We all see different things in different objects.  Data though – data is supposed to be cold hard facts.  You’re not supposed to be able to twist data around for your perverted pleasure.

So.  The other day, I made mention of a Forbes article which points to over-inflated property values in the Outer Sunset district. 

And today, I read the news from the National Association of Realtors.  The article is aimed at REALTORS – NOT at the general public. 

Their take on the SAME data that Forbes provided?

That the Outer Sunset is a Neighborhood Where the Bubble Hasn’t Burst!

Pardon my French but WTF?

Two completely different viewpoints taken from the EXACT same data.

The article from REALTOR.org reads:

In a report for Forbes.com, Hotpads.com, an aggregator of rental listings, produced a price-to-earnings spread for each ZIP code in the country’s 40 largest cities by comparing rental costs with buying costs for similar properties, based on number of bedrooms, location, and price per square foot.

A price-to-earnings ratio, or P/E, expresses how much a buyer has to pay for each dollar of return. Buyers in high P/E neighborhoods pay a huge premium to live in the area relative to how much it costs to rent a similar property there.

A high P/E can simply mean a neighborhood is overpriced, but it can also indicate where buyers have gambled that the area will ultimately appreciate further, turning an overpaying buyer into a smart investor.

I added the emphasis – because this is where I get thrown for a loop.

So?  Which is it?   

Well – I’m not sure.  Frankly, even I’m confused. 

And each party has different motives. 

There’s no denying that bad news sells.  Is Forbes manipulating the data?

And there’s no denying that if consumer confidence falls further, real estate prices will continue to fall.  So it the National Association of Realtors trying to spin Forbes article to make things look more peachy-keen?

My verdict?  It’s a combination of both.  And neither.  The real answer is that NO ONE HAS THE ANSWER. 

If you need to buy a home, and plan to stay AT LEAST 5–7 years, then chill out.  You’ll be allright.  Prices will appreciate enough to make up for any market slowdown that’s going on now. 

But if you are looking to buy for the short term – then stop and back away from the mortgage.  I can’t think of one good reason to buy unless you like throwing away your hard earned money. 

Want more answers?  Contact me.  I’ll try to walk you through it.  But as you can clearly see – no one has a crystal ball, and even data doesn’t give us enough insight for us to draw any real conclusions.

SNBC’s Annual National Night Out Community BBQ is back!

Join your friends, neighbors and members of the Sunset community at this FREE community celebration. Free food and music will be provided!

When: Tuesday, August 5, 2008
5:00 – 7:00 PM

Where: Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center
3925 Noriega Street @ 46th Avenue

For more information, contact Darrow by email or by calling (415) 694-1287.

Hope to see you there!

It seems that The Avenues Blog has come to the attention of all kinds of local politicians running for office.  Since The Avenues Blog likes all the attention it can get, I’ll be kind enough to go ahead and post the latest updates from the local candidates.

Sue Lee is running for Richmond Supervisor and we are having our campaign kick off rally this Saturday July 26th at 1pm at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center on 30th Ave and Balboa. I would love if you could post this information for your readers in the Richmond.

DONE! 

And a little something from Rachel Norton, a school board candidate:

I am a public school parent, co-chair of the parent organization at Argonne Elementary in the Richmond District, and active in Parents for Public Schools and the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education. My husband and I and our two daughters live in the Richmond District. I am sure you haven’t had much opportunity to look at the school board races yet but when you do, take a look at my web site: http://www.rachelnorton.com/.

There.  I’ve done my civic duty.  As a reminder - the fact that I post candidate’s info here is in no way, shape or form an endorsement, just in case you thought it was.

I’m still stunned.  It seems like it was just yesterday when my boyfriend and I were talking about going out for dinner at PJ’s Oysterbed.   We decided to go somewhere else that night because, well, it wasn’t like PJ’s was going to shut its doors or anything right?

Au contraire!

PJ’s did shut it’s doors at 737 Irving Street a couple of weeks ago, and per the word across the blogosphere (and the stench that can still be smelled across the street), they left something for the neighborhood to remember them by. 

On June 5th, Eater SF (Curbed SF’s hungrier cousin) reported that the answer machine at PJ’s Oysterbed insisted that the closure was temporary. 

I held my breath.  (Both due to the gut wrenching smell on Irving Street and because of my anticipation for the stench-free reopening.)

Yesterday, I couldn’t hold my breath any longer and called the restaurant.  The answering machine message states “We regret to inform you that we are permanently closed…….” 

A tear (almost) ran down my cheek. 

It was one of my favorite places in the City, let alone in the Avenues.  But like so many of my favorite restaurants that have gone before, it too had to shutter it’s doors. 

The funny thing is that I don’t think I even remember what I ate there.  I vaguely remember gumbo.  I know I loved their desserts.  I loved that they knew how to make a cocktail without watering it down.  And I loved that the chef would come out wearing white shorts and beads and dispersing jello shots to the customers.  Really, I just loved the vibe there.  I always had a good time. 

But I still have a glimmer of (false) hope.  In addition to announcing the permanent closure, the answering machine message also states that you’ve reached “PJ’s Oysterbed in the Outer Sunset,” not Inner Sunset.  If they’re wrong about the location, maybe they’re wrong about the permanent closure?  I know I’m grasping at straws here… but what if it doesn’t reopen ever?  Will I have to make my own jello shots while wearing white shorts and beads around the house? 

I know I’ll come to terms with the loss one day.  I know I’d be able to deal with it better if I knew what happened and the reasons for closing.  But, I’ll be ok… eventually.  For now, I just regret not going when I had the chance. 

Good-bye PJ’s - I’m sad to see you go.

So yesterday, the kind folks at Curbed SF gave us a little plug here at The Avenues Blog! For those that read my other blog, you already know that I love me some Curbed SF. And now, I love these wonderful folks even more - yet again, they give the little guys a shot to be seen and heard by the world. Thank you Curbed. Thank you!

And of course, thanks to the many of you have stopped by and checked out the site. It looks like you may have even liked what you saw since you stuck around a little while to check out the few posts that are up already. But this little blog can be so much better with your input!

I’d love to hear your comments on things you’d like to see here in The Avenues Blog! You can leave a comment here on the site, email the author, or drop a note through the instant chat window. Whether you have questions about The Avenues that need answers, have events you’d like to publicize or have a busines you’d like to promote - we’d love to hear from you. This site is about the community and for the community - so please, take don’t be afraid to contribute, or at least to drop a note to say “hello!”

The Avenues Blog is finally off the ground!  WOO HOO!

It’s taken a while to get this blog running because my day job (and night job and weekend job ) is as a REALTOR in San Francisco.  Most of my days are taken up with helping buyers and sellers across the City navigate the jungle that is the San Francisco real estate market.  And when I’m not working with buyers and sellers, I’m writing about working with buyers and sellers and about the real estate market on my San Francisco Real Esate Blog and on The City Update™, my weekly San Francisco real estate newsletter that launches at the end of this month. 

But when do get a chance to hang my hat, I hang it in the Outer Sunset.  In fact, the Avenues have been my home since I was 2 years old.  I grew up in the Richmond District on 25th Avenue, and then moved to the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood that borders and overlooks the Sunset/Parkside districts.  Today, I live on the edge of the world on Great Highway across the street from Ocean Beach. 

I love The Avenues!  My neighbors are great, the fresh air is invigorating, and the fog… well, it’s actually soothing - in my humble opinion, a blanket of fog brings a sense of calm and stillness to the world, and it seems that everything has slowed down by a bit just for you. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I plan on posting on local events, local businesses, neighborhood history and real estate information throughout the Sunset and Richmond districts in San Francisco.  I plan on posting here a couple of times a week - but if readers like you start providing me with input, ideas, suggestions and photos, you might see even more frequent postings here.  I hope to get feedback from y’all along the way to make this blog as awesome as possible.

So please, add The Avenues Blog to your blog readeres or save us as a favorite - and don’t forget to tell a friend about us. 

And while you’re waiting for the fun to really get going here, check out some of my favorite local blogs and web sites in the site bar on the right.  And if you know about MORE local sites I should be aware of - send them over!  I love hints, tips and suggestions!