Next Lombard Neighbors Meeting October 21st at 6pm at the Comfort Inn
October 15th, 2008 categories: The Marina, lombard neighbors
This Tuesday, October 21st, the Lombard Neighbors meeting will feature an update of the SAFE groups now being formed in our neighborhood and the safety issues and opportunities in our corner of San Francisco. The meeting will be held at the Comfort Inn by the Bay on the corner of Lombard and Van Ness. If you have any suggestions or discussion topics, please let us know by clicking here. And be sure to let us know if you’d like to receive emails about upcoming meetings.Related Category - Lombard Neighbors
Related Posts -
Learn How to be Safe in Your Neighborhood at the Lombard Neighbors Meeting
How SAFE and the San Francisco Police Department are Teaming up With the Marina
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Comfort Inn by the Bay Hosts Lombard Neighbors Meetings
October 15th, 2008 categories: The Marina, lombard neighbors
The Lombard Neighbors Group is happy to announce that Comfort Inn By the Bay is hosting our 2009 bimonthly meetings. The hotel has a breakfast room that holds a good number of people, and Manager Todd Symynuk has offered is as the venue for the next year’s meetings. We are most grateful to him and the company for their neighborliness!
Related Category: Lombard Neighbors
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Looking for a deal in the SF Lake District?
October 14th, 2008 categories: Buying San Francisco
Broker’s Tour today revealed a new listing that just came on the market. And what a deal- A studio apartment in the San Francisco Richmond District for only $399,000! And the best part is that the studio needs absolutely no work. The kitchen is beautifully remodeled, There is a gas fireplace, huge closet space, and the carpet is either brand new or was kept in pristine condition and no paint is required.
On top of that, the studio is very open and it never makes you feel confined. With ample light for all of the space, the windows look out onto 20th Avenue just a short distance from shops and restaurants of Clement Street. And lets not forget that all of this comes with a deeded parking space, which according to our discussions with the listing agent, isn’t shoved up against another parking space which usually leads to surprising dings. Lastly, it does have access to a washer and dryer, so you don’t have to worry about going to the laundromat.
Honestly, if you are interested or know of someone who is, HURRY up and call us as this property will not last long on the open market.
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Five Reasons Why Planet Granite in the Presidio Rocks
October 10th, 2008 categories: Cool Places to Exercise, Presido San Francisco
Planet Granite is a rock climbing gym located in the beautiful Presidio overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The Grand Opening for the San Francisco Presidio location was on September 13th. Planet Granite is open from Monday -Friday from 6:00am to 11:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00am - 8:00pm. There is free parking available in the back of the building. Planet Granite offers memberships, single day sessions, rock climbing lessons, classes, and so much more.
What a Great Location!
You cannot believe it until you see it. Planet Granite is located in “The Glass Palace” on Crissy Field. The exact location is 924 Old Mason Street in the Presidio. As you drive up, you get a full view of the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge. Pick up a sandwich at the Warming Hut after your workout, and sit outside and enjoy the views.
Rock Climb Your Heart Out
Planet Granite is primarily a center for rock climbing! They offer two types of gym climbing: bouldering and roped climbing. There are lessons for beginners, and classes as well for the advanced rock climber.
Complete Gym Experience
Some of you may not know that Planet Granite is not just a place to rock climb, it also has state of the art equipment such as: eliptical machines, stairmasters, treadmills, stationary bikes, weights, and so much more. The stretching room is full of bosu balls, mats, medicine balls, and overlooks the San Francisco Bay.
Classes, Classes, and More Classes
Planet Granite in San Francisco offers Yoga classes and Core classes. There are two yoga studios, and Planet Granite in San Francisco has some great instructors. They have implemented several classes that are offered daily since their grand opening on September 13th. More classes are in the works. Visit the Planet Granite Yoga website for more information.
Child Friendly
Planet Granite offers a program every Friday called “Kids Climb and Dine.” This weekly program is held from 6:00pm - 8:30pm. The cost is $40 per child and includes 2 hours of climbing time, gear rentals, and a “kid’s style” dinner. Reservations are required. Call (415) 692-3434.
Visit Planet Granite today. They have a very friendly and informative Project Manager, Carolyn Link, who still sometimes teaches classes in addition to working hard with the other staff members to make Planet Granite a great gym experience for all.
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Navigating the Current Mortgage Market Place
October 10th, 2008 categories: Real Estate News
By Guest Author - Greg Anthony CMPS
How long will the turmoil last, and is this still a good time to buy a home?
How long will the turmoil in the housing markets last?
This is the first time in our country’s history where home values have declined nationally without a corresponding large rise in unemployment. During the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was around 25% compared to approximately 5.5% today! Therefore, the challenges being faced today are different than the challenges that were faced in the 1930s. Today, states like Michigan and Ohio have high rates of unemployment, and this is causing many people in those markets to default on their loans and go into foreclosure. Those markets will not likely rebound until the employment situation improves. On the other hand, states like Florida, Arizona and California have stronger employment. Home prices in those states have declined largely due to unsustainable speculation on the part of investors who over-extended themselves by betting that housing prices would always rise. Those markets have a large glut of investor-owned properties that are going through foreclosure. The downward pressure on housing values due to foreclosures will likely last in most markets across the country throughout 2009, and in some markets, perhaps even through 2010. This does not necessarily mean that home prices will decline for another 12-24 months. This simply means that home values are not likely to recover very quickly due to the downward pressure on home prices.
The sub-prime market has virtually evaporated and lending guidelines have tightened significantly. Interest rates on jumbo mortgages and loans for borrowers with unique situations are considerably higher than loans for borrowers who have smaller mortgage balances, high credit scores, large down payments, and long, steady job histories. There are two factors necessary for lending guidelines to loosen back up: Housing market recovery - lending guidelines are likely to remain very tight until housing prices at least find a bottom. This is because lenders, mortgage insurance companies and Wall Street investors don’t want to assume the risk that homeowners will walk away from their mortgage if the home declines in value. Clear rules and regulations - lenders and Wall Street investors today are very hesitant to be flexible in their guidelines as long as the rules of the game are still undefined. There is a very large fear in the marketplace among lenders that they will be faced with large legal liability if they extend loans to people who may not be able to afford the payments at some point in the future. On July 14, 2008, the Federal Reserve issued new guidelines that clarify the rules that lenders must follow when evaluating a borrower’s ability to repay. This was the first time since the credit crisis began in July 2007 that lenders have clear guidance on the rules of the game. This should give lenders a larger comfort level in creating new loan programs and becoming more flexible in their guidelines. Obviously, “flexible”guidelines in the coming months will be defined differently than the reckless “flexible” of the past. Regulators are also considering new rules for Wall Street financial institutions and investors, and these rules should also help in jumpstarting the mortgage lending industry once again. Therefore, lending guidelines will likely become more flexible sometime in 2009. As a participant in the CMPS Institute, I have been very active in helping to shape some of the new rules by commenting on various government proposals and participating in dialogue with Congress, the Fed, HUD and other government agencies.
Please ask me about other articles in this series:
What exactly is the problem today with banks, financial institutions, and the financial markets?
What are the options if I owe more on my mortgage than the value of my home?
Is this a good time to buy a home?
This is definitely a buyer’s market! Your negotiating power in this market is greater than at any point in the last several years. If you are interested in buying a home for the long-term, this is a great time to do so. However, if you are a novice looking to speculate in the real estate markets, now is the worst time to do so because this market is more dangerous than ever. Only the truly savvy investors will be able to navigate the market today, but they need to act quickly. There is so much panic selling in the marketplace right now that the deals that are available today will not likely be around in the future. Of course, there will always be deals available, but the types of deals available today are not going to last forever. Everyone talks about buying low and selling high, but hardly anyone actually does it! Once the market stabilizes, everyone will want to jump in again and the best deals will have disappeared. As long as your timeframe is greater than two years, now is probably the best real estate buying opportunity in over two decades.
The best thing for you to do is work with a team of professionals to help you structure your home purchase transaction in ways where you could save the most money. Strategies for you to consider include seller-paid closing costs, maximizing acquisition indebtedness to create tax benefits, structuring the down payment in the proper way and other useful strategies.
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San Francisco Events: Victorian Alliance House Tour
October 9th, 2008 categories: Historic Preservation, san francisco events
The Victorian Alliance House Tour takes place on Sunday, October 19th, from 1:00pm-5:00pm. This is a walking tour through Presidio Heights of select elegant residences opened especially for this event. The net proceeds from The Victorian Alliance House Tour will benefit the Palace of Fine Arts Restoration Project. The tour is being co-sponsored by the Alliance and San Francisco Architectural Heritage. Guests will visit historic homes such as the Roos House, Bernard Maybeck’s residential masterpiece, along with the Swedenborigian Church, Le Petit Trianon and more.
Bring your walking shoes! This is a self-guided tour, and complimentary van service in vintage automobiles will continuously loop the route. Refreshments will be offered as well.
Advance tickets may be ordered for $40 through October 11th if ordering by mail, or through October 17th if ordering online with PayPal. Tickets after will be $50. Purchase tickets online or call (650) 344-9511 for more information.
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The Revised Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 Passes
October 3rd, 2008 categories: Real Estate News
Today, Congress passes the historic bailout bill which will provide the Treasury Department $700 Billion to purchase bad mortgage-related securities from institutions that are suffering from holding bad securities on their books. This has been a controversial bill from the start that has sparked a lot of tension from both sides of the political spectrum. The final vote was 263-171 in the House. Today’s approved bill was a revised version of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that was voted down this past Monday.
Since this is a real estate blog, I will outline how the bill relates to those who own property and those who are going to buy property. If you are interested more in the bill, the White House has a fact sheet showing the key provisions and benefits of the bill. If you are curious as to why there has been so much controversy regarding HR 1424, or why a lot of votes that were a “no” turned into a “yes”, take a look at what else was included in the bill that taxpayers are paying for. It’s pork barrel politics at its finest.
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and Real Estate Consumer: Read the rest of this entry »
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Are you Ready for the Next Big Earthquake in San Francisco?
October 2nd, 2008 categories: The Marina, lombard neighbors
This evening, Matt Springer from UCSF put on a great earthquake preparedness seminar. Unfortunately, the Vice Presidential debate took precedence over filling all seats at the Marina Branch Library. Perhaps a small turnout, yet Matt really puts things into perspective. Take, for example, this question he proposed: “Why do you lock your door while you are gone?” Obviously because you don’t want to be burglarized while you are away. So if you are prepared for burglary everyday, are you prepared for the next big one? You may never be burglarized in San Francisco, but we’ll definitely have another earthquake in San Francisco. We’ve all heard the phrase: “It’s going to happen. It’s only a matter of time.”
Matt also covered the basic supplies everyone should really have on hand at home and work. The following are a few tips from Matt:
- brace your bookcases
- secure frames that are hanging on the walls (and remove ones from above where people sleep)
- plan a meeting place for your family
If you’re really a true believer when it comes to being prepared, like myself, you’ll even put a small kit in the trunk of your car. There is plenty of resources on the web to find how to be ready for the next quake. You just have to take the time to do it.If you would like a pdf of an Emergency Kit Checklist, email me at matthew@buysellSFhomes.com, or call me at (415) 734-8322.
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San Francisco Events: San Francisco Native Jamboree
September 30th, 2008 categories: san francisco events
The San Francisco Native Jamboree is a place for Native San Franciscans to get together and enjoy the night. The 2008 San Francisco Native Jamboree will benefit the San Francisco Conservation Corps, a community-based, non profit organization dedicated to providing job-training opportunities for our youth while beautifying San Francisco. This year’s theme is “San Francisco in Film.” The Jamboree will celebrate our city’s film fame with a fun filled evening including the announcement of our very own San Francisco Native’s Hall of Fame Film Choice Award.
The San Francisco Native Jamboree is this Friday, October 3, 2008 from 6:30-11:30 pm at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel at 450 Powell Street. It is $65 per person, and prices include a non-hosted bar, dinner, dancing, and entertainment. Register online here.
If you know of any other great events in San Francisco, please leave a comment and I will be sure to include it in our event section.
Related Category: San Francisco Events
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Home Preparedness in Earthquake Country at the Marina Library
September 28th, 2008 categories: The Marina, lombard neighbors
The Marina Library will be hosting a special lecture this Thursday, October 2nd titled “Home Preparedness in Earthquake Country.” The event will be held from 6:30-7:30 pm. Matt Springer, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, will give a talk and slideshow about precautions that can be taken to lessen the damage of an earthquake at home and work. His presentation includes many photos and preparations in his own home and suggests measures ranging from simple to complex to prepare for the next major earthquake.
Related Category - Lombard Neighbors
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