Mid-Century Cool, Clean Lines and Views

• Mid-Century Cool, Clean Lines and Views
• Our Evaluation Philosophy
• Praises for Mid-Century Modern
• Pitfalls of a Mid-Century Home
• 1. Probable Issues
• 2. Possible Issues
• 3. Rare but… maybe?

Our Evaluation Philosophy

We readily concede that we’re not engineers, contractors, architects, or licensed inspectors. What we are, however, is highly experienced in seeing—and understanding—homes. Over the past 15 years (and even before we officially started in real estate), we’ve walked through countless houses. Many of these we’ve revisited over time as they re-entered the market, received facelifts, or underwent complete transformations.

During this time, we’ve read, analyzed, questioned, defended, critiqued, and praised nearly every type of inspection report you can imagine. We’ve walked properties with developers at every stage—before, during, and after projects—and seen what’s behind the walls when they’re opened up. We’ve witnessed the great, the exceptional, and the downright terrifying (including homes where liability waivers were a must before stepping inside).

It’s from this wealth of experience—and as unabashed real estate enthusiasts—that we offer a qualified yet informed perspective. While we’re not licensed for structural evaluations, we can provide you with thoughtful insights rooted in years of observation, analysis, and passion for homes.

Praises for Mid-Century Modern

Unlike the swaths of Junior 5 homes from Doleger that you’d find in the Sunset, Daly City and Districts 3, 4 and 10, visionary architects like Richard Neutra and Joseph Eichler introduced “California Modern” homes, known for open-concept spaces, post-and-beam construction, expansive glass walls, radiant heat, and bold geometric designs. While these homes often evoke images of Palm Springs or the Hollywood Hills, their influence is also visible in the Bay Area. Clusters of Eichler homes can be found in San Rafael (Marin County), Palo Alto (Peninsula), and San Francisco’s Diamond Heights. Eichler’s work also extended to high-rises like 999 Green in Russian Hill and 66 Cleary near Cathedral Hill, Japantown, and Lower Pacific Heights.

Pitfalls of a Mid-Century Home

1. Probable Issues

There will be pesky mid-century items like lack of insulation, end-of-useful life systems updating and replacement work (think: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofs, structural)

2. Possible Issues

If the home you’re considering is vintage fixer that hasn’t been remodeled since it was built originally — think shag carpeting, Federal Pacific electrical systems, glittery popcorn ceilings and asbestos floor and ceiling tiles, and you want to remodel the place, you’ll have to factor in remediation and updating

3. Rare but… maybe?

Based on what land was available at the time, many Mid-Century homes were built where built along previously undeveloped tracts of land — hillsides. Some of those were built on stilts (yikes!):

• Soil erosion/drainage from uphill
• Liquefaction (odd areas near Twin Peaks and underground streams)
• Urban forest management (in the shadow of Mt Sutro’s bad-idea eucalyptus groves)