NNN Brokers USA – San Francisco Commercial Real Estate Brokers: "The Scoop"

This the holidays quickly approaching, we’re sure your Facebook feed is being bombarded with all sorts of Christmas party invites and Turkey recipes and other holiday cheer that is probably having you seriously contemplating popping a double strength Tylenol and downing it with a cup of spiced cider. How about you add some top real estate news to your feed? Simply “Like” Curbed SF on Facebook and then, boom! Like magic, all of our top stories will appear in your feed. Too much too soon? Then following us on Twitter will suffice.

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Sometimes amenities and location are what’ll make a condo sell. Regardless of wall-to-wall white carpet, kitchen in dire need of an upgrade and a windowless bathroom. Take 1177 California Street, #725, a 1-bed, 1-bath, 653 square foot condo. It’s nothing spectacular. But at $488,800, it’s certainly not a bad deal. You’re directly across the street from Grace Cathedral and a block away from Huntington Park, where there are gorgeous fountains and pedigree pets running around adorably. Seriously, folks. You look outside your window and you’re gazing at one of San Francisco’s most beautiful buildings. Now onto amenities. The pool is choice. Not only is it indoor, but it’s got a great dome above it that makes it just a tad bit more regal. There’s also a hot tub with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer up a great view of Lower Nob Hill and SoMa. Your monthly HOA dues of $831.60 include high-speed internet access, all of your utilities, cable, Earthquake insurance, and a 24-hour lobby attendant. Let’s not forget the gym. Other highlights include 1-car parking with interior access and the ability to say “I live on top of Nob Hill, right across from Grace Cathedral.”

· 1177 California #725 [Redfin]

Parklets! The new hot accessory to have outside of your business. Fabric8 at 3318 22nd Street at Valencia in the Mission is taking a different approach to their parklet. Instead of doing everything in-house, they’ve opted to involve the community about what goes into their public parklet. They’re proposing to create and maintain an art gallery featuring rotating exhibits of kid-friendly public art. And they’re not halting it at paintings, either. They want your temporary murals, sculptures, and even landscaped greenery. Here’s the fun part: they’ve invited neighbors, people who walk past Fabric8 on a regular basis or live down the street – to become a member of the jury that’ll select the pieces of art to be temporarily displayed. They’ve even gone as far to put the wheels in motion to to create a publicly accessible website which would feature the finalists for neighborhood folk to view, comment and vote on. The projects that receive the most votes will be asked to install their work. Of course, they highly encourage the use of recycled materials. Take note, kiddies.
· Parklet Gallery [fabric8]

[Everybody Does It via Curbed Flickr Pool/Chris Saulit]

· NIMBYs cheer as supes deny Bernal Heights antenna permit [Mission Local]
· Baker Beach addicts get there early [SF Citizen]
· Sneak peek of the Conservatory’s Garden Railway exhibit [Richmond SF Blog]
· Let’s blame Canada for our upcoming terrible weather [SF Appeal]
· Pretty much the best mural we’ve ever seen in SF [Aggressive Panhandler]

On Tuesday the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency approved the signage and design changes that would allow Target to move forward with its quest to dominate the weary Metreon. First stop? The 22-foot illumated Target sign that’ll replace the current glass Metreon logo on its exterior at Fourth and Mission streets. If all goes smoothly, Target could be open by the middle of next year. [NBC Bay Area]

[A Place to Sit Among the Flowers via Curbed Flickr Pool/Erik Wilson]

· Pretty much the best Craigslist ads ever [Curbed National]
· Tahoe may soon lose much of its snow [Inside Bay Area]
· Younger greens reject old ideas about urbanity [SF Gate]
· San Franciscians and losing their phones [SF Appeal]
· Some realtors will try anything [TheFrontSteps]
· How to get rid of your deadbeat roommate [SF Appeal]

With a royal wedding in the foreseeable future, our real estate porn-obsessed colleagues at Curbed National couldn’t help but dig up a trio of starter homes that might suit the fancies of Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton. Who knows how long it’ll be until the couple assumes residence in London’s Buckingham Palace, but a posh pad in, say, Bermuda (right) wouldn’t be a half-bad consolation. [Curbed National]

Although it still needs San Jose city council approval, it looks like SunPower Corp., designer and manufacturer of solar technology, will be packing up its Richmond HQ and moving its operations to San Jose. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said SunPower’s new campus will serve as a showcase for innovation and green investment. ”It has been a pleasure to partner with SunPower on its plans to expand its headquarters presence, and R&D, engineering job base in San Jose,” Reed said. [NBC Bay Area]

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Credits: Images 3 through 6 via ArchDaily

We don’t know what involvement architect Stanley Saitowitz has in 1029 Natoma Street, across from his mini-complex at 1022 and 1028 Natoma, other than designing its replacement. The property and plans have been on and off the market since mid-2009, asking $859,000 and reduced this week to $729,000. Along with approved plans comes- drumroll, please! a demolition permit for the existing structure on the site. To quote the listing:

Project ready for a 4 unit condo designed by Stanley Saitowitz, Award winning world renowned architect

It’s said to be similar to 1028 Natoma, except it seems to have fins on the facade rather than the perforated mesh across the street. And it’s shown as a black monolith instead of a grey one. Four-car parking (how did that get approved?) and no hint of an elevator despite one unit being touted as ADA-compliant. Presumably has the same long wall with the kitchen and all the other wet stuff lined up alongside: toilet, shower, tub each in individual compartments enclosed by sliding( frosted!) glass panels. Seriously, Stanley, do you really want us to take a dump in the living room? Check out the gallery for images of 1028 Natoma and Saitowitz’s brand of luminous minimalism.

Looking back at tax records for 1028 Natoma, the cost of the new building across the street should be around a million dollars, plus fees, so you’re going to spend close to two million before you get to move in. Tax-wise, the current tear-down plus parking lot at 1029 Natoma pays a whopping $1,118 in property taxes annually, while the fully-redeveloped 1028 Natoma coughs up over $16,000 per annum. · 1029 Natoma Street [Redfin]
· 1028 Natoma Street [ArchDaily]

The folks at the Uptown Tenderloin Historic District really like their neighborhood, as you might imagine, and they would would like you, wary San Franciscan, to also take some time to stroll through what they consider to be the next great subsection of their neighborhood: The Geary-O’Farrell Corridor, for which they have produced a new walking map. [PDF warning] The map highlights “historic architecture, restaurants, bars, galleries and entertainment venues” along those two streets which, as you might have noticed, have been experiencing a bit of a revival with new businesses and restaurants popping up despite vacant storefronts in perhaps more desirable neighborhoods. (Although, we’re sure rent prices has something to do with that.)

We also recognize that this micro-hood thing can get a little tedious, but it’s actually nice to highlight both the history and progress of a neighborhood where people tend not to linger too long. Pessimists might look at it as an attempt to draw the focus away from the blight, but those folks ought to lighten up and take a nice stroll anyway.

· New Walking Map Exposes San Francisco’s Historic Geary-O’Farrell Corridor [BeyondChron]