Curbed SF

[Image via Google Maps/Trulia. Click to enlarge] Wouldn’t any landlord be thrilled to rent to Giants’ pitcher Tim Lincecum? Maybe not, because Big Time Timmy Jim is being sued in San Francisco Superior Court for allegedly trashing and stealing from the apartment he was renting. The San Jose Mercury News reports that landlord Mindy Freile filed suit this Wednesday against the Giants star, claiming that shortly after… read more…

A reader asks: In the San Francisco market can studios be a good investment?

Our reply: Depending on the location and the demographics of the particular area, studios can be a good way to get into the market. However, resale of studios can be more difficult since the pool of buyers for studios is smaller than for larger units.

Even so, San Francisco is an area where people want to have a place to use occasionally when they are coming into the City, so studios can serve this purpose. Lofts are another form of studio since they usually do not have a separate bedroom– just a loft over the living area for a bed. So if you have a studio and can make a private sleeping area you will have a wider market for resale. In fact, this is a good rule of thumb for most properties; if value can be added, any size unit can be a good investment.

- Janis Stone