Balboa Terrace, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
The tract is eligible for the California Register as a historic district, and the homes association’s design review applies on top of city permits, so additions need both approvals.
Explore Balboa Terrace, San Francisco real estate and homes for sale with this local guide. Contact Diamond to discuss your criteria and current property-search options.
| County | San Francisco (City and County) |
|---|---|
| Local government | San Francisco Planning plus homes association design review |
| Housing | About 280 detached single-family houses; no condos or flats |
| Hazards to check | No mapped liquefaction or landslide zone within the tract |
| Getting around | K Ingleside to Balboa Park BART and West Portal; 23 Monterey bus |
| Local rules | California Register-eligible historic district; HOA dues and design review |
It is subdistrict 4A in the MLS’s District 4 , and every homeowner is automatically a member of the Balboa Terrace Homes Association.
The tract is small, almost entirely single-family and eligible for the California Register as a historic district. For a buyer, the association’s design review and dues, and the limits that come with historic eligibility, matter as much as the house itself.
Balboa Terrace homes for sale
Balboa Terrace market report
Where it is and what surrounds it
Its streets are short, and several carry Spanish names. The Assessor’s roll lists addresses on Darien Way, San Rafael, San Fernando, San Benito and San Leandro ways, Santa Ana Avenue and Upland Drive, plus the south side of Monterey Boulevard roughly from the 1400 to the 1900 block.
Across Monterey Boulevard to the north is St. Francis Wood. Mount Davidson Manor adjoins it on the east, Ingleside Terrace lies across Ocean Avenue to the south, and Lakeside is across Junipero Serra Boulevard to the west.
How the tract was built
The Balboa Terrace Homes Association’s history page says Baldwin & Howell filed the subdivision in 1912, that Hueter Homes built most of the houses in the 1920s to designs by Harold G. Stoner, and that the Lang Realty Company handled promotion and sales. It calls Balboa Terrace one of the earliest subdivisions on Mount Davidson.
The same page describes houses set back from the street, wiring placed underground and landscaped streets with grassy pedestrian walkways. The association also notes a collection of Batchelder tile fireplaces in the houses.
Planning’s California Register layer records a Balboa Terrace Historic District with a period of significance from 1921 to 1939 and Harold G. Stoner as its builder-designer. The district is eligible, not listed, and is not an Article 10 city district.
The houses on the 2025 roll
Compare the particular property’s lot dimensions, permitted living area, construction history and ownership form using current records. Assessment classifications do not certify legal use or current listing availability.
The ten vacant residential parcels deserve a look in any purchase. If a house is offered with an adjoining lot, confirm that both parcels convey and how each is taxed.
The homes association
Membership is not optional. The association’s FAQ says every homeowner in Balboa Terrace is automatically a member and must pay the annual assessment, which is based on lot square footage, billed in late January and due March 1.
The association maintains the entry monuments, medians, portals, trees, landscaping and irrigation in its common areas, as well as easement concrete and alley paving, and it uses a reserve study to plan that work. Its common areas include the grass strips along Monterey Boulevard between Junipero Serra Boulevard and San Benito Way, a large lawn along Junipero Serra and the east-west walkways it calls breezeways.
An Architectural Review Committee reviews exterior construction against the association’s Design Guidelines and CC&Rs. New and replacement windows need its approval, and solar installations are reviewed to limit their visual impact; interior work with normal DBI permits generally is not reviewed. The FAQ also describes notices, a hearing and fines for landscape violations.
Ask for the current assessment, any pending approvals and the recorded CC&Rs before removing contingencies. This is general information, not legal advice; a California real estate attorney can tell you what the recorded CC&Rs require of a particular house.
Historic eligibility, zoning and extra units
At the San Benito Way parcel we checked, Planning’s map agrees, adds a 40//40-R-4 height district and places the lot in the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District.
Historic eligibility is the main limit on adding units. Planning Code Section 249.94 rules out SUD projects that would demolish a building listed in or determined eligible for the California or National Register, individually or as a district contributor. California’s SB 9 excludes contributing structures in historic districts on the State Historic Resources Inventory or designated by local ordinance (Government Code section 65852.21(a)(5)), so whether an eligible district qualifies is a question for Planning and an attorney. See our SB 9 lot split guide.
The association’s design review applies in addition to any city permit, so an addition needs both approvals.
A landmark on San Leandro Way
The Gregangelo Museum at 225 San Leandro Way became City Landmark No. 318 in 2024. Planning’s record describes a 1920 Mediterranean Revival house designed by Walter C. Falch and notes its associations with LGBTQ+ and counterculture history. It is one of the few individual landmarks in a District 4 residence park.
Ground, transit and getting around
Planning’s seismic hazard layers show no mapped liquefaction or landslide zone within Balboa Terrace; the nearest liquefaction polygons lie west of Junipero Serra Boulevard and south of Ocean Avenue. A Natural Hazard Disclosure report is still part of the sale; see our San Francisco hazard maps page.
The K Ingleside runs along two edges of the tract. SFMTA’s route page describes it traveling on Ocean Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard between Balboa Park BART and West Portal Avenue, with a stop at St. Francis Circle. Along the Monterey Boulevard side, the 23 Monterey bus is named for the street; our route list for it dates from 2022, so check SFMTA for current service.
Selling a home in Balboa Terrace
Buyers who look here may also tour St. Francis Wood and Ingleside Terrace, so they compare original detail, lot size and the house’s condition. The association’s records are part of the package.
- Association file: assessment status, Architectural Review Committee approvals for past work (windows included) and the recorded CC&Rs.
- Permit history: permits for additions and lower-level rooms, matched to the association approvals.
- Original features: fireplaces, tile and period detail that survive, documented with photos.
- Historic status: whether Planning treats the house as a district contributor.
- City requirements: listed on our San Francisco selling requirements page.
The bigger, better-preserved houses here can compete for the same buyers as the city’s high-end listings, and our San Francisco luxury homes page explains how those are marketed. The market report on this page shows current 4A figures.
Questions people ask
Is membership in the Balboa Terrace Homes Association required?
Yes. The association’s FAQ says every homeowner is automatically a member and that the annual assessment, based on lot size, is not optional.
Do I need approval to replace windows in Balboa Terrace?
Yes, according to the association. New and replacement windows need Architectural Review Committee approval, in addition to any city permit.
Is Balboa Terrace a historic district?
Planning has found a Balboa Terrace Historic District eligible for the California Register, with a period of significance of 1921 to 1939. It is not listed and is not a city Article 10 district.
Who built Balboa Terrace?
Baldwin & Howell filed the subdivision in 1912, and Hueter Homes built most of the houses in the 1920s to Harold G. Stoner’s designs, according to the homes association.
How many homes are in Balboa Terrace?
Verify the particular property’s current records and dimensions; a neighborhood statistic is not a substitute for a parcel-specific answer.
What Muni line is closest?
The K Ingleside, which runs on Ocean Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard along the tract’s edges and stops at St. Francis Circle, per SFMTA.
Planning a sale in Balboa Terrace? Ask us for a valuation of your house that accounts for its lot, era and association file, and read our approach to selling in San Francisco. Our San Francisco guide links every other neighborhood.
Costs to plan for when buying in Balboa Terrace
Three cost lines are specific to a Balboa Terrace house: the transfer tax, the property tax bill and the homes association assessment.
Transfer tax. San Francisco is a combined city and county, so there is one transfer tax. It is charged at a single rate on the whole price, by tier: $3.40 per $500 from just over $250,000 to under $1 million, $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million, and $11.25 per $500 from $5 million to under $10 million (sf.gov: Transfer tax). The tax is due at recording with a Transfer Tax Affidavit. See our San Francisco transfer tax guide for exemptions and the tier cliffs.
Property tax. The base is 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, plus voter-approved debt rates (BOE Publication 29). A reassessable purchase may produce a supplemental assessment for the rest of the fiscal year (sf.gov), and city bills add parcel taxes such as the School Parcel Tax of 2020 and the City College parcel tax (SF Treasurer). If the house will be your main home, file the homeowners’ exemption claim with the Assessor-Recorder (claim form). Our San Francisco property tax guide covers due dates.
Association assessment. As noted above, the Balboa Terrace Homes Association assessment is mandatory and based on lot size. It is billed by the association, not on the county tax bill, so ask the seller for the current year’s amount and payment status.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Balboa Terrace
A Balboa Terrace remodel can need three approvals: San Francisco Planning for zoning and design, the Department of Building Inspection for the building permit, and the homes association’s Architectural Review Committee for exterior work.
For an extra unit, Planning offers a Local ADU Program and a State ADU Program, which can’t be combined. The Local Program can grant Planning Code waivers for ADUs in existing buildings, but a unit built with waivers may need a Costa-Hawkins Regulatory Agreement that puts it under rent control. The State Program allows junior ADUs, which are limited to 500 square feet within a single-family house and require owner occupancy if sanitation is shared with the main residence (SF Planning: Accessory dwelling units). State law provides a ministerial path, when its statutory conditions are met, for one ADU plus one junior ADU within the existing space of a single-family home, with a limited expansion for access (Government Code §66323). How those rules interact with historic-district eligibility and the recorded CC&Rs is a question for Planning and an attorney, as noted above. ADUs are not eligible for the city’s short-term rental program (SF Planning).
Luxury homes and estates in Balboa Terrace
Balboa Terrace is a planned 1920s residence park, so its higher-end houses are defined by the tract’s own rules rather than by acreage: RH-1(D) one-family detached zoning, landscaped common areas maintained by the association, design review by the Architectural Review Committee and eligibility as a California Register historic district. The larger houses with surviving period detail compete with nearby St. Francis Wood; see our St. Francis Wood guide for that tract.
For a high-value purchase here, the checks that matter most are association approvals that match the permit record, the original fabric the historic eligibility protects, foundation work on a century-old house, and whether an adjoining vacant parcel conveys. Price earthquake coverage early (earthquake insurance guide) and read insuring a high-value home in California. Before you write an offer, compare the house with its Report of Residential Building Record (3R), which a San Francisco seller must obtain and deliver to the buyer (sf.gov: Request a 3R report); a finished lower floor or added suite missing from that record is a pricing question, not just paperwork.
Some sellers here prefer a quiet sale. Ask Diamond Real Estate Group which permitted private-marketing options fit your property, goals and the applicable MLS rules. Availability of any particular listing is not guaranteed. Related reading: how we find off-market deals. Our San Francisco luxury homes page explains how we market at this level.
Balboa Terrace real estate: questions people ask
Where can I find Balboa Terrace homes for sale?
Current Balboa Terrace homes for sale appear in the listings at the top of this page, drawn from MLS subdistrict 4A. Buyers seeking a residence-park house often also watch St. Francis Wood and Ingleside Terrace as well.
Is Balboa Terrace in San Francisco County?
Yes. San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, so one government handles zoning, building permits, property tax and the transfer tax for Balboa Terrace.
Who approves an addition in Balboa Terrace?
San Francisco Planning and the Department of Building Inspection approve the city permits, and the homes association’s Architectural Review Committee reviews exterior work under its design guidelines and CC&Rs. Plan for both reviews.
What transfer tax applies in Balboa Terrace?
The city’s tiered transfer tax, at one rate on the whole price. A $2 million sale at $3.75 per $500 owes $15,000 (sf.gov).
For a taxable transfer, the applicable tier’s rate is charged on each$500 or fractional part of the taxable consideration/value; exemptions and special rules can affect the result. Confirm the calculation with escrow.
Sources for this section
- City and County of San Francisco, Transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- California State Board of Equalization, Publication 29: https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub29.pdf
- City and County of San Francisco, Learn about supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- SF Assessor-Recorder, Homeowners’ exemption claim form: https://www.sfassessor.org/forms-notices/forms/homeowners%E2%80%99-exemption-claim-form-english-version
- San Francisco Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- California Government Code §66323 (via California Public Law): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_66323
- Department of Building Inspection / City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): https://www.sf.gov/request3r
Sources & notes
- Balboa Terrace Homes Association: History of Balboa Terrace
- Balboa Terrace Homes Association: Frequently Asked Questions
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, stories, median lot and building area, zoning codes, street and block listings and subdistrict extents for 4A, 4E, 4H, 4P, 4R and 4S; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning, height and special use districts, landmarks, California Register historic districts, seismic hazard zones, FEMA flood zones, supervisor districts; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.94, Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District
- California Government Code section 65852.21 (SB 9 two-unit projects), via California Public Law
- SFMTA: K Ingleside route page
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route names and termini; page states service as of July 2022)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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