Open House Report, SF Edition: 5 Can’t-Miss Showings this Weekend
Author:Philip FerratoWant to spend the weekend touring the best of San Francisco’s on-the-market real estate? We recommend these five open houses: two classic San Francisco condominiums on the edge of Nob Hill— from the days when it was the place to live— and three in SOMA, one a suite in the St. Regis that’s a short sale plus a pair of lofts in vintage warehouse renovations.
188 Minna Street, #23F, $1.209M (pictured above)
Hard to believe, this high-design condominium unit in the St. Regis tower is a short sale– meaning the bank will have to approve the purchase price. And in a high-security building full of Chinese millionaires and former VP Al Gore, we’re surprised there’s a public open house. The 2-bed, 2.5-bath unit was renovated to include a glass wall that darkens for privacy. HOAs are $2109 a month plus valet parking at $235. There’s also a spa, gym, pool, and hotel services, and aside from having SFMOMA as a neighbor, we’re in love with the concept of room service. Open Saturday, Feb. 11 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
355 Bryant Street, #103, $1.55M
At the entrance to the Bay Bridge, in what was once a desolate neighborhood, this c.1917 former factory was one of the early residential loft conversions. With a spectacular high-ceilinged space with a grand staircase and dangerous-looking ironwork, the 2-bed, 2-bath loft has with HOAs of $515 and leased parking at a whopping $350 a month. Open Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
650 Delancey Street, #112, $1.495M
A 2-bed, 2-bath, 2-level renovated timber-and-brick loft in the c.1867 Oriental Warehouse near the Embarcadero, from the days when cargo from Asia actually arrived in San Francisco instead of the container port in Oakland. Big open space with exposed vintage timbers and brick with exposed seismic retrofitting in red lacquer, some outdoor space, a new kitchen so fitted you’ll have to ask which door is to the refrigerator, plus eye-level wine storage and really handsome new baths. HOAs of $536 include one parking space. Open Sunday, February 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
840 Powell Street, #103, $999K
In a 1914 building designed by the illustrious San Francisco apartment house architect Conrad Muessdorffer, this 2-bed, 1.5-bath, first-floor condo is a bit tired but has a lot of potential. Above, a small solarium overlooking Mills Court, unique to this unit. There’s 2-car parking and monthly HOAs of $1005, and sadly, a coin-operated laundry. Otherwise, lots of Beaux-Arts detailing— high ceilings and deep crown moldings— but it looks directly onto Powell Street, the cable car, and the back end of the Fairmont Hotel. On the plus side, just steps from the Tonga Room. Open Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
850 Powell Street, #201, $625K
On the market since 2009, the owner of this condo recently raised the asking price another $26K, presumably in anticipation of some newly-printed internet money. The huge 1-bed, 1-bath condo is in the Francesca, built in 1923, and looks like it may have been sliced off a larger unit. Lovely windows, high ceilings— one coffered, one beamed— make up for a slightly-odd rehab from decades ago. HOAs of $999 plus leased parking at $235 does not a bargain make. Worth a look, especially if you’re next door at 840. Open Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
