I think the mission is a really scary neighborhood to walk around in during the day. At night in certain areas it is better where the restaurants are. I do frequently hear about muggings there as well. Most recently, my pilates instructor was mugged walking home during the day.

Hello;

Prices in the Mission will likely begin to rise in the Spring after two declining years. The area has good weather, very convenient to BART and lots and lots of older buildings that being rehabbed and flipped. The Mission is a great neighborhood.

Best,

Charlie Mader
Vanguard Properties

HI Matthew, that's a good question - I feel that the Mission area is going to continue being a popular area because it is a sunny part of town and their continues to be money flowing in with developments being built. You still get a lot of property for the money there and it's close to a new Whole Foods that just opened up in Potrero Hill (another hot area - sunny and getting more developed). Hope this helps - if you'd like to chat more, my contact info is at http://www.RonAbta.com

Matthew,
There is no easy answer to your question. Markets are influenced by forces that are not predictable. I believe that consumer confidence is the biggest factor in the short term of the real estae market. Confidence right now is low and with out some good news on any front it may stay that way.
The reality is you can't time a market, whether its stocks, gold or anything. It might go down a little bit or stay flat but there is one thing that will always be true - San Francisco housiing costs will rise over time.