150 sq. ft., 1940
1 South Park Avenue #101 $745,000, sold 02-25-08		55 St. Elmo Way $1,525,000, sold 02-22-08, 4029 sq. ft., 1926
772 Stanyan Street $686,000, sold 02-25-08, 12900 sq. ft., 1907		946 Stockton Street #5F $547,000, sold 02-13-08
88 Townsend Street #322 $690,000, sold 02-20-08, 1 bdrms, 856 sq. ft., 2004		2821 Turk Boulevard $950,000, sold 02-22-08, 1725 sq. ft., 1939
1570 Underwood Avenue $445,000, sold 02-22-08, 1466 sq. ft., 1905		68 Uranus Terrace $2,000,000, sold 02-20-08, 3 bdrms, 2635 sq. ft., 2000
1 Valletta Court $915,000, sold 02-26-08, 3 bdrms, 1858 sq. ft., 1978		72 Valley Street $2,450,000, sold 02-22-08, 1150 sq. ft., 1900
47 Van Buren Street $759,000, sold 02-26-08, 961 sq. ft., 1900		2956 Webster Street $1,410,000, sold 02-20-08, 2 bdrms, 1290 sq. ft., 1895
87 Whittier Street $630,000, sold 02-20-08, 1285 sq. ft., 1925 * Thank You SF Gate Thanks for Reading Howard bell www.yourpropertypath.com A real estate web site with more that 450 articles primarily focused on property manegement