San Francisco Real Estate - Janice Lee

The Bay Area’s excellent job market and high wages, pleasant climate, and natural splendor are attracting plenty of new residents from all over the globe, and here’s another feather in our cap: San Francisco homeowners enjoy the highest quality of life in the U.S. In its inaugural Home Happiness Index survey , HomeAdvisor ranks all 50 states and 36 major metro areas based on homeowners’ level of contentedness. The analysis found that happiness is less about the physical property and more about an area’s accessibility and community, though the actual home itself certainly plays a role. “A homeowner’s quality of life is more likely to be dependent on their community and access to important attractions and services than it is on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in their home,” Dr. Karen Ruskin, HomeAdvisor’s happiness expert and a tenured psychotherapist said in a statement accompanying the results. “Our research shows that homeowners are happiest in urban cities with good weather,...

25 Sparta St, San Francisco, CA 94134     MLS #399863 Spacious 5 bedroom 4 bath detached corner home on three levels built in 1984 with NO RENT CONTROL with approximately 2819 sqft. 25 Sparta features an open living room, kitchen and dining room.  The living room has a wood burning fireplace, recessed and track lighting with hardwood floors and a balcony to enjoy San Francisco and water views.  Remodeled bathrooms with modern granite vanity, oversized mirror and TOTO toilets.  Nice oak kitchen cabinets and granite counters.  Fresh interior designer paint colors, refinished hardwood floors and abundant light through double pane windows and skylights. Independent front and back yard access. 2 car side by side independent garage space. Only three blocks to Portola District. Close to San Bruno shops, restaurants and easy freeway access. Renovated 5 Bedroom 4 Bath Corner Home Approximately 2819 Square Feet Per Appraiser NO RENT ...

Square-footage and price are important elements to consider when it comes to choosing a house. But it takes more than a roof and foundation to make a house a home. According to a new survey of 1,000 men and women by Coldwell Banker Real Estate, couples are relying on gut feelings and lifestyle needs when looking for a place to call home. 28% of women and 25% of men put more emphasis on their feelings about a home than they do on the layout, square footage or price. 62% of women and 61% of men know within the first visit if a home is right for them. "When two people are looking for a home together, there are many considerations to take into account. Of course, price and layout matter, but 'feeling at home' is an important factor." Women take charge of making a house a home 54% of women say they take the lead in decorating. 48% of young men (18-44) say decorating is mutual. Only 36% of men over 55 play an equal part in decor decisions. Women cook it up i...

Here in the Bay Area we’ve seen a recovery in the housing market for some time now. Things began to turn around in earnest last year and really have gained traction in 2012. But now as spring is in full bloom, it seems that other parts of the state and nation are getting in on the act. “Green shoots” are evident in cities that previously were showing little signs of life, creating optimism among many industry observers. In a recent news report on NPR, reporter Yuki Noguchi said the mild spring has brought buyers out earlier than usual, and real estate agents are busy around the country. Noguchi interviewed one agent whose clients recently signed a deal on a $1.5 million house in Cape Cod that was notable for several reasons. First, it closed very quickly – “the buyers didn’t hem or haw about the decision,” the agent said. Also, it crossed the million-dollar price threshold, something he hasn’t seen since 2007. The agent says many of his high-end Wall Street clients...

La Jolla, CA.--March home sales in the Bay Area were at their highest level for that month in five years, the result of lower prices, low interest rates and an improving economy. Prices appeared to be leveling off across more of the region and may be poised to start inching back up in the stronger submarkets, a real estate information service reported. Last month 7,694 new and resale houses and condos sold in the nine-county Bay Area, up 34.9 percent from 5,702 in February, and up 9.1 percent from 7,051 in March 2011, according to San Diego-based DataQuick. The February to March sales jump is normal for the season. Last month’s sales count was the highest for the month of March since 8,317 homes were sold in 2007. Since 1988, March sales have ranged from 4,898 in 2008 to 12,645 in 2004. The average is 8,812. “This is the time of year when buying patterns usually start to normalize. And while the changes we’re seeing are incremental, they’re incremental in ...

The 30-year mortgage rate averaged 3.88% for the week ending April 12, 2012, down from 3.98% last week, and the 15-year rate averaged a new all-time record low of 3.11%, according to data from Freddie Mac released on Thursday. The drop, which was the third consecutive weekly decline, comes as long-term Treasury bond yields fell after a weaker than expected employment report for March, according to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac. The weekly data have become a checking in point for those looking to call a bottom in the great housing debate.  The Daily Ticker sums it up:   "Housing bulls point to a stabilization of prices in many metro areas, overall sales at a 5-year high, a decline in the inventory of homes for sale, fewer foreclosures and record levels of affordability ... Bears note that national home prices are still falling, albeit at a slower pace, while buying a home is unthinkable for millions of Americans suffering from bad credit, toug...