What types of properties do you think will be hottest in the Marina in the next 12 months and why?
The market is sizzling and turnkey properties tend to have the most interest. With interest rates being so low, most buyers put all their cash in their down payment and don’t want to pay the premium or have the time to fix up a property. The more fixed up, the better. San Franciscans have exquisite taste. Nicely upgraded homes are in demand.
We are hearing that the local market is on the upswing again. How does this affect investors who own rental properties?
Rents are high! For the first time in my 10-year career as a Realtor, I see investors being cash-flow positive with only 20 percent down. That’s taking into consideration the loan, taxes and insurance/HOA dues. How wonderful that investors see a return without waiting for years or a hefty down payment. This year, more than ever, it’s nice to be an investor in San Francisco real estate.
What was the most exciting sale you’ve had in this area in the past couple years?
I represented some buyers in a three-bedroom, two-bath, top-floor condo in 2010. They recently asked me to help them to sell it because they were being relocated. I put it on the market last month and within a week I had five offers, all above asking, and I sold it 12 percent above what they bought it for in 2010. It is exciting to see buyers and sellers being so enthusiastic to make a purchase happen.
How long have you lived in the Marina? How has the Marina changed since you have been here?
I lived in the Marina when I first moved to S.F. in 1997 and after living all over the city, I decided to move back to start my family. I’ve lived here for five years, and I feel the Marina has become more of a young-family neighborhood rather than a post-college party neighborhood (for me anyway).
What is your favorite thing to do for fun in the Marina?
I have so many. But my absolute favorite thing to do is walk to the farmers’ market at Fort Mason on a Sunday morning with my three-year-old son. We take his red wagon, fill up with healthy and yummy goodies, dance to the band, and buy the rotisserie chicken and potatoes for lunch and have it on the way back home. That’s a perfect Sunday morning.
