Howard Bell

The Planning Commission is considering re zoning areas in four neighborhoods.

These areas contain about 5 million sq ft of light and small industrial use properties and may be converted into housing development. All the areas involved are part of an earlier San Francisco, one that employed and prospered as the industrial part of the city: SOMA, Potrero, the Mission and the waterfront. The recent developments of the last 10-15 years show residential and office development has begun to compete with industrial uses.

I certainly appreciate the value that the influx of internet workers to our city has done. They bring wealth and creativity to San Francisco and have put us on the map in very different ways than ever before. I dont even mind being, in part, a bedroom community for Silicon Valley. But I dont think its in our best interest to shut out people who actually make things.

Im sure this has to do with the disappearance of blue collar working families everywhere, as countries like China and Mexico become the new American work bench. What do we do with the labor force that are not programmers or scientists? Couldnt we support the re emergence of light industry to support working families, provide jobs and take back (at least in some small ways) some of the jobs we have lost to other countries. That would be a truly balanced program, not just some affordable housing, but to actually address the issues of non technical working people by supporting the development of new light industry.

Heres the Benefit

1. 10,000 new homes.

2. 15% must be low income

3. Higher tax revenues for the city

Heres the Cost:

1. A loss of economic diversity

2. A loss of blue collar jobs

3. A more homogenized San Francisco - LA north?

Attend the next meeting and tell them what you think....The next Board of Supervisors meeting is on Monday, September 15 starting around 1:30-2:00pm, room 263.

Thanks for Reading

Howard Bell

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Coming Soon......No Longer a Tourist Trap

A plan to be more welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists and less auto-friendly will cost $10 million to improve the world-famous tourist attraction. San Francisco has dedicated about $100,000 for planning and designing, another $10 million has not been secured. The city would apply for federal and state grants to help secure the plans success.

The area generates a lot of cash for the city and the hope is to create a more European feel and keep that cash coming. Plans call for removing on-street parking and removing one traffic lane to create a bicycle lane and wider sidewalks with benches. The city plans to host a number of community meetings on the proposed street makeover before developing a final plan next year. if the city is successful it may again draw interest from San Francisco's citizens.

Looking foreward to the upgrade. The views deserve special treatment. We hardly go there as it is...way too unattractive

Thanks for Reading

Howard Bell

www.yourpropertypath.com

A web site of over 450 articles related to real estate focused primarily on property management.

Your Property Path New Brief

http://wwwyourpropertypath.blogspot.com/

Snap News updates real estate markets and all things of interest to property owners and real estate professionals.

Your Property Path Amazon Store

http://astore.amazon.com/yourpropertypath20-20

Hand picked from amazons huge selection

We have two propositions coming up for vote

Prop 98: This proposition under the guise of eminent domain issues would actually do away with rent control completely. All rent controlled apartments would be allowed to remain under rent control until they became vacant...then they would go to market rate and never again be placed under rent control. In time, the city would look more like a suburb than the kind of diversity that always makes a great city.

The regulatory takings provision in Proposition 98 would grant property owners the right to sue to invalidate or receive compensation for government regulations that impose a cost to the owner. This could interfere with the ability of state and local government to pass and enforce environmental and climate regulations.

Prop 99: This proposition does not deal with rent control or limit environmental controls issue. It merely deals with eminent domain. 99 would achieve important eminent domain protections without threatening California’s environmental and health initiatives.

A broad coalition - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor Pete Wilson, AARP, League of Women Voters of California, California Professional Firefighters, California Teachers Association, National Wildlife Federation, and hundreds of other organizations that don’t normally agree on the issues - all oppose Proposition 98. Thanks for Reading Howard Bell www.Your Property Path News Brief http://wwwyourpropertypath.blogspot.com/ Snap News updates real estate markets and all things of interest to property owners and real estate professionals. Your Property Path http://www.yourpropertypath.com/ A web site with over 450 articles focused primarily on property management You can add this page to your favorite Social Bookmark site:

Its a good idea to look at some recent charts that can show us how price is acting in relation to demand. Generally, you want to see price supported by strong demand. If the price is rising and demand is dropping we are not hitting on all cylinders.

The first chart below tracks how long it takes for a San Francisco home to sell. As of March 8th it is about 55 days. Although higher than it has been in the past, we are not looking at a crises situation here. As an example of terrible, Antioch's housing market is about 42% foreclosed sales, taking almost a year to sell if at all.


This second chart below concerns me. As I said above when you have rising prices and declining interest something has to give. The San Francisco housing market has been pulling this configuration off for quite a long time. Still, conditions have really changed in our markets. The more these two charts support each other the less likely we will have a real snap back. Keep your fingers crossed.