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If you’re shelling out $2 million to modernize your Pacific Heights Georgian Tudor Revival mansion, you don’t wanna spend the next year staring out your front window at a fluorescent green box where the construction workers go to the bathroom.

And your neighbors really, really don’t want their view impeded by a Porta-Potty.

“They look like crap,” one neighbor succinctly put it. (It’s difficult to write about this topic without scatological commentary.)

Linda Gebroe, who blogs about the renovation of her Noe Valley house, put it more delicately.

“It’s such an eyesore on the sidewalk,” she said.

Some high-end contractors in San Francisco have responded by crafting decorative enclosures for the chemical toilets their workers use.

“When we first started doing it, some woman pulled up in her Beemer, jumped out and said, ‘Oh, it’s so Pac Heights,’ ” said Peter Downey of Peter Downey Construction, a pioneer of the trend.

“If you take a drive around Pacific Heights, you can see some that contractors really put some thought into,” said Aaron Gordon of Aaron Gordon Construction, who has three diverse ones outside projects he’s working on.

For more on the trend and photos of some local outdoor bathroom booths click here.

But now it’s time for readers to weigh in.

Is there a pretty potty in your neighborhood or on your walk to work?

Please send a photo of the outstanding outdoor toilet, including your name, a brief description and its location to csaid@sfchronicle.com

We’ll run a gallery in a future blog post. Who knows, there may be prizes!

Costco-sized supply of toilet paper, anyone?

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. For news and insights on Bay Area real estate, follow her on Twitter: @csaid

Article source: http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2013/09/02/seeking-the-bay-areas-prettiest-outdoor-potties/

Given that real estate is seasonal, you’ll learn more by comparing year-over-year performance than month-over month. Another thing to consider: even in a town as large as Novato (contextually speaking; with a population of roughly 50,000, Novato is the second-largest city in Marin County), one month of data reveals only a Hemingway-esque iceberg tip.

When I say that single-family home prices fell 7.8 percent month-over-month in August, I’m not really telling you much. Same goes for the fact that sales activity jumped almost 25 percent last month. It could mean nothing more profound than the possibility that more people went on vacation in June than in July.

Unfortunately, it is when we compare numbers from past years that we learn some distressing truths about local real estate.

General wisdom says that 2009 and 2010 represent the nadir of the housing market. It was early in 2009, you might remember, that the after-effects of the October, 2008, stock market crash brought housing to almost a complete standstill. Well, in August, 2009, the average single-family home in Novato sold for $667,593 – 14 percent more than it fetched two years later. One caveat is that the market had begun moving again by summer, 2009.

One year later the story was that real estate had spent the past year making incremental gains, only to see them wiped out by a mid- to late-summer swoon. In 2010, Novato clocked in with a mark of $624,125, a 6.5 percent drop from 2009 but still 8.2 percent higher than last month’s figure of $572,915. Activity dropped from 39 sales (2009) to 31, a number matched this year.

Condo sales jumped to 20 in 2011 after languishing at 16 and 11 in 2009 and 2010. Condo values, however, fell to $247,920, a loss of 12.7 percent from 2010.

Circling back, maybe August was just a bad — but busy — month. Maybe there was a run on distressed properties (their share of the overall market is up 5 percent since this time last year). Or maybe we should compare August not to August 2010 or July 2011 but to the entire calendar year beginning in January.

Novato began 2011 on a low note. January and February posted average values around $500,000 — numbers no local homeowner wants to see. Activity remained brisk, however, unlike in most Bay Area cities. For all of 2011, Novato’s entry-level status has pumped up its market. Even though values are lower than we’d like, the city has posted stout monthly sales figures. So far Novato has topped 30 single-family sales in five of eight months, led by April’s 36 sales.

Home values have not followed suit. They’ve hung around the mid-$500s, topping $600,000 only in March and July, though approaching that mark also in June ($594,441) and April ($589,652). For the year, the average single-family home sold for $568,698, within 1 percent of August’s $572,915. An average of 29 homes has sold each month, two less than August’s 31.

August as Everymonth? It could be. It is the weakest of what looks to have been a strong summer but completely in line with 2011’s overall performance.

So the story in Novato isn’t booming optimism or relentless pessimism, with values down from 2010 but up from early 2011. What happens next will be determined by two factors: the city’s ability to ramp up during real estate’s hot season — autumn — and the future of its inventory of distressed and low-end properties. As long as these bargains are driving the market, activity will remain high but prices will remain suppressed.

Some good news: as of Sept. 26, active inventory was down 37 percent year-over-year and days on market (the number of days a property remains active before going into contract) was down 21 percent, to 63.

Putting it bluntly, Novato hasn’t rebounded the way San Francisco, Burlingame, Mill Valley, Palo Alto and the rest of the “above the fold”  Bay Area has. Its real estate profile is different — more distressed homes, more entry-level properties and it’s difficult to imagine any of the celebrated “new tech money” making its way to northern Marin County. With this in mind, the local market’s summer 2011 performance is a glass half-full.

Article source: http://novato.patch.com/articles/looking-at-housing-climate-year-by-year-glass-is-half-full

Larry Ellison sues neighbor for blocking Bay views

Too bad the neighbors of Larry Ellison, the CEO of Bay Area based Oracle Corp., don’t have any ties to the Julia Butterfly Hill or the four Berkeley tree sitters, who spent 649 days living on the trees to protest their planned destruction. They may wish they did, now that a lawsuit brought on by Larry Ellison is about to hit the courts.

Larry Ellison, who is the fifth richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $39.5 billion, is well known for his taste in real estate. He spent millions and several years developing his Japanese inspired, Zen compound down in Woodside. His home in the city, appropriately located in Pacific Heights, is over 10,000 square feet, with 5 bedrooms and commands grand, sweeping views of the Bay. Purchased back in 1988 for $3.9 million, he’s now suing his neighbors for letting their trees get too tall and obstructing his views.

WSJ.com

The trees and Bay view Larry Ellison is suing over

The owners of the trees, Bernard and Jane Von Bothmer, became Larry’s neighbors back in 2004 when they purchased their home that is just down slope from his house. He had once offered $15 million to buy their property, which they purchased for $6.9 million, but they rejected. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Larry has hired an attorneys specializing in tree disputes and is claiming loss of natural light and views in his suit against his neighbors.

The court date follows a lawsuit Mr. Ellison filed last June alleging he will suffer “irreparable injury” from lost property value if the court doesn’t make the Von Bothmers cut their trees in order to “restore Plaintiff’s views and sunlight.”

Disputes about trees and views in the city between homeowners are surprisingly not that uncommon. The city of San Francisco has specific guidelines that owners are asked to follow with tree disputes.

In 1988, the city passed a “Tree Dispute Resolution Ordinance” requiring a complainant to seek “initial reconciliation” with the tree owner, file a “tree claim” if that doesn’t work and, if necessary, submit the dispute to “binding arbitration.” If all else fails, the dispute can go to court.

It appears now that all else has failed. In the court deposition, the Von Bothmers claimed that they have caught workers in their trees preparing to cut branches, while Larry says if that is true, they weren’t working for him. This is just one of the multiple claims by both sides over the trees. With trial set to start June 6th, we’ll soon learn if Larry will get his views back or not.

Posted By: Jenny Pisillo (Email) | May 31 2011 at 03:50 PM

Listed Under: Bay Area

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Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=90074

Mary Ann Teixeira, a Burlingame real estate agent, is celebrating the return of summer festivals to Peninsula communities. She says neighborhood celebrations like Hot Harvest Nights in San Carlos are what make homes in these areas so desirable. Many families consider the presence of community activities to be an important factor when choosing a neighborhood.

Hot Harvest Nights is held on the 700 block of Laurel Avenue in downtown San Carlos every Thursday evening from the beginning of May until mid-September. It features live music, handcrafted items from local craftspeople, locally grown produce, and more. The businesses around Laurel Avenue even stay open late to serve the local families and visitors who come out to play.

“Hot Harvest Nights is a great venue for enjoying warm summer evenings outdoors, getting to know and supporting local businesses, getting to meet and spend time with neighbors and learning about the community,” said Teixeira.

Most of Mary Ann Teixeira’s Peninsula real estate clients are working professionals who are starting families. She has observed that active communities are more attractive to many of her buyers, and that home values increase proportionately with the frequency of family-oriented community activities. The Peninsula REALTOR® has made it her practice to ask her buyers questions about the importance of an activity community-and what level of community energy is most appropriate for their families Teixeira also discusses the various community activities that take place in and around the neighborhood when she presents a property.

“The Peninsula explodes with activities during the summer months. Farmers markets pop up seemingly everywhere, and every weekend is filled with events like Hot Harvest Nights in San Carlos, said Teixeira. “That energy can really enhance a family’s enjoyment and integration into a community.”

For more information on Hot Harvest Nights, check out the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce website: sancarloschamber.org or go to Mary Ann Teixeira’s blog at www.MaryAnnT.com/blog.

For additional information about Bay Area real estate or Mary Ann Teixeira’s services, call (650) 241-0318 or visit her website at maryannt.com.

About Mary Ann Teixeira

Mary Ann Teixeira is a licensed REALTOR® with McGuire [Real Estate in Burlingame, California who specializes in relocation services, homes for sale, and luxury homes. She is a seasoned buyer’s agent who serves the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula communities of Atherton, Burlingame, Cupertino, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Woodside.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebsan_carlos/real_estate/prweb8397155.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/08/prweb8397155.DTL

Now, getting the word out to neighbors about an upcoming event is just a blog, Facebook post or tweet away. A team of Prometheans, called “The Voice”, are dedicated to creating content and promoting the company’s social media presence. Staying connected via social media helps build a closer, more personally engaged community at Prometheus properties.

“Advertising is traditionally very sales orientated,” said Cindy Park, Vice President of Marketing, “with social media, we can communicate in our own voice, providing engaging and useful information. We’re building community with our current neighbors while reaching out and making a personal connection with future neighbors.”

Article source: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/04/15/3117891/embracing-social-media-at-prometheus.html