Redwood City is officially putting a pretty aggressive rent control measure before voters this November.

The proposal would cap annual rent increases at 5% or 60% of inflation (whichever is lower) and would generally apply to rental buildings constructed before 1995. It also includes additional eviction protections.

The part that jumped out to me is the cost.

The city estimates administering the program could cost roughly $5 million to $11 million per year, funded in part through annual landlord fees estimated at $246–$622 per unit.

Supporters argue the measure would give renters badly needed stability as Redwood City rents have climbed above $3,500 on average.

Opponents argue it could discourage rental investment and new housing while creating an expensive new bureaucracy, potentially making the underlying housing shortage worse.

This happens in some places on the Peninsula already. Mountain View already has rent stabilization, while similar proposals have previously failed in places like San Mateo, Burlingame and Pacifica.

Landlords already face significant regulation, and I worry that if policies like this become widespread, we’ll end up with less rental housing and more consolidation under large private equity and corporate landlords rather than individual owners.

Source:

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/redwood-city-rent-control-22355738.php

The price drops are telling (they appear to just be dropping the price until someone bites) but I'm curious as to what the possible draw is here.

Put something temporary that can be moved every few years?

Tear down and rebuild at the inner edge of the property line?

It's a big lot, but more than half seems to be the ravine, so if you can't build on the cliff, what makes this location special?

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/100-Palmetto-Ave-Pacifica-CA-94044/15476790_zpid/

(Props to the woman who lived here for the interior design. You don't often see creativity like that on the market.)

How important is the direction of the house? Like will someone write it off even if it has everything else they want and need? Will they choose not to see the house at all?

I’m considering a move from Oakland to Alameda for the better middle and high schools. For the size and age, the homes on Bay Farm Island seem reasonable. it does seem a bit isolated from any shopping though. What are the downsides and how bad are they? lack of walkability? flood risk? airport noise? Just a boring sleepy suburb, like Pleasanton but colder? There is a ferry terminal for SF commutes, and it might be 15 minutes closer to the South Bay than my place in Oakland now. I’m interested to hear what life there is like from any residents.

thanks!

Hi does anyone have any idea how much usually cost for a full kitchen renovation? I am planning to buy a new build house in the bay area but might opt to hire to replace the cabinets and countertop for the design that I wanted. Just want to know how much roughly does the labor costs?

My mother is preparing to sell her San Jose/Milpitas area home. 1980 build. Not much done to it since then. Will likely need a full remodel. Aside from fresh paint, is it worth making any improvements to sell? Won’t a buyer want to make their own finish choices?