Blog

by The KCM Crew

Many of our readers have asked whether or not we believe the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 will be extended past its current expiration scheduled for the end of the year. As a reminder, the legislation ensures that homeowners who received principal reductions or other forms of debt forgiveness on their primary residences do not have to pay taxes on the amount forgiven.

The reason this act is important in today’s housing market is that, without the act, debt reduced through mortgage modifications or short sales qualifies as income to the borrower and is taxable. If the legislation is not extended, then it would require homeowners to complete a short sale or modification prior to year’s end in order to avoid a tax consequence. more »

Red Apple Ranch is located east of Murphys, CA, in the Sierra foothills. Positioned at 3,200 feet, just below the snow line, the site affords us an extremely diverse ecology and what would be considered near-perfect four season weather.

Red Apple Ranch, when completed, will be a community of 75 site-designed custom homes. Each home is on a minimum of one acre, most with panoramic views of forested canyons, mountains and big sky.

The 140 acres that comprise Red Apple Ranch has been the historic homestead of the Darby family for over 100 years. The site boasts one of the state’s oldest roadside apple stands and has supported an impressive variety of apple trees on about 15 acres. The rest of the property has remained relatively pristine supporting local wildlife and indigenous trees and plants. The site is bordered by the Stanislaus National Forest or lands that will remain open and wild.

If you or someone you know is interested in living in the Sierra Foothills, or purchasing a second home/vacation rental, please don’t hesitate to refer them to me. I’d be happy to make the introduction to Red Apple Ranch.

Learn more about Red Apple Ranch:
Available Homes
Green Design + Building
The Design Team

Learn more about the Murphys Area:
Local Events
Wineries
Skiing
Golf
Performing Arts
…and much, much more!

How many San Franciscans:

Trace their ancestry from China, Ireland, Mexico or the Philippines?
Are children under 5? Speak Spanish at home? Have their cars stolen?
Are heterosexual or gay? Divorced? Live alone? Give birth each year?
Vote Libertarian? Earn over $200,000/year? Have graduate degrees?

There is no city in the world quite like San Francisco – and here are some of the details.

Country of Origin

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Language Spoken at Home

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Place of Birth

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Miscellaneous Statistics

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Ethnicity/Race

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Degree of Education

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Sexual Orientation

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Employment

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Political Affiliation

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Commute

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Households

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Occupancy Rent vs Own

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Average Income by Zip Code

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San Francisco Fortune 500 Companies

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Answer: Alamo Square

Characterized by Victorian architecture that was left largely untouched by the urban renewal projects in other parts of the Western Addition.

The park includes a playground and a tennis court, and is frequented by neighbors, tourists, and dog owners. On a clear day, the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park’s center. The San Francisco City Hall can be seen directly down Fulton Street.

There are many architecturally significant mansions on the perimeter of the park, including the Archbishop’s Mansion, the residences of the Russian and German Imperial consuls in the early 1900s, and the mansions on the block diagonally across from the Painted Ladies.

Offered at $5,00,000

Contact me for more information. If you are looking for property outside of San Francisco, contact me for a referral, I would be happy to provide you with one.

This week we’ll be exploring the cheapest properties currently for sale on Russian Hill, including a piece of property on crooked Lombard Street. We should also mention that none of these properties made it into our Under 500K Club. more »

Answer tomorrow!

Offered at $1,699,000

Glamour & sophistication in landmark location in Dolores Heights! Meticulously maintained house-like condo on two levels with commanding views. Sleek Moderne Architecture. Main level features fabulous public spaces, perfect for entertaining, an ideally laid out gourmet kitchen, inviting den and handsome maple floors. Second level features master suite, sitting area and two additional bedrooms and 1 more bathroom. Two large terraces, serene side garden. 1 car parking with interior access. Cavernous shared storage space with substantial seismic upgrading. Walk to shopping, restaurants and amenities near Dolores Park, the Castro and Noe Valley’s 24th St.

by The KCM Crew

Last week, the Federal government and 49 state governments (Oklahoma being the exception) agreed to a $25 billion settlement regarding robo-signing and the challenges it created in the foreclosure process. We want to give a synopsis of the settlement and some perspective on what effect it will have on the housing market in 2012. more »

The “crookedest street”, Lombard Street.

Often billed as the “crookedest street,” San Francisco’s Lombard Street is, in fact, neither the crookedest nor the steepest street in the city, let alone the world. Vermont Avenue between 22nd and 23rd is “crookedest,” and Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth is steepest at 31.5 degrees, but neither fact discourages tourists from flocking to Lombard Street’s seductive curves.