Melissa Casciato

Hi,

Any agent can represent a buyer or seller in a transaction. The only time that your buyer's agent is representing you as well as the seller is when you are making an offer on one of their listings in which they are also representing the seller. The certifications such as ABR mean that the agent has taken courses to help them better serve buyers. Those agents can still also represent sellers. Basically, the agent has a fiduciary responsiblity to their client whether it is a seller instead of a buyer. The buyer broker agreement here in California means that you are that agent's client as a buyer, and that you are only going to work with them. Your buyer's agent has to tell you if they are representing the seller and you in a particular transaction, and you will have to sign something with your approval. If you happen to like on of your buyers' agents listings, you can ask them to refer you to another realtor that can represent you if you do not feel comfortable having the same agent for the seller and buyer, which is completely understandable. Your agent should not get offended by this. - Fri Oct 26 2007, 14:00

Hi Christine,

If you want a place to buy in SF, I recommend buying in either South Beach or Mission Bay. There are a lot of beautiful condos out there right now, and it is a good time to buy. Compared to last year, I have seen the frenzy slow down and there seems to be a good inventory of newer condos versus single family homes. I currently have a client looking for a one bedroom condo in those areas. I took her out today and there are some good places out there. I don't know if you can get something under 600 unless you are looking for a very small one bedroom. You can definitely get a decent sized one bedroom for under $675k. These newer condos would also offer the biggest bang for your buck. They are newer so you have virtually no maintenance costs. Historically, San Francisco has always increased in value over the long term. 5-7 years would be a great time to hold onto the property due to cycles averaging about 5 years. Being that the condos in these areas are newer and the area is centrally located and still in the midst of developing, I believe these would offer you the best investment. - Fri Oct 12 2007, 22:56

As far as I know, that is impossible. The person has to be on title. I am not an attorney, so I really cannot go into detail on this. This person should be seeking legal advice. - Sun Jul 15 2007, 22:20

I went to high school at ICA on 24th and Guerrero, and things have definitely changed since then (for the better). A lot of the problems in the Mission are related to gang activity. I don't know if that makes you feel any better, but it's not like the downtown area where everyone can be a target for mugging, purse snatching, etc. I do think that you are better off west of Mission. I just think the atmosphere is a little bit better. They've got some great restaurants on Valencia. My personal opinion is that 24th street is just not good at all. Let me know if I can be of assistance. I know the Mission pretty well. - Sun Jul 15 2007, 22:17

Hi Heather,

I would definitely not suggest living in the Bayview. Sunnyside and Ingleside Heights are not bad choices. There definitely are pockets in every neighborhood that are safer than others. I have several family members and friends that are SFPD, and I can put you in contact with the appropriate police stations that can give you more information per neighborhood. My only other suggestion would be to do a bit of self analysis and ask yourself how important it is to you to live in SF. If you really want to live here, you can find places that would make you happy. However, my opinion is that you would be spending at least $750k to get a decent property in a decent area. If you need more information, feel free to shoot me an email. - Sun Jul 15 2007, 22:02