San Francisco - Real Estate | Kindred SF Homes

Navigating the Paradoxes

Over the last few days, I’ve been on the lookout for solace, inspiration and things to be grateful for – a tried and true method for managing unpleasantness. All it takes is “noticing.” For me, that means ceasing all scrolling, focusing beyond the screen of whatever device is to hand, and zooming out for a more expansive view.

Lawyer Julie Yip-Williams had no vision as a child. She was born blind, gained partial sight through a surgery, studied at Harvard, became an attorney and died at the age of 38, five years after her diagnosis with Stage IV colon cancer. She left behind her daughters, Mia and Isabelle and what follows is an excerpt from a letter she wrote to them:

"I do not have the answer to the question of why, at least not now and not in this life. But I do know that there is incredible value in pain and suffering, if you allow yourself to experience it, to cry, to feel sorrow and grief, to hurt. Walk through the fire and you will emerge on the other end, whole and stronger. I promise. You will ultimately find truth and beauty and wisdom and peace. You will understand that nothing lasts forever, not pain, or joy. You will understand that joy cannot exist without sadness. Relief cannot exist without pain. Compassion cannot exist without cruelty. Courage cannot exist without fear. Hope cannot exist without despair. Wisdom cannot exist without suffering. Gratitude cannot exist without deprivation. Paradoxes abound in this life. Living is an exercise in navigating within them…”

Navigating the paradoxes takes continual practice. Compassion helps. So does comedy. (Which is why I’m sharing the poem in the next section below.) May you navigate Thanksgiving, the winter holidays, the turning of the year and everything 2025 throws at you with grace and good humor!

Self-Help by Charles Bernstein

Home team suffers string of losses.—Time to change loyalties.
Quadruple bypass.—Hold the bacon on that next cheeseburger.
Poems tanking.—After stormiest days, sun comes out from behind clouds, or used to.
Marriage on rocks.—Nothing like Coke.

Election going the wrong direction.—Kick off slippers, take deep breathe, be here now.

Boss says your performance needs boost.—A long hot bath smoothes wrinkles.

War toll tops 100,000.—Get your mind off it, switch to reality TV.

Lake Tang Woo Chin Chicken with Lobster and Sweet Clam Sauce still not served and everyone else got their orders twenty minutes back.—Savor the water, feast on the company.

Subway floods and late for audition.—Start being the author of your own performance. Take a walk.

Slip on ice, break arm.—In moments like this, the preciousness of life reveals itself.

Wages down in non-union shop.—You’re a sales associate, not a worker; so proud to be part of the company.

Miss the train?—Great chance to explore the station!

Suicide bombers wrecks neighborhood.—Time to pitch in!

Nothing doing.—Take a break!

Partner in life finds another partner.—Now you can begin the journey of life anew.

Bald?—Finally, you can touch the sky with the top of your head.

Short-term recall shot.—Old memories are sweetest.

Hard drive crashes and novel not backed up.—Nothing like a fresh start.

Severe stomach cramps all morning.—Boy are these back issues of Field and Stream engrossing.

Hurricane crushes house.—You never seemed so resilient.

Brother-in-law completes second year in coma.—He seems so much more relaxed than he used to.

$75 ticket for Sunday meter violation on an empty street in residential neighborhood.—The city needs the money to make us safe and educate our kids.

Missed last episode of favorite murder mystery because you misprogrammed VCR.—Write your own ending!

Blue cashmere pullover has three big moth holes.—What a great looking shirt!

Son joins skinhead brigade of Jews for Jesus.—At least he’s following his bliss.

Your new play receives scathing reviews and closes after a single night.—What a glorious performance!

Pungent stench of homeless man on subway, asking for food.—Such kindness in his eyes, as I turn toward home.

Retirement savings lost on Enron and WorldCom.—They almost rhyme.

Oil spill kills seals.—The workings of the Lord are inscrutable.

Global warming swamps land masses.—Learn to accept change.

Bike going fast in wrong direction knocks you over.—A few weeks off your feet, just what the doctor ordered.

AIDS ravaging Africa.—Wasn’t Jeffrey Wright fabulous in Angels in America?

Muffler shot.—There’s this great pizza place next to the shop.

Income gap becomes crater.—Good motivation to get rich.

Abu Ghraib prisoners tortured.—Let’s face it, shit happens.

Oscar wins Emmy.—Award shows are da bomb.

FBI checking your library check-outs.—I also recommend books on Amazon.

Gay marriages annulled.—Who needs the state to sanctify our love?

President’s lies kill GIs.—He’s so decisive about his core values.

Self-Help.—Other drowns.

Business as Usual

And now for something completely related to real estate!

At Kindred, we’ve been serving and selling successfully. After a bumpy third quarter, Q4 in San Francisco real estate is chugging along nicely. It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing but we can liken the Kindred team’s work to that of a fleet of sturdy tugboats. (We were going to add a la Little Toot or Scuffy the Tugboat, but a quick re-read of those children’s classics revealed some problems with the character of the titular tugboats…)

Shelly Sutherland was busy listing and closing two multi-unit buildings, overcoming what’s been a sluggish market for similar properties. While other listings languished, 4256-4258 Fulton and 445 Diamond closed.
Speaking of multi-unit properties, Lisa Auer has 2347 Bay Street under contract and she closed 2178 28th Avenue, a lovely single family home in prime Parkside.
Susan Dakdduk represented the happy buyer of 315 Rutland – a 3 bdrm, 2 bath single family home in Visitacion Valley. (Bonus – They got it for an amazing price of < $1m.)
Cynthia Cummins and Lisa Riddle closed 428 Ulloa and 1754 8th Avenue, and their showplace ocean-view listing at 1565 16th Avenue is under contract and closing later this month.
We also have several buyers in contract to purchase their new homes – more about that next month…
And don’t miss this amazing opportunity: 171 Caselli / 20 Yukon. Two vacant houses on one prime Eurkea Valley lot. An incredible value and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lucky buyer. Luxury auction on November 21st!