Escrow Out Loud: San Francisco Real Estate

What makes a bedroom? A bed? A closet? A window? This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we talk about the requirements that a room needs to meet to be considered a bedroom.[01:15] Some think that a room needs to have a closet and a window, but what are the official requirements set by the city building code? We've seen a lot of interesting spaces being marketed as bedrooms, some of which may be considered "illegal". San Francisco has a rich architectural history and layouts have changed significantly over the years. How do Victorian layouts compare to today's ideas of what a bedroom is supposed to be? Listen to our Open Concept Thanksgiving! episode for more on this topic.[06:08] So, if it's not a bedroom what is it? How do we define these extra spaces? The extra nooks and crannies are often marketed by developers as +1, but what does that really mean?[09:06] To wrap up, we explain why we believe it's always better to under-promise and over-deliver.Thank you for joining us for th

Prices are up, volume is down, buyers are exhausted and sellers are...? A smaller pie can cause some awful table manners, and all of this is causing some agents to behave very badly indeed. Welcome to this week’s episode of Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast.[00:20] House prices continue their rise in 2018. The median sale price has doubled since 2013 and now sits at 1.61 million dollars. Doing the math, this means that in order to afford a mid-priced home in SF one needs to have a down-payment of 300k and an annual income of about $300,000. However. Let’s not forget that in the current market a 20% down payment regularly gets beat by much larger down payments or all cash offers. This is a difficult market for buyers. So difficult in fact, that we know at least one agent who currently only works with sellers.[03:08] So, what is some advice we can share? Most importantly, be realistic, and do not engage in magical thinking! That reminds us of one of our previous episodes: Opportunity o

For the last three months just about all anybody has been talking about in San Francisco is the upcoming mayoral election. So naturally, this week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we talk about politics![00:20] What an eventful year it has been so far. We kick things off with Aaron Peskin, his recent criticism of the San Francisco’s Fire Department, and the role he played in getting London Breed deposed as the interim mayor.[02:08] So who are the candidates for San Francisco mayor? There are eight in all, with the front-running four being: London Breed, Jane Kim, Mark Leno and Angela Alioto. Because most people in San Francisco fall somewhere on the progressive liberal political scale, identity politics often come into play during election time. But is this going to be the defining factor? The big question of the race is: Will identity politics win out over policy? According to the latest polls, the favorites to win are London Breed and Jane Kim. In the event of a close race, Sa

This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we pick up where we left of last week for part 2 of Matt’s interview with Britton’s Mum Micki.[00:20] Micki has had a lot of great real estate experiences over the years, but she does recall one occasion that was just awful. While trying to sell their house in Austin, Micki and her husband came across a snake oil salesman masquerading as a real estate agent. Having already singed a contract with a particular brokerage, the manager refused to let them out of their contract, but luckily, after voicing their complaints, they had a new agent assigned to them and she was brilliant – she managed to rebuild trust and humanized the whole experience. Is it a coincidence that she was previously a nurse?[04:40] There are many different parts to a real estate process. Different agents can excel at different parts but the stand outs, they are good at most or all of it. It is also what makes Matt and Britton such a great team - they complement each o

Britton’s mum Micki joins us this week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast. Similarly to Matt’s parents, Micki and her husband Bill moved across the country on several occasions to explore interesting opportunities at work. In part one of Matt's interview with Micki, she shares their home ownership journey from Marin, to Austin and all the adventures in between.[01:02] We start the journey back at the beginning. The year was 1971 and, after looking at some options in San Francisco (SF) - their preferred location, Micki and her husband decided to venture out to Marin County where the housing was more affordable. They met a fantastic agent at an open house in Gough Street and he recommended another great agent who worked with them in Marin. However, after an exciting job opportunity beckoned Bill to Anchorage, Alaska, they decided to do the unthinkable and sell their house without an agent![04:34] With two full-price offers on the very first day, they had no trouble selling the house.

This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we pick up where we left off last week for part 2 of Matt’s interview with his dad.[00:20] For sale by owner in Gallup, New Mexico! It took some time upon moving to Gallup to find the right property, but one day while out exploring, Mr. Fuller spotted a for sale sign. Like most of their properties, the house in Gallup underwent some renovations before it truly became a home. Fortuitously, due to a new high school being built, the area they purchased their property in became more desirable over the years. Coupled with the renovations they completed, it meant the Fullers were able to sell for a profit when they decided to move again, this time to Albuquerque.[03:13] In Albuquerque, after an unpleasant experience with their first realtor, the Fullers reached out to Matt for some recommendations on finding a good one.Polybutylene piping, home improvements, and refinancing options. What adventures did Albuquerque have in store for the Fullers? It

Last week Matt’s mum joined him on the podcast and shared her real estate experiences with us. Every story, like every real estate purchase or sale we've been a part of, has at least two sides – and often a lot more! This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, Matt talks with his dad to get another perspective on their family's experiences buying and selling homes over the decades.[01:28] The Fuller’s first home in Boise, Idaho was a great buy. Even though the turnaround between buying and selling their house there was unforeseeably quick, the profit they made from it really set them up down the line in terms of home ownership. The economic environment back then in the 70’s seemed to be more favorable for various programs that enabled buyers to come up with the funds for the down payment on a home, particularly for first-time buyers.[06:35] Work relocation took the Fuller family to Denver. Upon arrival, they quickly found a real estate agent through Mr. Fuller's colleague and sh

A house in Idaho, a house in Colorado, a house in Michigan, and a house in New Mexico! Matt’s parents', (the Fullers) home journey of the Wests: Northwest, Midwest, and Southwest. This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, Matt interviews his mom about her real estate experiences from the first 1977 property purchase to the present home.[00:21] The Fullers bought and sold their first house in Boise, Idaho all within a 4-month time period – AND netted a profit. The quick turn because of a work re-direction back to Denver.[03:48] The Fullers arrived in Denver with a whole weekend to find and buy a home. Fortunately, a great real estate agent was connected via Matt's Dads work. In 1977, to get on the property ladder of home ownership, the Fuller’s needed a 20% down payment. While they had most of the money in savings, family helped a little too. Family gift money continues to be allowed within certain parameters today with required disclosures.[07:50] Next stop: On the Midwest and

Amazing shoe collections, a toilet in a closet, and steel reinforced doors are just some of the unusual things we see in this business. Some amazing, others…not so much. This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we focus on the things we wish we could un-see.[01:34] Britton and Matt share stories of some of the more unpleasant things they have come across working in real estate. We hear about the time Britton showed a house that could have been a good set for the show “Hoarding: Buried Alive” and Matt’s experience seeing a home he wasn’t allowed to see![05:07] Occasionally, there were listings where you can only see the inside of the house once your offer is accepted, i.e., make your offer subject to inspections. This leads us to ponder a question. With marijuana now legal in California, how does it affect things? Will there be more grow houses in San Francisco, or fewer?[05:57] Circling back we continue to share some more stories featuring cats, toilets in places they shouldn

Britton, Britney, Britanny? What's in a name…? This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we talk about some commonly mispronounced place names in San Francisco, many of which have been named after notable people.[01:20] We discuss different pronunciations of Noe Valley, Gough, O'Shaughnessy, Phelan Avenue, Duboce, Bernal Heights, Marin County, San Rafael and more.[6:09] Pronunciation of some street/place names in SF seems to be perpetually debated. So, what is the right way and who's in charge of pronunciation anyway?We hope you'll enjoy this week's episode and join us again next week! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

 This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we wrap-up our first podcast visit to the San Francisco home of our past clients, Josh and Carlos. If you missed the previous two episodes in this three-part visit and would like a little intro to our guests Josh and Carlos, please listen to episode 27 and episode 28. Otherwise, welcome back to the final episode of the house tour!Misconceptions, Lessons Learned and Good Advice[00:50] The biggest misconception about buying a San Francisco home is about the length of the home buying process itself. Josh and Carlos explain that, while the negotiation and the offer process itself was quick, they expected the overall process to be a lot quicker. So don’t schedule your holidays ahead! Another misconception is that you will only be dealing with professional individuals on the other side.[7:50] Advice from the couple that made it through the house buying experience in San Francisco, successfully. To begin with, choose the right realtor te

This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we continue the interview with our first guests. If you missed last week’s episode and would like a little intro to our guests Josh and Carlos, click here for the part one of this three-part interview. Otherwise, welcome back to part two of the house tour![00:46] We pick up the tour in the downstairs area, where Josh and Carlos did an incredible job tidying up the space for various creative endeavors. We also find out what happened to the little house that was outside on their deck… with a shoutout to local store Scrap.[11:28] How do you make a room appear bigger? Get some scale sized furniture of course! Looking at some furniture around the room, Matt is reminded of a staging company that did this.More Chandeliers![14:30] When they bought the house (REO) it didn’t come with any fixtures.  Josh, who is particularly fond of chandeliers, took advantage of this opportunity to put up as many of them as he wanted. Urban Ore in Berkeley beca

And now for something completely different! This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we interview our first guests. Josh and Carlos are clients who purchased their San Francisco home in a very different market – they purchased a REO property during the downturn. They termed the phrase “Shivering Heights” for their neighborhood and they agreed to let us come over to their house, interview them about buying in San Francisco, and just chat about owning a home in SF. It's a 3 episode interview, this is part 1 and covers our drive over and the beginning part of our home tour. It was still a bit messy since the have recently started renovation.[00:33] When Josh and Carlos bought their house the property market in San Francisco was completely different than it is today – in fact, we were in the midst of a property downturn. Seven years later, we visit them at their place to see how they have settled in![01:47] We kick off part one of our three-part interview with Matt questioning th

Re-cleaning carpets, installing cabinets and adjusting tracks for closet doors. This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we are talking about strange terms in contracts that we’ve either received or written or heard about before!And now, based on your requests, some time markers to help you find your favorite part of the episode quickly!No Contingencies, Please![00:59] In San Francisco’s competitive property market there is usually no contingencies, so we don’t often see strange terms in contracts – the cleanest terms possible are typically your best bet in a competitive market! Price and terms are the two basic factors that affect how a seller will view an offer, and in a market with rising prices and multiple offers, how “clean” the terms are will often be one of the first items considered.[01:51] Having said that, we do have some interesting stories to share of terms we have come across during our years in real estate. Would you agree to let the buyer sleep in the house be

A deal is a deal and an agreement is an agreement, right? Last week we talked about ‘real houses’ and the trend that sees developers building more condos in the city. So, this week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we thought we would talk about new construction commission agreements in San Francisco.New ConstructionNew construction differs from resale transactions as most new construction is not in the MLS – which is not just a database of homes, it is also an offer of compensation. Britton explains more about how this works and how, in new construction sales, the agents often have to sign a commission agreement with the developer which outlines how they will be paid by the developer and typically states that they are not to share their commission with the buyer. In addition, there are a variety of laws that deal with issues such as: who can receive a commission, who can receive a commission that you need a licence for etc.Outside EscrowBut let's talk about the commonly used, straigh

Happy New Year everyone! This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we start off the year with an interesting question: what makes something a ‘real house’? Recently Britton discovered that, according to some, the home she has been living in for the past decade + isn't a "real" home. Apparently, the only "real" home is a completely detached stand-alone, single-family house? Real HomesWhere does that leave condos? Are these homes not real? Of course, they are! Does owning one mean less somehow? Of course, it doesn’t! While some condos are seen as a more affordable option, here in San Francisco you can easily spend upwards of 4 million or 40 million dollars to purchase a condo home in San Francisco. Luckily with this emergency water leak repair company, they can easily help you with any other repairs too for a reasonable cost. Drive to QualifyMatt and Britton take a look back at what the house prices looked like years ago and the huge appreciation we saw in San Francisco over the years

While during this festive time of the year many of us are taking the time to be with our loved ones and think about all the things we are grateful for, for some, the holidays can be an especially challenging time of year. Most people know about the big national projects such as the SPCA and Best Friends etc., but there are a lot of great causes to consider right here in San Francisco. So, with that in mind, this week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we go through just a few of the local charities that we love and have worked with in the past.We start things off with mentioning some great San Francisco based dog rescues. As dog lovers, both Matt and Britton have adopted their current pets from Rocket Dog Rescue, but Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is another great group which rescues older dogs and dogs usually deemed unadoptable and finds them good homes.Some non-animal-related charities and groups we love include, Meritus College Fund, which does great work with students providing mento

That’s a wrap!2017 has been an eye-opening, crazy, intense year. And, while opening a brokerage was not on our to-do list at the start of the year, it ended up being a real highlight of the year for us! Thanks to www.virtua-marketing.com, we were able to improve our marketing strategies so much this year. This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast we look back on the past year and share more amazing professional experiences.So, what are some more highlights of the last year? Well, we left Zephyr (which was really hard!) and started our own brokerage, we went to the top of 181 Fremont, as well as the 61st floor of the Salesforce tower – the view from these high places was breath-taking! What’s more, Matt’s presidency at the Association of REALTORS® is coming to an end, while Britton's position as chair of the San Francisco Standard Forms Committee is commencing in 2018.We wrap up this episode by sharing some unexpected things about starting a brokerage. See acast.com/privacy for privac

‘Tis the season, but is it the season to buy a home? On this week’s episode of Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we talk about timing and if there is such a thing as the perfect time to buy or sell a house.So, when is a good time to buy or sell? A somewhat flippant answer would be something like, 8 years ago, and while the property downturn was a great time to buy in hindsight, a more practical answer is, it is ALWAYS the right time to buy or sell.The reason this question gets asked often is that people tend to think that there is a certain time of the year when they will get the best price. The reality for the San Francisco property market is that on the whole there is a general upward trend in house prices. It is true that during the November and December holiday season there is usually a lot less inventory to choose from and the sellers may be particularly motivated to sell by a certain date – this does not mean reduced prices. So, while inventory changes by season the price doesn’t.

How do San Francisco home buyers go about choosing a neighborhood to live in? One of the things we love about San Francisco is that each neighborhood is unique with its own particular character and feel. Choosing a place that feels right can be a very subjective process. This week on Escrow Out Loud, our San Francisco Real Estate podcast, we talk about a few of our favorite streets, and how those thoughts might help you consider your priorities when choosing a place to call home.We are particularly partial to the brick streets in San Francisco and while there are very few of those left, it is interesting to note that most steep streets in San Francisco used to be brick for one very practical reason. Hint: it involves horses. This reason could also just be horse*&^%...Matt loves Edgewood St. in Parnassus Heights, and some other favorites include classics like: parts of Broadway, parts of Jones, parts of Vallejo, Lombard. Lombard St. is often lauded as being the curviest street in San Francisco but it’s not