Ending a housing crisis

Seemingly everybody in this city talks about the housing crisis. Now, some state lawmakers are trying to do something about it. I recently discussed this with my political roundtab... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Real estate culture

If the city gets less weird, does it matter?

By John Zipperer

Michelle recently moved back into the city after spending years elsewhere in the Bay Area. The one thing she immediately noticed was the people at the bus stop and in the cafe wher... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Up or down? Real estate in the age of Trump

By John Zipperer

Will san francisco real estate continue on its Sonderweg, its “special path” driven by its peculiar local factors? We checked with several local experts to get their vi... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Property props

City voters will choose from a number of housing and real estate-related measures on their fall ballot

By John Zipperer

Housing-related questions abound on this fall’s general election ballot. San Francisco and regional voters will face a number of measures regarding property taxes, housing policy... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Governor’s big swing and a miss

Brown lost bid to fast track affordable housing development — what’s next?

By John Zipperer

Critics were quick to poke fun at California Gov. Jerry Brown this August when it was announced that he sold his home in Oakland in the midst of one of the greatest real estate run... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Property market shifts gear New high-end condos change the market

By John Zipperer

Supply and demand still has the final say, even in San Francisco’s wild real estate market. Early this month, developer Trumark Urban is expected to begin selling a batch of ... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Micro apartments: New but not new

Small units are one way to deal with a popular and dense city

By John Zipperer

When I moved to Chicago as a twentysomething, I knew the neighborhood I wanted to be in: the obviously titled Lakeview a few miles north of downtown. Friends of mine already lived ... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Going for the gold

Short-sightedness vs. long-term relationships

By John Zipperer

Most of the time, when people think of good or bad business practices, they are thinking of business-to-consumer companies, businesses whose customers are private consumers. But th... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Density bonuses and high-in-the-sky housing

So you say you want affordable housing?

By John Zipperer

It’s not always fun being the top dog.In early March, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued a statement acknowledging that “Oakland is the fourth most expensive housing mar... Read More

Real Estate Investor

The most-desired city

By John Zipperer

Before you even ask: No. “No” is the answer to your question about whether San Francisco’s real estate market has come down to Earth. It hasn’t. In fact, no... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Something’s gotta give: Dr. Peter Linneman on taking the mystery out of our housing crisis

By John Zipperer

About a decade ago, before the Great Recession and the related implosion and rebound of the real estate market, the matter of how to house burgeoning populations was a topic of con... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Property politics: How others respond to housing inequality

By John Zipperer

After John Norquist left his longtime position as mayor of Milwaukee, he spent a decade heading up the Congress for the New Urbanism, an organization that promotes smart urban plan... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Office space is dear and expensive

Is it time to head to Oakland or pray for a recession?

By John Zipperer

Stuck in the middle of a report on the performance of San Francisco’s office real estate in the fourth-quarter of 2014 is this tidbit: 2014 sales volume was 64 percent higher... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Real estate guesses, guestimates and estimates

By John Zipperer

Housing prices reach new highs.” “No end in sight for price appreciation.” “Prices are moderating.” “Market crash imminent.” “Prices... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Airbnb goes legit?

Home-sharing service begins collecting mandated hotel tax as city clarifies regulation

By John Zipperer

Short-term residential rental companies such as Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway might be the biggest disruption to hit the real estate market since public online listings took away the ... Read More