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Well, hello there. Although the weather has been fairly temperate recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom has preemptively declared a state of emergency in order to proactively batten hatches for a winter that could see the strongest El Niño season yet.
Will it be a rain-pocolypse? Maybe? Even so, it never hurts to prepare for emergencies. Last December a widespread power outage left some 130,000 SF homes in the dark. Let this be a reminder to stock up on flashlight batteries and back-up power for your tech, clear your drains and gutters, and have a roofer on speed dial. At the very least, make sure you’re connected by text or social media to your local emergency alerts.
If you’re a fan of the legendary San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas but can’t afford his $9.85 million mansion in Pacific Heights, perhaps you’d like to bid on his belongings? An auction will be held on November 19 with a preview the day before. I wonder if the Grammy winner’s two pianos will be on the list?
And, if you feel the need for a drink with a view, the Embarcadero Four Seasons has launched a seasonal pop-up bar it’s dubbed Weather Permitting. Located on the 40th floor of its hotel, it’s open Friday through Sunday from 3:00 pm to sundown for sipping cocktails while drinking in city views.
In real estate news, would you pay $1.7 million for a floating home? There are just 20 of these house boats docked in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, and one is on the market. For the price, the next owner gets a 1,980-square-foot floating abode with three bedrooms and three baths, use of its berth, plus a pleasure boat and berth. Erik Throm with City Real Estate holds the listing.
Gavin Newsom lived in Cole Valley? A home with family ties to California’s 40th governor has just landed on the market for $4.5 million. The woodsy abode from 1951 is reportedly where Newsom spent some of his childhood. Records link the address to Newsom’s father dating to November, 1967, a month after the birth of his son. The Compass team notes that the California governor lived briefly in the home as a child. The updated residence includes a top-floor deck, garden patios, and views through the surrounding trees.
This week’s letter features a mystery on Cherry Street, Eichler X-100 owner speaks out, and two tiny cabins in Inverness for a not so tiny price. Read on.
Mystery columns on Cherry Street
Going about my weekend errands, I often find myself passing by what was once a busy hospital that takes up a massive three block stretch of Presidio Heights. Located at 3700 California, it’s a mix of six buildings that were part of California Pacific Medical Center, along with some outdoor space with this serene sight.
I do know something about it: my father-in-law, a landscape architect who worked for Lawrence Halperin back in the day, then opened his own firm, designed this outdoor plaza. Along with the neo-classical columns, reclaimed from a demolished building, the space is surrounded by New Zealand Christmas trees and soaring redwoods. It’s like finding a tiny clearing in a forest.
It’s one remaining piece of a property that now sits vacant.
Locally known as Children’s Hospital (where thousands of SF locals were born, it seems), the structure was built in 1920 and expanded in the 1950s, and shut down in 2019. The campus relocated into fancy digs on Van Ness, while the empty (spooky?) pink-toned hospital awaits the planned redevelopment of mixed multi-family units, town homes, and senior housing through adaptive reuse.
The development has gone through two developers at this point, with Prado Group taking up the mantle to see it through, reportedly buying the six-building property for around $50 million in 2022. Last year, the project received the go-ahead for redevelopment. Five of the existing structures will meet the wrecking ball, and one will be restored and turned into senior housing. Over 500 units of housing will be the result with a below-ground parking structure.
Although the plan promises better green space, I’m curious to see what happens to this little piece of landscape left over from the 1970s. I asked my neighbors on NextDoor if they remembered it. One claimed it had been used as a “smoking lounge,” another said the plaza was designed in the place of an old building that was demolished to make room for the ER. And the outdoor space also apparently conveniently served as a short cut from the back of the hospital to a shuttle stop on the corner.
Although the westside has seen little to no development in decades, neighbors seem to be on board with an empty eye sore becoming housing in their ‘hood. “Get on with the development already, the plans are a spectacular improvement from the current state,” said one. The project will take on the existing footprint and transition from medical to residential, no higher than eight stories, which may go a long way to fostering good will, although one fretted about the construction noise and an uptick in traffic that will shatter the quiet of the community, and another noted that all those trees will be removed.
Prado Group will also be developing another abandoned hospital campus down the road at 3333 California Street. Stay tuned to see how this space transforms.
Eichler X-100 is ‘passion project’ now officially on the market
The Eichler X-100, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this month, has officially come on the market. We covered it when it was being previewed but it bears revisiting as it is a true one-of-a-kind. Located in the hills above San Mateo, this mid-century marvel was designed as a prototype to show the power of steel. And the owner, Marty Arbunich, recently filled in some back story about how he used over the past two decades.
Designed by A. Quincy Jones in the mid-1950s, this Eichler opened to the public in 1956 and was a test to display what an all-steel home looked like. Featuring skylights aplenty, a wide open layout, and walls of glass, the home was a vision of the future.
However, homebuyers weren’t compelled by this particular vision and the all-steel concept was abandoned by Eichler, who continued to build his signature homes throughout the ‘60s and early ‘70s.
After falling into some disrepair and in need of a lifeline, the X-100 was brought back to pristine condition after an exacting restoration was completed in 2017.
Now, this home on the National Register of Historic Places is ready for its next steward. Listed with the Boyenga Team of Compass for $4.5 million, it awaits a buyer in search of a home with a peerless pedigree.
“It’s been my passion project as owner for the past 23 years, having spent a bundle restoring it. And now, as part of my recent retirement from the Eichler world, my job feels done. It’s time for me to let go.” -- Marty Arbunich
The steel home prototype is owned by Eichler Network founder Marty Arbunich. Asked about his stewardship of this unique abode, he clarified, “I have never lived in the X-100. But I’ve been fascinated with it for three decades, ever since I started the Eichler Network in the mid-‘90s. It’s been my passion project as owner for the past 23 years, having spent a bundle restoring it. And now, as part of my recent retirement from the Eichler world, my job feels done. It’s time for me to let go and hand over the X-100 to someone else like me who will carry on as passionate successor steward.”
The X-100 has hardly stood empty. In fact, it’s been the site of many a home tour. Arbunich added, “Since 2016, when we completed phase one of our extensive rehabilitation and restoration, we held up to 15 tours, the most extensive one being the 2017 San Mateo Highlands Eichler Home Tour, hosting more than 1,000 visitors. In May 2026, the most recent X-100 tours held over three dates, we showcased the house for Eichler fans, who were invited free of charge via our Network e-mail list.”
Let’s hope that interest translates into a new owner stepping forward to buy it.
‘Last of their kind’: 2 tiny cabins in Inverness offered for $2.7 million
About 40 miles north of San Francisco and surrounded by Point Reyes National Seashore, the town of Inverness is known for its historic village, a shipwreck, and natural beauty. It also possesses some cool and relatively rare real estate.
Only 14 homes in town are listed for sale, and two of them that sit on the shoreline of Tomales Bay. These two tiny homes at 12788 - 12790 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, are available as a pair from William Barrett of Compass.
The side-by-side dwellings from 1941 sit within sight of a shipwreck, a local landmark, just to the south. The cottages known as Smitty’s Cottage and Walt’s Cottage, are available for the first time together in 40 years. “Smitty and Walt were long-time residents of West Marin,” says Barrett.
He added, “The cottages are separate houses, very small, on separate lots and could be sold individually, but the current owner wants to sell them as a pair.”
Set just six feet apart, each one-bedroom residence measures under 500 square feet. They’re both equipped with light-filled living rooms as well as full kitchens.
Details include vaulted ceilings, skylights, and stained glass. Private decks look out onto the water, and a grandfathered legal pier extends from the property. The cabins could be a perfect weekend escape with friends or a multi-generational retreat, or an artist’s studio.
Barrett adds, “It is rare that any house directly on the Bay shoreline comes on the market, but this year, there have been two confirmed sales and one pending.” He notes that both of those homes sold at much higher than list price. Does Inverness have a case of the San Francisco?
“What makes these cottages desirable and valuable, like the other shoreline properties, is that they sit along a shoreline protected by the Coastal Act from any new development,” Barrett notes, and adds, “These are here now but no other shoreline houses can ever be built. And very few residential properties remain along the Tomales Bay shoreline. They are small, but they are the last of their kind.”
Must Like Fog is a San Francisco-based newsletter that’s looking at must-see real estate, cool architecture, fun neighborhoods, and more. Come obsess with me, a long-time real estate reporter who wants to keep the party going with a Bay Area twist. If you’re into real estate, the Bay Area, and want to get the inside track on these topics and more, please subscribe.
Huge thanks to editor extraordinaire Erik Gunther.