Pacific Union’s November 2015 Real Estate Update

There were fewer homes for sale in November than in the previous month in most of Pacific Union’s Bay Area regions except for San Francisco and Sonoma Valley, where the months’ supply of inventory (MSI) was unchanged or improved slightly. With an MSI of less than 1.0, supply conditions remained particularly tight in the East Bay and Mid-Peninsula regions.

Click on the image accompanying each of our regions below for an expanded look at local real estate activity in November.

---

SAN FRANCISCO – SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES

Supply conditions for single-family homes in San Francisco remained unchanged from October, with the MSI pegged at 1.5. The median sales price rose to $1.3 million, returning to levels observed in the summer.

Although the premiums that sellers receive has dropped over the past few months, they still had a sizable advantage, with homes selling for 107.1 percent of original prices. Homes sold in an average of 28 days, nearly identical to the pace of sales over the past five months.

---

SAN FRANCISCO – CONDOMINIUMS

Condominium prices in San Francisco remained elevated, with the median sales price up to $1.15 million in November. The city’s condo sellers aren’t fetching the large overbids they did earlier in the year, but they still brought home an average of 105.9 percent of list prices.

Contrary to trends in the rest of the Bay Area, supply conditions for San Francisco condominiums improved a bit in November, with the MSI inching up to 1.9. Homes sold in an average of 34 days, a week slower than in October.

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/pacific-unions-november-2015-real-estate-update/

The Most Amazing Christmas Home Displays in SF

Per holiday tradition, it's customary to deck your house with loads of bright lights and ornamentation. Sadly, not many homes in San Francisco can do this, at least compared to the gaudiness that suburbia affords, but of those that do, they do it well.

Here are a few of such houses in SF. Enjoy.

San Francisco’s 8 Best Hotel Restaurants

Who would have thought the casual Thai restaurant Kin Khao, inside Union Square's Parc 55 Hotel, would nab a Michelin star and become one of the hottest reservations in town? (All photos courtesy of the restaurants)

In a city filled with tourists, it makes sense that some of San Francisco's hottest restaurants would reside inside hotels. Here are a few of our favorites that have everything but the turndown service. 

Kin Khao at Parc 55

Located on the bottom floor of Union Square’s Parc 55, this authentic Thai restaurant is a hidden gem in the sea of big-box stores, dives, and chain restaurants. When Coi's Daniel Patterson took the Vice Munchies crew to this Cyril Magnin Street eatery on his night out, the small restaurant earned some overdue notoreity. The vibe is young and casual, with the ambiance and service both sort of whatever; but menu, curated by Bangkok native proprietress Pim Techamuanvivit, bursts with style, originality, flavor, and heat. The braised beef cheek, in Massamam curry and coconut milk, is pretty much the best thing we've eaten ever.  //  Kin Khao, 55 Cyril Magnin St. (Union Square), kinkhao.com

(Photo: Ashley Batz)

Plaj at the Inn at the Opera

Chef/owner Roberth Sundell's Swedish meatballs are to 7x7 editors what bacon is to the hipster set—on our Big Eat 2015 list, we could eat those balls with everything. Plaj fuses California ingredients with traditional Scandinavian recipes for a menu that feels at once familiar and unusual. Other popular dishes might include herring, elk, and gravlax, but the menu changes daily based on seasonal ingredients at the local farmers market.  //  Plaj, 333 Fulton St, (Hayes Valley), plajrestaurant.com

The Cavalier at Hotel Zetta

SF's serious foodies don't only know the names of restaurateurs Anna Weinberg, James Nicholas, and chef Jennifer Puccio—they keep them on speed dial. In 2013, the Big NightRestaurant Group, also behind the ever-popular Marlowe and Park Tavern, worked with design star Ken Fulk to put a posh Brit veneer on the restaurant inside the new Hotel Zetta. The Cavalier opened with three stars from Michael Bauer and has earned a James Beard nom for Best New Restaurant in America. The team that does it all literally does it all here—serving elevated London-style fare from breakfast to brunch to lunch to cocktails to dinner to room service. Don't miss the Scotch eggs, fish and chips, and a decadent shepherd’s pie.  //  The Cavalier, 360 Jessie St. (SoMa), thecavaliersf.com

Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen at Serrano Hotel

Don’t dismiss this gastropub just because of its proximity to Union Square. The hip lounge and sports bar saw a mix-up last year that brought more locals than tourists to the Serrano Hotel. With a great happy hour, oversized flat screens, and an eclectic menu from executive chef Adam Steudle, it’s become an easy choice for shoppers and FiDi techies alike.  //  Jasper's, 401 Taylor St, (Tenderloin), jasperscornertap.com

Campton Place at Campton Place Hotel

Absolutely beautiful food is on order at Campton Place, where a variety of kitchen visionaries have been steering it to success since the 1980s. Now under the toque of chef Srijith Gopinathan, Campton's exquisite California-Indian cuisine has garnered a Michelin star every year for the past six; this year, the restaurant celebrated a coveted second star. Indulge in the spice-poached lobster with coastal curry sauce, a spin on traditional Indian street food with a hint of San Francisco fog.  //  Campton Place, 340 Stockton St, (Union Square), camptonplacesf.com

Chambers Eat + Drink at Phoenix Hotel

Chambers Eat + Drink is the well known hot spot inside the storied Phoenix Hotel, famous for its pool parties and all manner of rock-and-roll bad behavior. We like Chambers for its swank design, interesting cocktails, and elevated bar food; everyone else likes it for the selfie opportunities provided by the lighted “Be Amazing” sign in the lounge. At brunch, you can't go wrong with a Hangover Hash with dry-aged short rib pastrami.  //  Chambers, 601 Eddy St, S (Tenderloin), chambers-sf.com

Tonga Room at Fairmont San Francisco

The kitschy Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar has been a local icon since it starting slinging tropical cocktails back in 1945, making the Fairmont a favorite destination for locals looking for a kooky party atmo. While the hotel itself just drips with formality, the Polynesian-inspired restaurant serves its claim-to-fame cocktail in a plastic coconut. EvenAnthony Bourdain likes it: “Hotel whore that I am, I’m fond of the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. Big. Old. Built in 1907, with lots of history and character. Most importantly, a tiki bar in the cellar.”  //  Tonga Room, 950 Mason St. (Nob Hill), San Francisco, tongaroom.com

Ame Restaurant at St. Regis

When husband-wife team Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani first opened Ame back in 2006, the culinary community was a little perplexed by their twist on Asian meets Western fare. But it didn’t take long to catch on—Ame (sister to Napa Valley’s Terra) has earned accolades everywhere from Zagat to Michelin. Michael Bauer called the sake-marinated Alaskan black cod “stunning.”  //  Ame, 689 Mission St (SoMa), amerestaurant.com

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/san-francisco-s-8-best-hotel-restaurants

Real Estate Roundup: Bay Area Sellers Net Largest Profits in the Country

Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious.

HOME SELLERS IN 4 BAY AREA COUNTIES ENJOYING HUGE PROFIT MARGINS
Bay Area homeowners who have been wavering about putting their properties on the market may want to take a serious look at the numbers from one recent industry report.

According to RealtyTrac’s most recent U.S. Home Sales Report, October sellers in Alameda County realized a 75 percent profit gain since the time they purchased their home, the most in the U.S. Santa Clara County sellers enjoyed the nation’s second-largest profit margin, at 61 percent, followed by San Mateo County at 58 percent. The company notes that Contra Costa County home sellers also did quite well, pulling in profits of 48 percent.

Across the country, the average home seller took in a profit of 16 percent since the time of purchase, the most since December 2007, just before the country plunged into the Great Recession. RealtyTrac says that more than one-third of major U.S. real estate markets have reached historic price highs at some point in 2015.

---

LOCAL TECHIES PULLING IN BIG-TIME BANK
The average Bay Area tech worker earned three to five times the national wage last year, boosting purchasing power in one of the nation’s most expensive real estate markets.

SFGate reports that the average tech worker in San Mateo County took home $240,633 in 2014, the highest in the nation. Techies earned $211,874 in Santa Clara County, $176,275 in San Francisco County, and $121,747 in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Nationwide, the average wage was $51,364 in 2014,

But as the article points out, those numbers can appear artificially high given that they include money from sources such as severance pay and stock options. For instance, San Mateo County’s average wage was actually down 23 percent from 2013 when it was skewed by a $3.3 billion stock-option gain by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

---

BAY AREA RENTS CREEP HIGHER IN NOVEMBER
Rent prices that won’t stop rising continue to squeeze tenants in San Francisco and Oakland, although those in San Jose got a bit of momentary relief last month.

In its November National Rent Report, Zumper puts the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit in San Francisco at $3,670, up 1.4 percent from October and the highest in the U.S. for many months running. Across the Bay in Oakland, one-bedroom rental costs rose 3.8 percent month over month to $2,160, the fifth highest in the country. On a yearly basis, rents were up by 13.7 percent in Oakland and 8.9 percent in San Francisco.

In San Jose, the nation’s fourth most expensive rental market, prices dropped 4.0 percent from October to $2,180 but were up by 14.7 percent on an annual basis.

---

PANTONE TO HOME DESIGNERS: JUST RELAX
Home design and décor trends will get a serious dose of mellow over the next few years if color authority Pantone has anything to say it about.

As it has done every year since 2000, the company announced its annual color of the year, but this time, it chose a pair: Serenity (a baby blue) and Rose Quartz (a light pink). In a press release, Pantone said that the shades are intended to “embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace” and act as “an antidote to the stress of modern day lives … that psychologically fulfill the yearning for reassurance and security.”

Pantone offers multiple suggestions for how to use this chilled-out duo in interior design: rugs, upholstery, tableware, and decorative home accessories.

(Photo: Flickr/401(K) 2012)

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/real-estate-roundup-bay-area-sellers-netting-largest-profits-in-the-country/

Where to See San Francisco’s Spectacular Gingerbread Houses

(The Fairmont San Francisco)

Once again, San Francisco’s most fabulous hotels have dedicated hours of labor and tons of candy to put together some truly spectacular gingerbread houses for your viewing pleasure, including a two-story maison atop Nob Hill and an elaborate sugar castle overlooking Union Square. 

And don’t worry about getting hungry as you drool over the sweet confections, some hotels are even sharing treats with you (and your four-legged friends)! 

(photo by George Nikitin)

The Gingerbread Maison at the Fairmont San Francisco

Location: 950 Mason Street, San Francisco 

Viewing dates: Through January 1, 2016

Specs: More than 22 feet high, 23 feet wide, and 10.5 feet deep

Labor of love: A combined 895+ hours was spent on this maison, including 375+ hours from the pastry team and 520+ hours from the engineering team.

Candy intake: The maison includes thousands of home-baked gingerbread bricks (7,750 pieces to be exact!), more than a ton of royal icing, and over 700 pounds of candy!

Special additions: This year, the hotel incorporated mechanical action features into California’s largest gingerbread structure. You’ll enjoy toy skaters twirling around ice ponds, Santa’s boots kicking as he enters the chimney, a reindeer rocking in a chair, revolving Christmas trees, snow falling outside a window, and the elves’ new bakery where gingerbread and bags of cookies circle the ceiling.

Sweets for your pooch: Your four-legged friends can admire the pet-friendly gingerbread doghouse next to the North Pole Nook.

(photo by Emily Martin)

Enchanted Castle at the Westin St. Francis

Location: 335 Powell Street, San Francisco 

Viewing dates: Through January 2, 2016

Specs: 12 feet tall

Labor of love: This fabulous castle includes intricately handcrafted candies using painstaking sugar art techniques including pulling, blowing, shaping and molding.

Special additions: The one-of-a-kind, rotating, 12-feet-tall winter wonderland features brilliantly colored ornaments, elaborate gift boxes, candies, and Christmas trees. Devoted elves can be spotted climbing all the way up to a towering all-white sugar castle.

(Photo via the Marriot Marquis)

Gingerbread House Competition at the Marriot Marquis

Location: 780 Mission Street, San Francisco 

Viewing dates: Through December 15th, 2015.

Holiday competition: What’s more festive than a little holiday competition! The Marriot challenged its 22 departments to each create a unique gingerbread house. Which means there are 22 various gingerbread houses for guests to enjoy. 

And the winner is...: Awards will be given to the top three departments.

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/culture/where-see-san-francisco-s-spectacular-gingerbread-houses%23

2015 Hot 20: Anna Weinberg, Empress of the SF Restaurant Scene

(photography by Aubrie Pick) 

Anna Weinberg is the life of the San Francisco party, as proprietress of Marlowe, Park Tavern, The Cavalier and, coming soon, Leo's Luxury Oyster bar.
If you’ve had a chance to perch at the bar with Marlowe’s burger, devour Park Tavern’s deviled eggs during the heady buzz of a Thursday night, or cozy into a booth in The Cavalier’s Blue Bar to nosh on lamb scrumpets, you’ve not only experienced some of the city’s most talked-about restaurants (with good reason), but you’ve likely spotted proprietess Weinberg zipping past, a flash of blonde ponytail with a mouth going a mile a minute, doling out welcome and whip-smart sass in equal measure with a New Zealand accent. Having cut her teeth as a hostess at NYC’s Barbuto, Weinberg learned from the best, but has perfected the art of hospitality here in SF as partner in the Big Night Restaurant Group. It seems there’s no stopping her.
While Weinberg will steadfastly explain that her success is not without the help of her other partners—her husband, James Nicholas, and chef Jennifer Puccio—she is no doubt the creative force of the crew, a manic dreamer of entertainment in restaurant form with seemingly endless energy. As soon as one restaurant opens, the next idea is swirling in her head. And in true hostess form, the customer is at the core of what motivates Weinberg to push the limits. “I want to do the opposite of what we just did. We need to give our regulars new experiences,” she says.
But how the hell does she manage it all? “We have a layer of four or five people we couldn’t do without, and part of retention is expansion—we keep our best people engaged and excited with new projects.” Their latest creation? Leo’s Luxury Oyster Bar, a Mad Men-esque ode to craft cocktails, raw seafood, and opulent luxury opening New Years Eve in the former Wexler’s space in the heart of the FiDi. Inspired by an episode from season one, Weinberg takes the sexiest essence of Don Draper getting schnockered at lunch and transforms it into a most anticipated new spot: “I want gorgeous men in suits, drinking martinis and eating oysters at this bar.” Yes, please.

While The Cavalier’s members only back-room bar, Marianne’s—the embodiment of Weinberg’s late-night dreams—gives a taste of what makes her tick, Leo’s may prove to be the most personal project yet: Named after Nicholas’ and Weinberg’s cherub of a son, it’s an unabashed celebration of the group’s favorite things: “Jenn will admit she doesn’t eat cooked food. And James is super healthy. More than me, it’s the food they love,” Weinberg explains.
Though her fondness for rosé and, of course, lots and lots of bubbles, are all over the wine list. Leave it to Weinberg to have a literal Champagne room—a tented space behind the dining room replete with Moroccan tile floors, leather banquettes, and table service pouring everything from Laurent Perrier to a 1980 vintage Krug. “It’s not private, but it will feel glamorous,” Weinberg affirms. With an interior modeled after a 1950s-era Park Avenue apartment, courtesy of preeminent designers Ken Fulk and Jon de la Cruz, Leo’s will have an atrium with hanging ferns, a honey onyx bar, mahogany wood panels, green leather booths, and antique mirrored walls in the dining room. “It’s nightlife meets oyster bar,” says Weinberg.
And while we probed about what’s next, she’ll tell you that right now, “The plan is to make Leo’s great.” That said, we’re betting she’ll have something else in the hopper come January 1.

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/culture/2015-hot-20-anna-weinberg-empress-sf-restaurant-scene