Balboa Terrace
Homes for Sale

Bordered by Lakeside to the west, St Francis Wood to the north, Mount Davidson Manor to the east, and Ingleside Terrace to the south, Balboa Terrace is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of San Francisco. On an SFAR (San Francisco Association of Realtors) MLS map, Balboa Terrace is identified as neighborhood 4a.

Balboa Terrace was one of the city’s eary planned communities, also called residential parks, which were designed and developed by one company, resulting in neighborhoods with similar housing styles and landscaping, navigated by their own street grids. The first homes of Balboa Terrace date back to the early 1920s, following construction of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which opened the area to easy and reliable downtown transit.

Balboa Terrace offers quiet streets great for biking, dog walking, and conversing with neighbors. The neighborhood location means it is walking- and short-driving distance to the West Portal and Stonestown shopping districts, public transportation, the campus of San Francisco State University, and outdoor diversions like Stern Grove, home to one of the city’s most popular outdoor concerts.

Unlike many other areas of San Francisco, Balboa Terrace and its adjacent resident park neighbors have a more cohesive, planned vibe in housing style, landscaping, and lot size. Owning a home in Balboa Terrace gives you automatic membership to the Balboa Terrace Home Association, which exists to safeguard the neighborhood’s upscale character.

Balboa Terrace Neighborhood Vibe

Spacious single family homes on gently curving streets between Ocean Avenue to the south and St. Francis Wood to the north. The neighborhood is home to Aptos Middle School but otherwise is entirely residential. Large front yards with rolling lawns uninterrupted by driveways are a neighborhood feature — the neighborhood was built with alleys that serve garages on the less visible side of the home.

Popular Balboa Terrace Home Styles

You’re welcome to pick anything you like, as long as it’s a single-family, fully detached home. No condos, mixed-use or unit buildings to be found, after all — it’s not that kind of a neighborhood.

Getting Around in Balboa Terrace

The neighborhood builders envisioned owners with means, and at the time that meant at least one car and perhaps even two! While Muni light-rail runs along Ocean Avenue and West Portal isn’t too far, the homes were built with the assumption that you’ll be coming and going by car.

Median Sales Price

Median sales price is calculated based on sold data and doesn’t account for seller concessions. Median price represents the point at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. In smaller neighborhoods like many of those found in San Francisco, this metric is less likely to be influenced by extremely high or low sales prices that don’t represent the typical neighborhood home.

Days on Market

Days on Market indicates how quickly or slowly homes are selling in the neighborhood. The lower the days on market (DOM), the stronger the market is for sellers, all other things being equal.

Number of Active Listings

The number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of a given month. Fewer homes available for sale may indicate a seasonal trend or market dynamics that favor a seller more than a buyer.

Sales Price Compared to List Price

In strong or balanced markets, homes in San Francisco typically sell over asking. In a buyer’s market, homes will sell at list price or slightly under. If a home has had price reductions, the calculation is based on the last listed price.

Price per Square Foot

Price per square foot is most useful when the homes are almost identical in size, age, layout and other factors important to buyers. Our experience suggests it is a more valuable metric in larger condo buildings and less valuable for homes in neighborhoods built with a diverse selection of styles, sizes, and ages.

Where is Balboa Terrace?

Balboa Terrace is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of San Francisco. It is bordered by Lakeside to the west, St Francis Wood to the north, Mount Davidson Manor to the east, and Ingleside Terrace to the south. On an SFAR (San Francisco Association of Realtors) MLS map, Balboa Terrace is identified as neighborhood 4a.

Are there any notable historical landmarks or sites in Balboa Terrace?

Balboa Terrace was one of the city’s original planned communities, also called residential parks, which were often designed and developed by one company, resulting in neighborhoods with similar housing styles and landscaping, navigated by their own street grids. The first homes of Balboa Terrace date back to the early 1920s, following construction of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which opened the area to public transit.

What is there to do in Balboa Terrace?

Balboa Terrace offers the usual diversions of a purely residential neighborhood, with quiet streets great for biking, dog walking, and conversing with neighbors. But its prime location includes walking- and short-driving distance to the West Portal and Stonestown shopping districts, public transportation, the campus of San Francisco State University, and outdoor diversions like Stern Grove, home to one of the city’s most popular outdoor concerts.

How does the community vibe in Balboa Terrace contribute to its real estate appeal?

Unlike many other areas of San Francisco, Balboa Terrace and its resident park neighbors have a more cohesive, planned vibe in housing style, landscaping, and lot size. Owning a home in Balboa Terrace gives you automatic membership to the Balboa Terrace Home Association, which exists in part to protect the neighborhood’s upscale character.

But in typical San Francisco fashion, there’s an exception to the rule. Like an eccentric cousin ruffling the feathers of its more staid family members, the local Gregangelo Museum was recently described by a local journalist as a “weird, whimsical, exploding-with-creativity art oasis hidden away in San Francisco’s leafy, suburb-quiet Balboa Terrace.” If you live here, you can choose your familial allegiance.

Where can I find new construction in Balboa Terrace?

As an “already built” neighborhood, Balboa Terrace is not a neighborhood where you should expect to find substantial new construction projects. Smaller developers may renovate/flip existing single family properties, or may take advantage of recent housing laws to add additional units to already existing housing. Transit corridors and major neighborhood streets are the most likely areas for new construction buildings in already built neighborhoods with existing housing stock.

What are the average home prices in Balboa Terrace, and how have they trended?

You can scroll up to see our market charts showing current neighborhood prices and other real estate trends for Balboa Terrace. We update these charts dynamically as new data becomes available. Reach out to us to learn more about prices, trends, and possibilities in Balboa Terrace.