Neighborhood Guide
Questions People Tend to Ask — District by District
Or, put another way: what should I actually know about this neighborhood before I buy here?
Every San Francisco district has its own rhythm — its own fog pattern, its own school questions, its own quirks of geology, noise, and value. After enough showings, you start to hear the same questions come up in the same places.
Below is a running list of what buyers and sellers tend to ask, organized by district. Think of it less as a quiz and more as a head start — the things worth raising before they raise themselves.
District 1:
Richmond & Northwest
Sea Cliff, Lake Street, Inner & Outer Richmond, Lone Mountain
- Will this house sell like that other one — the one that was just remodeled / such a fixer / nearly identical to this?
- Is this the unwarranted part of the house?
- How bad is the fog here?
- How close are we to the park?
- The schools are… ?
- How fast is it to get to downtown / the freeway / Marin / the airport from here?
District 2:
Sunset & Parkside
Inner & Outer Sunset, Parkside, Golden Gate Heights
- How old is the roof?
- They bought it for what?
- Do they really sell that many — and over list by that much?
- A trust sale means sparse disclosures, but they’re still required to disclose a death on the property, correct?
- How loud is the MUNI from here?
- How much would it cost to renovate / expand / remove / rebuild that part of the house?
- Does it have the bad brand of electrical breakers
- Double-pane glass will cut the draft — but what about replacing that heater from 1950?
- Do I get an advantage for school assignments because I live here?
- How close are we to the park / 9th and Irving / the beach / 19th Ave from here
District 3: Southwest
Lakeshore, Ingleside, Oceanview, Merced Heights, Lake Merced
- Where is this again?
- Because it’s on a grade, should I worry about where the water goes?
- How loud is the freeway from here?
- How’s Lake Merced?
- Can this be made into an in-law / one space / a rental space?
- Will the location hold its value?
District 4: Miraloma
Forest Hill, West Portal, Diamond Heights, Miraloma Park, Sunnyside
- The elementary schools are really good here — because?
- Is it vintage mid-century?
- Or did they do the 1990s / early-2000s remodel?
- Is that damp smell the same as mold?
- How big did you say this parcel was again?
- Can we have the number for the soils engineer you suggested?
- Do cars slow down during school hours?
- I haven’t seen the EM studies about the tower — should I look at them?
- The fog is just here for the summer, right?
- Are views protected?
- What did the HOA docs say?
- How long have they owned it?
- Will I add value if I follow that suggestion?
District 5: Central SF
Noe Valley, Eureka Valley / Castro, Cole Valley, Haight, Glen Park, Twin Peaks
- Two units or one? Was it done with permits?
- Which shuttle is this close to? And how far are we from BART?
- What should I look for in a Victorian house?
- How many years did you say it would take to get approval? And what’s a DR again?
- Why is it the same drive time to downtown / Cupertino / Mountain View from here?
- What do folks do about middle school and high school?
- How much would it cost to do that again? Dual-pane, but wood-clad because they face the street?
- A/C?
- Is this the sunny part, or a little less sunny?
- How does Dolores Park / Pride / Carnival / the tech shuttle affect the location?
District 6: Central North
Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, North of Panhandle, Western Addition, Anza Vista
- How old is this again?
- How bad is it if it has a brick foundation?
- Will we need to check the historic determination to see if we can expand?
- How close are we to downtown / USF / Hayes / Fillmore / Alamo Square?
- “Tenancy in Common” is what TIC stands for — but what does it mean for me?
- How much noise does it let through?
District 7: North
Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Cow Hollow, Marina
- Just who are my neighbors?
- How long will that renovation take — how many years?
- Did the HOA actually pay the property taxes?
- We’ve heard about crime — but what really happened?
- What part of the area is built on fill again?
- When will those loud people above me / outside / next door ever stop with that racket?
District 8: Northeast
Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, North Beach, Financial District
- Do I actually have to worry about cable car noise?
- That is really a parking space, right?
- Do the tourists come here?
- Are we sure it’s exempt from historic designation / rent control / eviction control / soft-story requirements?
- When is street cleaning / closure / towing again?
- So what did the co-op’s board decide again?
- Are we sure this side of the hill is stable?
District 9: East
SoMa, South Beach, Mission Bay, Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Bernal Heights, Inner Mission
- Which part of the building / street / sidewalk is sinking — or is it really just settling?
- How much rent could you get for this? And are there rental restrictions again?
- How’s the freeway noise from here?
- Which part again — SoMa, South Beach, Mission Bay, Dogpatch, Potrero, Bernal? Oh, the Inner Mission — I see.
- What’s the rental history for the building?
- What do the dues include?
Is there a door person? Amenities — a gym, a virtual doorman? - Has there been any litigation?
- What’s traffic like after a ball game at Chase or Oracle?
- Is this property subject to that special assessment?
- Is downtown really going to come back — or is it work-from-home forever now?
- How old is this? And it’s a live / work / conversion / new-build condominium? The zoning is weird here.
District 10: Southeast
Bayview, Hunters Point, Excelsior, Portola, Visitacion Valley, Crocker-Amazon
- Where is that again?
- What’s the freeway noise like?
- Will this property hold its value over time?
- That space was unwarranted and nothing was done with permits — what does that mean?
- If it’s a trust sale, that means there are no disclosures at all, right?
