Image by 401K via Flickr
Did you know that if you are upside down on your home and process a short sale, that the amount that the bank forgives is scheduled to become taxable in 2013? That means that, for example, if the bank forgives say, $100,000 in order for you to sell you home, that $100,000 would ... [Read More]
Image by 401K via Flickr
Did you know that if you are upside down on your home and process a short sale, that the amount that the bank forgives is scheduled to become taxable in 2013? That means that, for example, if the bank forgives say, $100,000 in order for you to sell you home, that $100,000 would be taxed at your tax rate. For a person in the 25% tax bracket that means they would owe $25,000 to Uncle Sam. If you are having trouble making your payments, I can think of no better reason to do a short sale in 2012. Contact us today. You do have options!
Image by Getty
There are 2 answers to this question. 1. Home values are likely to fall another 4 to 5%. 2. It depends on many factors. Most economists seem to agree that 2012 is likely to be a flat to slightly down market in terms of values. However, ... [Read More]
http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/2011/09/28/financial-industry-corporate-profits/
Why? Uncertain regulation by the Feds. Our current administration needs to, in my opinion, find ways to provide confidence in our markets and the future. Unfortunately, I think this means the need to cut the government spending back to the Clinton levels. We just cannot sustain the current spending levels. Another thing ... [Read More]
The Italian District of San Francisco which is more commonly known as North Beach is bordered by Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf, in a valley between Russian Hill and Telegraph Hill.
Famous Washington Square is overlooked by the equally famous Saint Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church. the square is one of the few open space public parks ... [Read More]
If you ever driven down Market Street towards the water, you’ve probably noticed a San Francisco landmark, the San Francisco Ferry Building. Here’s a link to a map: Map. The clock stopped when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit on on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PST and stayed that way until repaired awhile later. ... [Read More]
If you ever driven down Market Street towards the water, you’ve probably noticed a San Francisco landmark, the San Francisco Ferry Building. Here’s a link to a map: Map. The clock stopped when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit on on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PST and stayed that way until repaired awhile later. It was a gentle reminder of what we all went through that day, here in the Bay Area. The present structure, designed by local San Francisco architect A. Page Brown, opened in 1898, replacing its wooden predecessor, and survived both the 1906 earthquake and the 1989 earthquake with amazingly little damage. Until the completion of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s it was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, second only to London’s Charing Cross Station. It served as the embarcation point for commuters to San Francisco from the East Bay who rode the ferry fleets of the Southern Pacific and the Key System. A loop track existed in front of the building for streetcars. A large pedestrian bridge also spanned the Embarcadero in front of the Ferry building until the late 1940s.
After the bridges opened, and the new Key System trains began running to the East Bay from the Transbay Terminal in 1939, passenger ferry use fell sharply. In the second half of the twentieth century, although the Ferry Building and its clock tower remained a beloved part of the San Francisco skyline, the building interior declined. Over the years, the ticketing counters and waiting room areas were partitioned into office space. The formerly grand public space was reduced to a narrow and dark corridor, through which travelers passed en route to the piers. Passengers had to wait on outdoor benches, and the ticketing booths were moved to an area on the pier.
With the construction in the late 1950s of the Embarcadero Freeway which passed right in front of the Ferry Building, views of the once-prominent landmark from Market Street were greatly obscured and pedestrian access to it became somewhat of an afterthought. When this double-decker elevated structure was demolished in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and replaced with a ground-level boulevard, the barrier, both literal and psychological, between a significant portion of San Francisco’s historic waterfront and the rest of the city, was now gone, and access to Justin Herman Plaza and the foot of Market Street, which the Ferry Building had been such an integral part of for so many decades, was restored.
Here’s a video from after the 1906 Earthquake: video.