A fire-gutted shack in San Francisco with no bathroom, kitchen, running water, or electricity can be yours — or dare I say mine? — for $299,000.
As a journalist, I would love to establish permanent roots in this city by owning a home. But it looks like the only way I can do that on a reporter’s salary is by going after property that’s been wrecked by fire or where the most recent residents were illegal squatters. There’s a relic in Crocker-Amazon that checks both those boxes — yet is expected to sell for more than the listing price.
“We expect to get over asking price,” real estate agent Janice Lee said, adding that she anticipates an offer of $300,000 to $400,000 for what her listing calls a “fixer-upper gem.”
Holes pock the sagging ceiling, paint flakes off the charred walls, and the sloped floor bends underfoot. No curb appeal here. But maybe I could make it work with some clever interior design?
There’s not much reason to bother trying to salvage the 114-year-old structure on Lowell Street. The listing admits as much, albeit in the sunny parlance of real estate ads, calling the property “a rare opportunity” and “an ideal canvas for transformation” for someone “with a vision to craft their dream home.”
In other words, the likely solution is to raze it and start over.
Squatters lived there for about six months until a fire ran them off in January, according to neighbor Kimmy Eng, 43. The San Francisco Fire Department did not share more information about the blaze by publication time.
Despite the property’s dire appearance, 20 people showed up Saturday afternoon for an open house at 109 Lowell St., just off Mission Street. Everyone seemed to agree that calling the tumbledown shack a “fixer-upper” was putting it lightly, as evidenced by the liability waivers they had to sign before setting foot in the crumbling residence.
Contractor and architect Alex Garcia toured the house Saturday.
“Whoever buys it, you’re not going to get a loan for the building,” Garcia said, adding that having complete redevelopment plans could help with financing.
But Garcia, who lives in Bernal Heights, said the $300,000 asking price might not be worth it, since he’s not sure what development costs would be.
“I’d have to crunch the numbers,” he said.
Zara Amara, 53, said she’s been eyeing the land since the fire because her adult children want to buy it in hopes of building a new home in its place. Her 26-year-old daughter, Nawal, who declined to share her last name due to privacy concerns, said homeownership is important for her as a Moroccan immigrant who grew up in the Bay Area.
“We want to feel like we made it in this country,” Nawal said. “Building a home is the American dream.”
The house is being sold through probate court, which handles the sale of properties when an owner has died.
Lee acknowledged that the asking price is really for the 2,574-square-foot lot, not the remnants of the house. Whoever buys it will have to get the city’s blessing to redevelop the lot, which has no pre-approved plans, records show.
The 94112 ZIP Code, which comprises a handful of southern neighborhoods, including Crocker-Amazon, the Excelsior, and Oceanview, has a median household income of $120,731, slightly lower than the citywide average of $126,730, according to census data.
The Excelsior — which encompasses Crocker-Amazon, according to the official city neighborhoods map — boasts a lower rate of violent and property crime than the citywide average, according to police data.
Lee said the lot is in a decent location, with nearby restaurants, public transit along Mission Street, and three schools within two blocks, including Longfellow Elementary across the street.
Prospective buyers who want to help 109 Lowell St. rise from the ashes need to act fast: The deadline to submit an offer is Tuesday.
After careful consideration, I’ve decided I’ll stick with renting for now.