Let’s play a San Francisco word association game. I say, “Outer Sunset.” You say, “Fog.” Right? Yes, it’s foggy — sometimes — but it’s also developed a reputation as a beach community with surfers, some excellent local restaurants, and quirky shops.
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The Outer Sunset used to be nothing but sand dunes. One story has it that the Sunset got its name when a former city assessor, Aurelius E. Buckingham, went into the real estate business and sought a name that would brighten up the area’s reputation for foggy, gray days. The area boomed after the 1906 earthquake and fire, as residents escaped the destroyed downtown and South of Market areas. The streetcar tunnel between Duboce Park and Cole Valley was completed in 1923, making it easier for the new residents of the west side to get across town.
By the mid-1920s, a headline in the San Francisco Bulletin read “Home Seekers Conquer Sand Wastes of Sunset.” Ten years later, the San Francisco News wrote, “Little more than a dozen years ago, a Hollywood motion-picture company shot desert scenes [in the Sunset]. The company set up its headquarters near 36th Avenue and Ortega Street, and by angling his cameras so that sand dunes hid Golden Gate Park to the north, the director created the illusion of a vast desert.”
It now appeals to families who get a little more elbow room for their money than in the hipper parts of town and also to those who like the beach lifestyle.
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Outer Sunset Neighborhood Vibe
It’s part hip surfer ‘hood, part family neighborhood, with a low-key atmosphere and some great coffee places and bars to hang out in. The beach beckons for bonfires, dog runs, and sand-castle building. But bring your wetsuit if you want to get in the cold Pacific waves.
Popular Outer Sunset Home Styles
Before the 1906 earthquake, the Outer Sunset was a barren expanse of desolate sand dunes. Post-quake, development spread west, all the way to the ocean. Housing in the Outer Sunset is mainly single-family homes, with a healthy dose of small unit buildings and condos in the mix as well. The single-family homes are fairly standard in style: two stories, with two or three bedrooms, one or two bathrooms, and a garage on the ground level.
Getting Around the Outer Sunset
Public transportation options consist of the N-Judah (the busiest line in the Muni system) and a couple of bus lines. Commuters who drive to work downtown aren’t too far away as the crow flies, but expect the drive to take just short of forever because of traffic. Drivers headed to the South Bay can hop on Sunset Blvd. and make their way to I-280.
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With 20+ years in the industry and over $400M in sales, we live and breathe San Francisco real estate from Visitacion Valley to The Marina and from Victorians to modern condos. Always fascinated by the people, history, and evolution of our city, we can’t imagine working anywhere else.
We know how to prepare and position your home for top dollar when selling and how to negotiate your best price as a buyer regardless of market dynamics. We work with the right people at the right time, tapping our powerful network of lenders, contractors, artisans, and vendors.
We are counselors and advisers, not salespeople. If you want a deal done, we’ll get a deal done. If you want to push pause, we’ll pause. Your search might last five years and 36 neighborhoods, or one hour and one address. Decades of experience prove we aren’t in this for the quick deal, but the lasting relationship. How about you?
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We’re proud of the recognition we’ve earned for excellence in San Francisco real estate representation.
Our broker, Matt Fuller, is a recognized thought leader, white paper author, and media consultant for the real estate industry. He has served as the President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors and the Director of the California Association of Realtors.
We are members of the Top Agent Network, San Francisco’s premier community for the top ten percent of local real estate agents.
We’ve received numerous industry certifications including Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Graduate of REALTOR Institute (GRI), and National Association of REALTOR (NAR) Fair Housing.
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San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods, each with nuances and a distinct character that make a difference when choosing a home.
We love, live, and work here, and are experts in the details of each of the ninety neighborhoods San Francisco has to offer.
Wherever you are in the home buying or selling journey, we have insights to share. Get in touch with us today.
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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 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.
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.
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 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.
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The Outer Sunset is a neighborhood in the western part of San Francisco. It is bordered by Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Golden Gate Park to the north, Central Sunset to the east, and Outer Parkside to the south. On an SFAR (San Francisco Association of Realtors) MLS map, Outer Sunset is identified as neighborhood 2c.
In the 1920s and 30s, developer Henry Doelger turned the wind-swept sand dunes near the Pacific Ocean into a large grid of single-family houses featuring elements of Spanish, French, and Italian revival styles. Many of them make up the Outer Sunset, now a colorful mix of single-floor buildings that some families have called home for decades.
The long stretch of Ocean Beach along the western edge of the Outer Sunset attracts surfers, runners, and bonfire enthusiasts. Fort Funston is a popular stop for hang gliders, dogs, and their persons, and Golden Gate Park has trails, ponds, museums, a Japanese Tea Garden, and even a buffalo paddock to visit. The Judah and Irving Avenue commercial corridors feature surf shops, coffee shops, boutiques, and small grocers.
The Outer Sunset has a laid-back, unpretentious, family-friendly and beach-town-kinda vibe. The area’s frequent fog is just one example of San Francisco’s famous microclimates. The Outer Sunset is well-served by San Francisco’s MUNI system, with stops for the N Judah, L Taravel, and M Oceanview trains.
As an “already built” neighborhood, the Outer Sunset 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.
You can scroll up to see our market charts showing current neighborhood prices and other real estate trends for the Outer Sunset. We update these charts dynamically as new data becomes available. Reach out to us to learn more about prices, trends, and possibilities in the Outer Sunset.
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