Yes—You’re Buying a Home, But You’re Building Wealth too. 

Most people will view a home purchase as place where you’ll live. Whether a bathroom is en suite (directly adjacent to) a bedroom is more of a concern than whether you’re maximizing a given multiplier effect. Of course home buying is about the fun of the chase, discovery and victory. You get to learn about the City in which you live (or want to live) and get a glimpse of how people live (or how they strive to live).

But look at a property purchase like you would look at a stock, baseball card, precious metal — i.e., as a commodity and the financing of it. Like any other good investment asset, most real estate allows you to build equity and to build wealth proactively by putting your money to use fully as opposed to simply paying rent. In a city like ours where finite land has been developed maturely, where public policy pressures the marketplace this making  new development and/or redevelopment i cost-prohibitive if not bureaucratically challenging, real estate is naturally positioned to appreciate.

Buying makes even more sense if you can hold property for some years either as an investment property or because you’re simply not paying rent. Historically low mortgage interest rates make the prospect even better because having a fixed interest rate at 3.5% or 4.5% will mean you’re paying more principal down faster thereby earning you more money.

San Francisco’s property market has been up, down and all around but the trend always positive.  Knowing how to sort out skews, distortions and missed bargains out there is my job.  This is all the more reason to work with a skilled professional like me.

A quick note on commissions: Remember, as a buyer, you never pay your agent directly. Nor do we agents get paid until we actually close a transaction. If the escrow falls apart no one gets paid at all!

Did You Know?

• The same developer who planned the original South Park wanted to emulate a London square/oval was the same one who sold Leland Stanford the land for his university.
• Bernal Heights is either named after the area rancher who received it from the Spanish Crown in 1839, José Cornelio Bernal, but it may have been named after his grandfather, Anza expedition member Juan Francisco Bernal. That expedition came to San Francisco in 1775. Either way, this vast parcel was sold 20 years later in 1859 and subdivided thereafter  with two parks set aside — Holly and Precita.
• The Sunnyside district was a creation the real estate speculator named Behrend Joost in 1891 who lured residents there by the promise of the city’s first electric streetcar.

Kevin was a superb real estate agent, and did a great job helping us buy our first home! Kevin is funny and personable, and knows how to get the job done. Since this was our first time buying a house and San Francisco has a wacky market, the first time we met with Kevin he took the time to sit down with us and give us the low down on San Francisco real estate, which we really appreciated.

Kevin is always available, whether it be via text message, email, or phone call. He was very responsive and hard working. Additionally, Kevin sends all his clients weekly updates about new homes that are available and how the market is looking. He helped us find the perfect house, and we couldn’t be happier. I highly recommend Kevin as a real estate agent!

— Dana and Drew

Buyers, UCSF Medical Student & Intel Chip Design Engineer (Miraloma Park)