Even in our small city location makes a difference.
Business
Location Location Location
Monday, February 20th, 2012Facebook IPO to Spark Valley Economy
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012San Francisco Number Two Place to Own Apartments
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012Neighborhoods expected to increase in price include Noe Valley, Mission Dolores, Russian Hill, and Marina/Pacific Heights. Formerly first place, New York
California Consumer Confidence Inched Up
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010A. GARY ANDERSON CENTER FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH
ORANGE, CA — The California Composite Index of Consumer Confidence increased to 84.2 in
the month of August slightly higher than a reading of 82.7 in May of 2010. This marks four
consecutive increases in consumers’ confidence since August of 2009. An index level below 100,
however, reflects a higher percentage of pessimistic consumers as compared to those who are
optimistic. In contrast, the survey of consumer confidence at the national level conducted by the
University of Michigan showed a preliminary reading of 69.6 in the month of August lower than
the May reading of 73.6.
Housing starts rise 1.7 percent in July
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Housing starts increased 1.7 percent nationwide in July and permits for new housing units declined 3.1 percent, the Commerce Dept. reported yesterday. Housing permits and housing starts have decreased 3.7 percent and 7 percent, respectively, compared with the year prior.
San Francisco Homeowners Have New Way to Pay for Going Green
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010San Francisco homeowners have a new way of paying for solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and low-flow toilets.
A new city-run program, GreenFinanceSF, will give San Franciscans the money to pay for such projects up front and let them pay it back through installments on their property tax bills. Berkeley pioneered the idea in 2007, and since then, hundreds of cities, counties and states have adopted their own versions.
There’s Extraordinary Change Coming to San Francisco
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The redevelopment of the Transbay Terminal will re-locate the center of downtown San Francisco to the soon-to-be-developed Mission Plaza, which will include a new 1000-foot tall building along with the striking new terminal building. The new, one million square foot, terminal building will will be the transportation hub of Northern California and the 10 county Bay Area. The terminal will be the northern terminus for the voter approved high speed rail service to Southern California and will serve the 10 county area via Golden Gate Transit, AC Transit and Cal-train to the Peninsula/ Silicon Valley.
Mission Plaza
The roof of the terminal building, spanning some 5.4 acres, will give new meaning to the phase “living roof,” As it will incorporate a tree-lined park complete with amphitheater, water features, playgrounds and sculptures. Visit the Park.
Natoma Street from Second to Beale will be a pedestrian walkway with cafes and shops. The lower part of Folsom is also included in the redevelopment plan, as a wide boulevard lined with trees, cafes and shops. Visit the Redevelped Folsom Street.
The Transbay Joint Powers Authority has a great website with pictures, videos and ar-ticles about the redevelopment plan; you’ll probably need to bookmark it, though, as there is too much information to take in at one visit. Vist the Future Transbay Terminal.
Is there a real estate play to make now that will position you well for the second half of this decade? I think there are several, depending on your appetite for risk and the amount you want to invest. Certainly if you are thinking about changing your primary residence you should investigate the options. And from an investment stand point, I believe that this area offers great potential and relatively low risk.
Some of my top picks: The Millennium Tower is located at the corner of Mission and Fremont. The units on the south side of the tower will have views of the roof-top park while units on the west side will look on to Mission Plaza. While there will be at least 7 other residential buildings built as part of the redevelopment plan (some 700+ units) none will have such a prime location.
Millennium Tower
Imagine walking out the door and hopping onto a train to LA, or shopping at the numer-ous retail and food outlets in the terminal’s shopping areas, or jogging through the 5-acre park with its water features designed by renowned artists.
The Millennium building is full service. There are valets to park cars, doormen, pages to carry parcels and groceries, and a concierge to screen visitors and take care of all the other needs of the residents. The building features a large pool, hot tub, steam rooms, a health club run by LA Sports Club, many outdoor seating areas with a fire pit and city views, and to top it all off a private lounge with a dining room serviced by Michael Mina’s RN74 Restaurant. It is an incredible place to call home and appeals to residents of all ages. Visit the Millennium.
Already an icon on the San Francisco skyline, the Millennium is now making its mark in the real estate sector. It was recently named by San Francisco Business Journal as the Best Real Estate Deal of 2009. Read the article.
Resale units at the Infinity Tower and One Rincon are comparatively bargain priced. While not the Millennium they too are full-service buildings in the right location. There are also many existing lofts and smaller condo projects in the area whose value should receive a boost by this redevelopment. A few more of my top picks include: Hills Plaza, SF Blu (which is FHA approved so resale is easier), and One Hawthorne.
There is great change coming to the south part of the Financial District and while large amounts of government expenditures don’t always equal success I am convinced that in the second half of this decade this will become the new center of San Francisco and offer an outstanding return on investment. If you would like to investigate the possibilities give me a call.
Links to more information on the redevelopment area:
Transbay Redevelopment Interactive Flytrhough
SF Gate Articles
High-speed rail to end at Transbay Terminal
A 21st Century Strategy for Transit Oriented Development
Consumers in U.S. Face the End of an Era of Cheap Credit
Sunday, April 11th, 2010By: Nelson D. Schwartz
The New York Times
The New York Times
Even as prospects for the American economy brighten, consumers are about to face a new financial burden: a sustained period of rising interest rates.
That, economists say, is the inevitable outcome of the nation’s ballooning debt and the renewed prospect of inflation as the economy recovers from the depths of the recent recession.
 |
|
Why,Terry | Getty Images
|
The shift is sure to come as a shock to consumers whose spending habits were shaped by a historic 30-year decline in the cost of borrowing.
Lumber, Materials Prices to Rise as Housing Recovers
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010Barely beginning to emerge from the most devastating housing downturn since the Great Depression, home builders in the early months of this year have been confronted by a significant run-up in lumber prices.
For the week ending on Feb. 19, the Random Lengths composite index stood at $317 per 1,000 board feet, its highest level since the first half of July 2006. That price was up more than 26% from the start of this year, when framing lumber was averaging $251.
Read more…
Consumer optimism seen with January rise in spending
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Perhaps the lessons of the Great Recession are not so deep-seated after all.
Consumers spent more and saved less in January, according to government data released Monday, a sign that Americans feel increasingly secure about their financial situation, economists said. The growth in spending and the decline in savings were, respectively, more and less than analysts had predicted — adding weight to a growing consensus that consumers’ newfound frugality was just a fling.
Testimonials
Above all, Gary is efficient, honest and knowledgeable. Unlike many realtors, Gary will genuinely look out for you and help you get the best deal, period. He really knows his market, and is always up-to-date on the latest deals. He’s very honest, down-to-earth, and frank in his opinions about the pros and cons of a [...]
Ive bought 8 houses with Gary as my Realtor. Super easy to work with and he has a great eye. He’s been in the game a long time and understands real estate cycles. I would highly recommend Gary.