Featured Newer 4br home in an established Elk Grove neighborhood | Charming starter home or investment in Tahoe Park | Penthouse loft in Old Sacramento | Spotless 3br La Riviera townhome close to Sacramento State | Former model 4br home in Tiffany West | New in 2007! Tri-level 3br condo in Regency Park | Nearly 4,000sf 5br in Bridgeway Lakes with a pool | Affordable mobile home living in South Sacramento
Search Sacramento homes | UPDATED! [under $50,000] [under $100,000] [$100,000s] [$200,000s] [$300,000s] [$400,000s] [over $500,000] | Sacramento condos | Sacramento multi-family (2-4 units) | Sacramento apartment buildings (5+ units) | Sacramento JUST LISTED homes & condos | Sacramento homes built since 2005 | Sacramento vacant lots & land | Sacramento commercial properties | Sacramento foreclosure listings | About Sacramento foreclosures and REOs
Explore Anatolia | Antelope | Arden | Auburn | Carmichael | Citrus Heights | Curtis Park | Davis | Del Paso Heights | Downtown Sacramento | East Sacramento | El Dorado Hills | Elk Grove | Fair Oaks | Galt | Gold River | Granite Bay | Greenhaven | Laguna | Land Park | Lincoln | Meadowview | Midtown Sacramento | Natomas Park | North Highlands | North Natomas | North Sacramento | Oak Park | Old Sac | Orangevale | Rancho Cordova | Regency Park | Rio Linda | River Park | Rocklin | Rosemont | Roseville | Sacramento | South Land Park | South Natomas | Southport | South Sacramento | Tahoe Park | The Pocket | UCD Med Center & Elmhurst | West Sacramento | Woodlake
Yes.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
If you've picked up the latest issue of Sacramento Magazine you may have noticed the question asked on the cover:
LOFT LIVING, CONDO CULTURE: Can it thrive here?
Yes. In fact, in order for Sacramento to continue to grow in a healthy way, lofts and condos need to be a part of that mix of well-executed housing options. Large single-family homes on quarter-acre lots aren't a practical option in a dense urban core and smarter use of space means sharing: walls, walkways, common amenities, and a belief in a sense of place.
And the "well-executed" part is the key, as some Downtown and Midtown projects have demonstrated.
Among the more successful projects: the Sutter Brownstones have done well in this market because they have the hip, thoughtfully designed styling people want while giving owners a sense of community; the L Street Lofts may not be selling as quickly as investor Resmark Equity Partners may want, but the top-notch location and solid design mean they're selling—unlike recent projects like the Whiskey Hill Lofts (they've been turned into rentals) and Alchemy @ R Street (on the market as short sales as of this writing).
So what are the markings of a well-executed project? In the central city where buyers are more demanding, it means a mix of striking design (this isn't the 'burbs), quality materials and finishes, smart pricing, and convenience (neighborhood amenities, parking). Missing any one of these can make for a real challenge when it comes time to sell, missing more than one can be disastrous. People buying in these urban neighborhoods are doing so because they're unwilling to compromise on what they want—having multiple urban projects to choose from means they shouldn't have to.
Oh, by the way... Flip to page 127 and you'll see my nearly-life-sized head staring back at you (you coulda warned us, SacMag)! Of course I'm sporting a beard right now, maybe looking a little "Pacific Northwest" in honor of west coast cities like Portland and Seattle that have shown us how to execute on that need for urban infill. But I WAS FEATURED IN SACRAMENTO MAGAZINE!
Okay, maybe "spotlighted" is a better word. But still.
Too cheap to pick up your own copy? You can check out the article here: Up in the Air - Marybeth Bizjak, Sacramento Magazine (October 2008)
Oh, and a quick thanks to Marybeth Bizjak and the fine folks at Sacramento Magazine for puttin' my mug—and opinions—in the middle of the current issue. Please, no drawing pirate moustaches.
Labels: Central, Central City Loft Living, Central City Lofts and Condos, Curtis Park, Downtown, East Sac, Land Park, lofts, Midtown, Oak Park, Old Sac, River Park, Roseville, Sacramento, UCD Med Center, West Sac
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 5:36 PM,
, links to this post
Check out the new video from the 500 N Condos
Monday, July 21, 2008
New to Downtown Sacramento? Considering buying a condo or other urban property? The developer and sales team at the 500 N condos want you to consider highrise living downtown at 500 N—Sacramento's only real highrise option (for now). In fact, they've put together the video below.
And if you're interested in buying, you can check out some of the condos for sale at 500 N or check out more Downtown condos and Midtown lofts for sale.
Labels: 95811, 95814, 95816, Central, condos, developments, Downtown, highrise, lofts, Midtown, Old Sac, Sacramento, Sacramento Urban Properties
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 6:55 PM,
, links to this post
A Sacramento loft for under $200,000? It's true at 1600 H.
Monday, July 7, 2008
I just got an update from Keith over at the 1600 H lofts and he's given me the latest pricing on a couple of the loft units (updated now at www.1600h.com):
$179,600 - Loft 201 (390 sq.ft. studio)
This unit is on the H Street side and faces north. The advantage is that it's on the quiet side but has exterior views. Sounds small (and it is), but it's livable space at a great price.
$215,990 - Loft 203 (466 sq.ft. studio)
Directly adjacent to loft 201, this unit is slightly larger but offers the same great quiet outside location.
$259,499 - Loft 212 (615 sq.ft. one bedroom)
Looking for peace and quiet? This is an interior unit that overlooks the "courtyard" (parking). Perfect if you want lots of morning sun and none of the sound of traffic. I'm not a big fan of the interior units since they don't offer much in the way of views, especially on the 2nd floor.
$459,000 - Loft 401 (1020 sq.ft. two bedroom)
Wow! This two-bedroom penthouse level loft is also on the H Street side (two floors directly above 201 and 203) and is larger than the first two units combined. Tree and neighborhood views north, lots of indirect light, convenient to the elevator and lobby area.
I was originally a skeptic of the lofts at 1600 H, but the design has proven itself and the location on the line between Downtown and Midtown Sacramento is convenient to everything—just a couple blocks to Mikuni, PF Chang's, Memorial Auditorium, Music Circus, and more dining and entertainment than you can shake a stick at. This is one of my two favorite projects right now (behind only the Sutter Brownstones in Midtown). These are more affordable than the L Street Lofts but offer similar great design.
Ready for a tour? Would you like to see everything that Midtown and Downtown Sacramento have to offer? Give me a call. Rob McQuade, McMartin Realty - (916) 444-7577.
Labels: 1600H, Downtown, lofts, Midtown, Old Sac, Sacramento
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 7:39 AM,
, links to this post
What happened to the Whiskey Hill Lofts?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I've recently had a lot of people searching my Downtown and Midtown websites for info on the Whiskey Hill Lofts, developer Paul Petrovich's residential project behind the Rite Aid he built at 21st & S in Midtown.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported on May 23rd that the Whiskey Hill Lofts, a 30-unit Midtown loft and condo development that opened for sale in February, hadn't attracted any buyers and "is being converted into apartment units and will be rented..."
Why? I think the combination of pricing—the price per square foot at Whiskey Hill was on par with other more desirable projects in better locations within the central city, including the L Street Lofts and 1600 H (which is finishing construction and has yet to close on any of the loft units)—and location just couldn't compete with other new Downtown and Midtown developments. Meanwhile the Sutter Brownstones are still selling, in part due to their competitive prices (thanks largely to mandatory subsidies from Sutter as a condition of the hospital expansion).
Looking for a Downtown or Midtown loft or condo? Register online to create your own saved searches for free or give me a call today at (916) 444-7577. -Rob
Labels: Central, Central City Loft Living, Central City Lofts and Condos, Downtown, lofts, Midtown, Old Sac, Sacramento, Sacramento Urban Properties
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:27 PM,
, links to this post
The 500 N Workout
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The fine folks at 500 N treated my real estate forum to a fantastic lunch catered by Il Fornaio last week on the 14th floor of the Downtown Sacramento condos at 500 N Street. Fantastic food, great views (from our vista we could watch work being done on Tsakopoulos' 500 Capitol Mall project, plus views of the Capitol, Tower Bridge, CalEPA building, Federal Courthouse, Renaissance Towere aka the "Darth Vader Building", 12th & K's "Ban Roll-on" building, and what will be a beautifully lighted US BankTower at 621 Capitol Mall), and... The elevators went out.
When we arrived, one elevator was being replaced but the other was working just fine. No problem getting up to the 14th Floor whatsoever. But 15 minutes later we got word that the other elevator was, well, being fickle—which is a nice way of saying we wouldn't be taking the elevator back down. We could've waited six weeks for replacement of the other elevator, and both rappelling and parachute-assisted basejumping were out since none of us had thought to bring gear.
Nothing left to do but take the stairs down 14 floors. The good news is that it was a beautiful day (the weather hadn't gotten windy and gray yet and the 100-plus heat had passed) and the stairs were on the outside of the west side of the building.
And thus the 500 N Workout was born.
Man, Annie at 500 N is gonna kill me if she reads this. (Sorry, Annie!)
Labels: 500 N, Central City Lofts and Condos, condos, developments, Downtown, lofts, Old Sac, real estate
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 10:45 AM,
, links to this post
NEW! The most accurate Midtown home & condos searches!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Midtown Sacramento is a neighborhood like no other. True, surrounding neighborhoods like Land Park and East Sac have their own benefits--but for Midtown dwellers no other neighborhood is quite the same. Because Midtown isn't just one ZIP Code (it shares part of 95811 with the Railyards and River District, 95814 with Downtown, 95816 with East Sac, and 95818 with Land Park and Curtis Park), it can be tricky getting just Midtown homes to show up when you're searching the MLS.
Good news! I've just updated the website so that you get only the most accurate Midtown loft, condo, and home results—you can't find more accurate one-click search results anywhere else than right here. To get the most accurate Midtown real estate search results, simply click on the "homes" or "lofts & condos" link on every page of ForSaleinMidtown.com :-) -Rob
Labels: Central, condos, Downtown, lofts, Midtown, Old Sac, Sacramento
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 4:29 PM,
, links to this post
Pricing is out for the Sutter Brownstones
Monday, March 24, 2008
It's taken me a couple days to post the real numbers to make sure the information was meant to be public, but I confirmed with Mollie at LoftWorks that pricing for the Sutter Brownstones will be from $369,000 to $590,000 for the three-story townhomes—which strikes me as a great price for new construction in a prime location like this one, especially compared to the more than $500/sq.ft. that several Downtown and Midtown loft projects are listed for.
The floorplans range from 1,119 square feet to 1,986 square feet, with the largest unit including a separate studio on the ground floor with its own kitchen, bath, and private entrance. The 1,707-square-foot floorplan includes a ground level media room, and all 28 units have private balconies or patios.For more information about the Sutter Brownstones or to purchase one of the 28 fabulous, East Coast brownstones-inspired townhomes, visit ForSaleinMidtown.com.
Labels: brownstones, Central, developments, Downtown, lofts, LoftWorks, Midtown, real estate, Sutter Brownstones, townhomes, Winn Park
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:50 PM,
, links to this post
Green on F
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Nine on F: The Greenest Homes in Sacramento.
It was late summer 2007 when I first heard about a big "green" residential project that was being built downtown in the Alkali Flats neighborhood. I was a bit cautious at first because so many businesses had begun jumping on the "green" bandwagon and were touting any energy efficient, environmentally friendly features they could attach to their product or service.
In November I finally took some time to preview 9 on F Citywalk. What struck me when I walked through the traditional units that fronted F Street was two things: First, I didn't feel like I was walking through a "green" home. The countertops weren't made of recycled beer bottles and there wasn't anything touting blue jean insulation. Second, this was beautiful design—like something out of Dwell Magazine. Better than I'd seen in Sacramento on a smaller scale project like this one.
Sure, other projects lately have been touting their green features. Regis Homes, developer of the SoCap Lofts at the southern end of Downtown, had incorporated solar—but this seemed to me to be a bit of an afterthought.
9 on F developer Jeremy Drucker really started the project with a green end in mind, which is why the nine three-story units are all have LEED for Homes certifications and are rated LEED Silver or Gold—a notable achievement for a Sacramento project being completed in what anyone would say is a challenging real estate market. Drucker, a bay area resident, has gone a step further than most developers and has reached out to the community. I know his goal is to sell a product, but he's managed to build a tremendous amount of media attention and awareness for what I hope will continue to be a mainstream move to green by promoting the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), SMUD's SolarSmart program, and even connecting with the City of Sacramento at a time when Mayor Heather Fargo and other key officials have been pushing to make Sacramento the greenest city in the nation.
I appreciate Jeremy Drucker's efforts. I also appreciate the great design his project has brought to Alkali Flats and the entire Downtown area. The homes at 9 on F join beautiful design, infill development, and earth-friendly features, which include: dual-zone geothermal heating and cooling, solar, tankless hot water heaters (no "tankless job" puns, I promise), environmentally friendly wood products, FSC-certified responsibly managed wood flooring, and low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) interior paints.
For more information about 9 on F or to purchase one of the nine beautiful, traditionally-inspired or urban loft-styled units, visit ForSaleinDowntown.com.
Labels: 9 on F, Alkali Flats, Central, developments, Downtown, green homes, Jeremy Drucker, lofts, Midtown, Old Sac, real estate, solar
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 9:14 AM,
, links to this post
