Let there be love

I've been a terrible blogger. I know. So many other things to do, and the market so tight, and so many of my clients priced out, my little speechifying about light and space and microclimate just hasn't felt compelling to me. I know, I should be marketing and telling new clients how wonderful I am. 

Its true, I am a wonderful realtor, who will put your needs first and manage your transaction sans drama to a successful close. Eventually I'll be inspired to discuss more earth based real estate issues in this wonderful place. 

Today though I'd just like to celebrate the hard work of so many in the direction of love and inclusiveness. And the magic of our city despite all the changes. 

Noisy Buildings: Good Sound Mitigation Makes Good Neighbors

Most old buildings in San Francisco are built of wood (even if there is stucco or other siding on the exterior), and sound transmission can be intense. So you can pay a million and a half for a gorgeous historic condo and still hear every footfall or shriek from the teenager or toddler upstairs. Or you could have these horrible neighbors upstairs (heaven forbid). This is why many condo associations require 75% carpet over hardwood.

SFCondoLoft

Newer concrete buildings are much quieter so they are the best bet if you are especially sensitive to sound or a very light sleeper. These quieter buildings are usually newer construction, or sometimes older industrial conversions. Typically they are larger concrete buildings in more urban neighborhoods. Also these buildings are more likely have access to Internet alternatives to Comcast or AT&T, such as MegaPath or Monkeybrains.

If you prefer the older San Francisco architecture, or smaller buildings, or you are already in a neighborhood that is mostly older construction, you may have to navigate noise issues with your neighbors. Tread carefully here. I have seen drama over sound escalate between neighbors, create a lot of stress, and reduce property value more than 15%.

Jantoo

Saving money by not doing sound reduction ended up being expensive for my clients who eventually chose to sell their home in order to feel peace in their lives. They did the right thing and disclosed the sound conflicts, thus avoiding lawsuits, but the conflict affected the property value. Not everyone wants to move into the middle unit of a 3 unit building with a history of acrimony over sound. 

Clovis Tools

Total "sound proofing" is not really possible, but you can definitely take the edge off. At a minimum a carpet and a pad on 75% of the floor is a good start, which is a typical condo requirement. Double paned windows and solid core doors make a big difference. If those are not enough there are multiple vinyls for sound blocking and foams for sound absorption available; also products like Green Glue, Whisper Clips and Quiet Rock. 

Whisper Clips

Acoustic dampening materials can be put in the floor or the ceiling or both, (or even the walls if your noise is coming from the sides) depending on ceiling heights. Pete Fisler of Pacific Union did extensive research into methods. In his personal condo he had the ceiling dropped 11/2 " with metal channels (Whisper Clips are a brand name), then applied with Green Glue Sheetrock, which is a double layer of sheet rock with Green Glue product in between. He says it solved his noise problem.  Here's a useful article summarizing soundproofing methods, which also includes legal information should relationships deteriorate.

Jantoo

If you are in a small building I suggest discussing with your neighbors the idea of installing sound reduction materials in all of the units, before tempers flare. Treat it as a building expense and pay for it collectively with the HOA dues. Teamwork is soooo much more fun than neighbor wars.

Notting Hill

Thanks to Chiare Hwang, Pete Fisler and Diane Hourany. May you all know peace and quiet in your buildings.

Orange Season

There were at least six varieties of citrus at my favorite produce market today, glowing in the golden hour sun. Such are the small miracles of life here in golden land in January. I am on the steep learning curve of moving this blog to Square Space, so thank you for your patience, it may be awhile. Go buy some oranges while they are going off! Yum.

SF Building Boom and Beyond- Millennials Are So Smart

I recently attended a panel discussion San Francisco 
Building Boom and Beyond. I actually came away inspired. 
As much bad news as there is regarding changes in affordability 
and diversity in our fair city, the good news is that new development
is focused, (as many of us idealistic greenies visualized 30 years ago
when downtown's were dying) around transit and walkable 
communities. I commend the perseverance of planners (including 
SF's heavily burdened Planning Department) and placemakers, in 
the face of multiple very complex issues. 

sfstreetsblog

One part of this that I found so inspiring is that the buildings with .5
or less parking spaces per unit sold out quickly. and continue to do
so. I know part of this is that people just need any place to live in 
San Francisco these days, but peak US driving was in 2006, and 
Americans have been driving less since then, even in this booming 
economy. This next generation is less car centric and is flocking to 
places where "your apartment is your bedroom and your community 
is your living room".  Small spaces are hip and design creativity is 
making more them pleasant to live in.  Life with a smaller carbon 
footprint can be fun!

As a Realtor I drive a lot, so I know I am a little hypocritical 
advocating transit, cycling and walking.  My bicycle commute 
was one of the best aspects of my previous work. Driving here 
can feel like a stressful and complex video game these days, 
and I'm sure I'm growing new neural pathways as more and 
more bicycles and pedestrians are on the roads, but these 
trends are here to stay. Hallelujah I say!

sfstreetsblog transbay terminal

Off work I get out of the car as often as possible, and always feel 
better for it. Transportation here is reaching peak usage. Walkers 
and cyclists take a lot of pressure off of existing transportation 
systems. Transportation infrastructure is phenomenally expensive, 
so this is one of the bigger challenges facing us as a city, but policy
is in place and we are moving the right direction on a number of
fronts. 

walksf.org

Call me a foolish optimist (I'm not the only one).  I know the 
problems we face are legion, and walk-ability, cycling and transit 
are not panaceas, but I feel more confident about the future as I 
watch the priorities of "kids these days" play out.


Happy Friday!

"Walking Shed"

This cool coffee shop walking shed map from MIT (which you should check out) was the first place I saw the term "Walking shed" used, though I've certainly rambled on about Walkability, here , here, and here.

Apparently Walking Shed is a thing already, also referred to as "ped shed" which makes sense, because duh, it just seems so obviously something we operate within. Though car dominated lifestyles have held sway during the past century, there is clearly a shift going on.

SFPUD

Until fairly recently in human history the draw for settlement orientation has been water, but now priorities are transportation, coffee, schools, restaurants, yoga studios... Where a property is within a walking shed has a huge effect on it's real estate value these days, with jobs,transportation portals, (including especially tech bus stops) at the top of the list right now.

Neighborland

and when you look objectively at how long it will take to walk vs. drive plus park...

City Compost Awesomeness

Reason to love San Francisco number 14,397.

This is picked up and taken away from the curb outside my apartment building.

Then twice a year I take a big bucket to the Great Compost Giveaway.

And take it home to use it in my little city garden.

How wonderful is that!?

Autumn Glory

Too busy too write much. A couple 

of October sunsets will have to be my contribution to the blogosphere for now. 

We are so blessed to live here.