Find the money = buy a condo

Buyers who stretch their imaginations and are willing to investigate sources for financing other than large conventional lenders are finding success in buying condos in San Francis... Read More

Real Estate Today

FHA San Francisco style

By Carole Isaacs

FHA stands for the Federal Housing Administration, a government-sponsored insured loan program funded by regular banks. This means the government does not provide the money, but pr... Read More

Real Estate Today

Attic = living space: Yes or no or maybe

By Carole Isaacs

It looks like an attic, it smells like an attic, but is it living space, too? In San Francisco this is the great unknown. During the past month, I had two clients seriously conside... Read More

Real Estate Today

New construction changing San Francisco landscape

By Carole Isaacs

For years there has been talk of the need for more housing by the Association of Bay Area Governments. Those of us who have our home in paradise, whether renters or home owners, co... Read More

Real Estate Today

Foreclosures: Dream or opportunity

By Carole Isaacs

San Francisco has never been a hot market for foreclosures and has become less so as a result of low interest rates, booming tech industry, and the improvement in the housing marke... Read More

Real Estate Today

One square foot of paradise, please: Part 2

By Carole Isaacs

The hot real estate market in San Francisco has again brought the price per square foot of property to the forefront of buyers’ minds. I asked a group of clients to share the... Read More

Real Estate Today

One square foot of paradise, please

By Carole Isaacs

The price of a square foot of property in San Francisco is a challenge to figure out, even for seasoned real estate buyers or investors. Buyers will often ask about the price per s... Read More

Real Estate Today

A neighborhood in transition

By Carole Isaacs

Those who live on the north side of San Francisco can be a bit provincial at times, myself included. We have everything we need right in our own neighborhood. There is no question ... Read More

Real Estate Today

A tale of two real estate investors

By Carole Isaacs

Last month I wrote about the new breed of buyer entering the real estate market. Since then, I had a new listing come on the market in Pacific Heights. This was a large remodeled s... Read More

Real Estate Today

A new breed of buyer heats up the market

By Carole Isaacs

In recent months, the booming economy in San Francisco has brought many new buyers to the City. Buyers who had stayed on the sidelines during the downturn tired of waiting for the ... Read More

Real Estate Today

The ‘Three Ps’ of home buying: Planning, patience and pleasure

By Carole Isaacs

The great thing about living and working in San Francisco is there is always something new to discover. On a recent brokers’ tour, I stepped into a two-unit building and imme... Read More

Real Estate Today

Mahjong, little old ladies, and rent control

By Carole Isaacs

My regular Mahjong group with a dozen white-haired ladies often has unexpected events. A recent afternoon began with someone calling my name as I entered the room. My friend Jane (... Read More

Real Estate Today

Concrete ideas for increasing the value of your home

By Carole Isaacs

On daily walks around my Cow Hollow neighborhood, I have watched a renovation project creep slowly forward over the past year. Several months back, when yet another concrete truck ... Read More

Real Estate Today

San Francisco parking tips: Finding the sweet spot

A parallel world

By Carole Isaacs

There is no question that I am parking obsessed. Over five years ago, when my compact station wagon died, I bought a Mazda Miata with a major part of my decision based on the lengt... Read More

Real Estate Today

Are you serious?

By Carole Isaacs

Upon seeing an especially large disclosure statement for a tenancy-in-common (TIC) unit, I found myself thinking that if disclosures could eat they must live on Big Macs because th... Read More

Carole Isaacs