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Not too long ago, Bay Area renters began to feel some relief. In the latter part of 2016, analysts described softening rents and, indeed, a plateau appeared to have emerged early this year.

But here we go again.

The cost of renting an apartment moved up in June across the region, according to a new analysis from ApartmentList.com, a website that tracks the national rental market.

Nationwide, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,150, up 2.9 percent from a year earlier.

Most Bay Area cities were about double that, or more.

Here are a few highlights from the report.

In San Jose, the median monthly cost of a one-bedroom flat was $2,050, while a two-bedroom went for $2,570. Month-over-month, that spelled a 1 percent increase, while the year-over-year increase was 2.2 percent.

In Oakland, a one-bedroom unit typically rented for $1,710 last month, a two-bedroom for $2,150. Month-over-month, the increase was 1.2 percent, while June rents were up 2.8 percent from the year before.

In San Francisco, a one-bedroom fetched $2,420 and a two-bedroom cost $3,040. There was a small boost of less than 1 percent on a month-over-month basis, but San Francisco’s rents actually were down slightly year-over-year, by just under 1 percent.

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If any of these numbers come as a surprise, that’s because ApartmentList.com has altered its methodology “to provide more accurate rent estimates and avoid luxury bias in private listings,” explained Andrew Woo, data scientist for the website.

Its December report had indicated a median monthly cost of $4,550 for a two-bedroom flat in San Francisco and $2,500 for a two-bedroom in Oakland. Rents have not tumbled drastically in the time since, Woo explained. In fact, with the exception of San Francisco’s small year-over-year decrease, rents have increased across the region. The latest numbers, however, reflect the website’s adjustment in methodology.

Several other numbers jumped out of the report — for instance, one showing that a two-bedroom in Fremont ($3,550) cost more than one in San Francisco, another showing that a two-bedroom in Cupertino ($5,040) was pricier than similar apartments anywhere else in the region.

Woo explained: “In smaller cities, for example, Cupertino, rentals and neighborhoods tend to be more homogeneous, whereas in larger cities like Oakland rents vary more between neighborhoods, often resulting in lower median rents. Additionally, a two-bedroom in Fremont may be more spacious than a two-bedroom in San Francisco, resulting in a higher rent price.”

Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/03/bay-area-rents-see-summer-jump/

The unofficial San Francisco Bay Area landmark known as the Flintstone House has changed hands for the first time in 20 years. A local buyer closed on the quirky home for $2.8 million this week, brokers confirmed.

The house, which is in Hillsborough, California, about 17 miles south of San Francisco, came onto the market in September 2015 for $4.2 million, and dropped to $3.195 million when it was last listed in July 2016.

The listing entered into contract in May and closed on Tuesday. The final sale price was exactly one-third off from the original ask. The property records don’t yet register the buyer, and the brokers declined to name the person.

“The buyer loves that the house is a piece of art, inside and out,” said Julie Zubiate of Redfin, who was the buyer’s agent. And the buyer “has always loved seeing the house when driving along Interstate Highway 280,” she added.

The seller bought the house for $800,000 in 1996, property records show.

The earth-colored, multiple-domed home, nestled in the hillside overlooking Crystal Springs Reservoir, was designed by Bay Area architect William Nicholson in 1976 to experiment with new building materials and techniques.

By spraying concrete onto wire mesh frames and giant inflated balloons, Nicholson created an exterior that looks as if it were made of giant bubbles and marshmallows, earning the house its other nicknames: the Marshmallow House and the Bubble House.

More: Dream Homes Can Be a Tough Sell

The 2,730-square-foot home sits on almost two acres and includes three bedrooms and two baths.

The interior, designed by architect Eugene Tsui, features unique designs as well, including a bedroom with a loft and a kitchen with a glass countertop supported by a diagonal metal spine.

Listing agent Judy Meuschke of Alain Pinel Realtors said that the buyer is  from the Bay Area and intends to “preserve the home and enhance the landscaping.”

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The unofficial San Francisco Bay Area landmark known as the Flintstone House has changed hands for the first time in 20 years. A local buyer closed on the quirky home for $2.8 million this week, brokers confirmed.

The house, which is in Hillsborough, Calif., about 17 miles south of San Francisco, came onto the market in September 2015 for $4.2 million, and dropped to $3.195 million when it was last listed in July 2016.

The listing entered into contract in May and closed on Tuesday. The final sale price was exactly one-third off from the original ask. The property records don’t yet register the buyer, and the brokers declined to name the person.

A post shared by Judy Hong Meuschke (@judyhongm) on Sep 30, 2015 at 10:11am PDT

“The buyer loves that the house is a piece of art, inside and out,” said Julie Zubiate of Redfin, who was the buyer’s agent. And the buyer “has always loved seeing the house when driving along Interstate Highway 280,” she added.

The seller bought the house for $800,000 in 1996, property records show.

The earth-colored, multiple-domed home, nestled in the hillside overlooking Crystal Springs Reservoir, was designed by Bay Area architect William Nicholson in 1976 to experiment with new building materials and techniques.

By spraying concrete onto wire mesh frames and giant inflated balloons, Nicholson created an exterior that looks as if it were made of giant bubbles and marshmallows, earning the house it’s other nicknames: the Marshmallow House and the Bubble House.

A post shared by Alain Pinel Realtors (@alainpinel) on Sep 17, 2015 at 12:54pm PDT

The 2,730-square-foot home sits on almost two acres and includes three bedrooms and two baths.

The interior, designed by architect Eugene Tsui, features unique designs as well, including a bedroom with a loft and a kitchen with a glass countertop supported by a diagonal metal spine.

Listing agent Judy Meuschke of Alain Pinel Realtors said that the buyer is  from the Bay Area and intends to “preserve the home and enhance the landscaping.”