Forest Hill, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Forest Hill is a hillside residence park west of Twin Peaks in San Francisco, begun in 1912 on former Sutro land, with a Muni Metro station at its eastern edge. Planning treats it as an eligible historic district, and upper slopes carry mapped landslide zones.
Explore Forest Hill, 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; neighborhood association since 1918 |
| Housing | Single-family hillside houses |
| Hazards to check | Landslide zone near Castenada Avenue; no liquefaction |
| Getting around | Forest Hill Muni Metro station; 36 Teresita and 52 Excelsior buses |
| Local rules | Eligible Forest Hill Historic District; Family and Senior Housing SUD |
Forest Hill is a hillside residence park west of Twin Peaks, begun by the Newell-Murdoch Company in 1912 on land bought from the heirs of Adolph Sutro. Wikipedia’s neighborhood article puts its edges roughly at Seventh Avenue and Laguna Honda Boulevard on the north and east, Taraval Street on the south and 14th Avenue on the west. It is subdistrict 4C in the MLS’s District 4 .
A Muni Metro station sits under its eastern edge, curving streets climb the slope above it, and a neighborhood association still runs the clubhouse Bernard Maybeck designed. Those three features, plus the ground itself, are what set Forest Hill apart from the flatter neighborhoods around it.
Forest Hill homes for sale
Forest Hill market report
Forest Hill station, a landmark underground
Forest Hill station sits inside the Twin Peaks Tunnel at Laguna Honda and Dewey boulevards. According to Wikipedia’s history of the tunnel, it was originally named Laguna Honda, lies about 70 feet below grade near the tunnel’s highest point, and gained high-level platforms in 1985. The city designated the station at 390 Laguna Honda Boulevard as Landmark No. 231 in 2004; Planning’s record notes its Mission Revival style and lists Michael M. O’Shaughnessy as a significant person.
The K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Ocean View all stop there. The 36 Teresita and 52 Excelsior bus lines begin at the station, per published route lists from 2022; confirm current service with SFMTA. For many Forest Hill houses, the walk to the station, with its stairs and grades, matters more than the street address.
Curving streets, stairways and the clubhouse
Landscape architect Mark Daniels drew the master plan, and its streets curve across the hillside.
The Forest Hill Association’s history describes ornate staircases linking parts of the neighborhood, with balustrades and urns furnished by the Sarsi studios. The first house, on Pacheco Street, was finished in 1914.
The association was incorporated on March 12, 1918. It operates the Clubhouse, a 1919 Arts and Crafts building by Maybeck, and a Garden Club founded in 1931 supports its beautification work. Its website includes a tree policy, bylaws and an online bill-payment page; ask the association what, if anything, a specific lot owes.
One house here is an individual city landmark: the Cowell House at 171 San Marcos Avenue, a 1933 Modern design designated Landmark No. 270 in 2016.
What the parcel records show
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.
A downhill lot may carry a tall rear elevation and a garage at street level, while an uphill lot may put the house well above the sidewalk.
Historic status and zoning
Planning has found a Forest Hill Historic District eligible for the California Register, with a period of significance from 1912 to 1939; its records name Newell-Murdoch as developer and Mark Daniels as landscape architect. The district is eligible, not listed, and it is not an Article 10 city district.
Eligibility still matters. The Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District, which Planning maps over Forest Hill, allows two to four units on qualifying RH lots but bars demolishing buildings eligible for the California Register, individually or as contributors. Exterior projects on older houses can draw historic-resource review.
Our SB 9 guide explains the state’s separate two-unit route and its historic exclusions.
Slopes and recorded restrictions
Check the parcel’s current mapped hazards and ask DBI which slope-protection, geotechnical, grading, shoring and independent-review requirements apply to the actual project. Older checklists and numerical triggers may differ from the current amended Building Code; allow for any required engineer-stamped documents and review fees before pricing an addition.
Ask for any geotechnical, drainage or retaining-wall reports from past work; on a hillside, they are as useful as the permit file.
Early deed restrictions also deserve a careful read. Wikipedia’s Forest Hill article says early advertising for the tract stressed deed restrictions that barred apartment buildings and ownership by racial minorities; we have not reviewed the recorded documents themselves. Racial terms of that kind have been unenforceable since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Shelley v. Kraemer in 1948. California’s Restrictive Covenant Modification process (Government Code section 12956.2) lets an owner, a buyer or their agent submit a modification that county counsel reviews before it is recorded, striking the unlawful wording. This is general information, not legal advice; have a real estate attorney review what still binds a lot.
Selling a home in Forest Hill
Buyers compare Forest Hill houses on the walk to the station, the view and light on each side, the garage and stairs at the front, and the condition of the structure on its slope. Houses from 1912–1930 bring period detail; postwar houses bring different layouts and newer systems.
- Gather the permit history, especially for lower-level rooms, decks and retaining walls.
- Assemble geotechnical, foundation and drainage reports, and note whether the lot is in a mapped landslide zone.
- Confirm the house’s status in Planning’s historic records and whether it lies inside the eligible district.
- Get any association statement and the recorded CC&Rs from title.
- Complete city sale requirements, listed in our San Francisco selling requirements guide.
Larger houses with views often draw buyers who also look at the city’s luxury market; our San Francisco luxury homes page covers that segment. The market report on this page shows current 4C figures.
Questions people ask
Where is Forest Hill in San Francisco?
It sits west of Twin Peaks, southeast of the Inner Sunset and northeast of West Portal, roughly between Laguna Honda Boulevard, Taraval Street and 14th Avenue. Forest Hill Extension lies south of Dewey Boulevard, and Forest Knolls is to the northeast.
Is there an HOA in Forest Hill?
The Forest Hill Association, incorporated in 1918, operates the Maybeck clubhouse and a tree program. Ask it, and check the title report, for any obligations that apply to a particular house.
Which Muni lines serve Forest Hill?
The K, L and M stop at Forest Hill station, and the 36 Teresita and 52 Excelsior start there per published route lists. Confirm current routes with SFMTA.
Is Forest Hill a historic district?
Planning has found it eligible for the California Register, but it is not listed and not a city Article 10 district. Eligibility can still limit demolition under the city’s housing SUD.
Are there landslide zones in Forest Hill?
Yes, in places. Planning’s map shows a mapped landslide zone on the upper slope around Castenada Avenue and small polygons near Mendosa Avenue. Check the individual parcel.
If you are weighing a sale, see how we sell San Francisco homes or contact us for a walk-through of your house and its records. The San Francisco guide covers the rest of the city.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Forest Hill
A Forest Hill remodel can touch four sets of rules: San Francisco Planning for zoning and historic review, the Department of Building Inspection for the permit and the slope checklist described above (DBI), any restrictions recorded against the lot, and the Forest Hill Association’s policies, such as its tree policy, where they apply.
Lower levels. Downhill lots often have space beneath the main floor that later owners finished. Before you count it, compare the Report of Residential Building Record (3R) with the permit history (sf.gov: 3R report); excavating to enlarge it can trigger the slope rules and a geotechnical report (sf.gov: slope protection).
Second units. Confirm the parcel’s current RH-1(D) or other zoning on Planning’s map. Planning’s State ADU Program allows a junior ADU of up to 500 square feet within a single-family house with owner occupancy required when the JADU shares sanitation with the main residence, and its Local ADU Program can waive some Planning Code limits (SF Planning: Accessory dwelling units). Because the neighborhood is an eligible historic district, an ADU that changes the street-facing exterior may draw historic-resource review, so an interior or rear unit is usually the simpler path.
Historic houses. The Cowell House at 171 San Marcos Avenue is an Article 10 landmark, so exterior work there goes through the Historic Preservation Commission (Planning Code Article 10). Our buying a historic home guide covers the practical side.
Costs to plan for when buying in Forest Hill
Transfer tax. San Francisco charges one rate on the full price: $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). Our San Francisco transfer tax guide covers the affidavit and exemptions.
Property tax. Plan on 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved rates (BOE Publication 29), a reassessable ownership change may produce a supplemental bill or refund (sf.gov) and citywide parcel taxes (SF Treasurer). Owner-occupants should file the homeowners’ exemption (claim form). See our San Francisco property tax guide.
The association. Any Forest Hill Association charges are billed by the association, which offers online bill payment. Ask the seller and the association what, if anything, the house owes and whether it is current.
Hillside upkeep. Retaining walls, drainage and private stairs on the lot are generally the owner’s to maintain. Ask for invoices and engineer’s reports from past work.
Luxury homes and estates in Forest Hill
Forest Hill is one of San Francisco’s early residence parks, and its high end follows the 1912 Mark Daniels plan: detached houses on RH-1(D) one-family lots along curving hillside streets such as Magellan, Castenada, Santa Rita and San Marcos avenues. In planning terms that means large single-family houses inside a California Register-eligible district (period of significance 1912 to 1939), where period-revival houses share streets with postwar and later designs, and where the Maybeck clubhouse and the balustraded stairways are part of the setting.
For a high-value purchase, the due diligence that matters most is the mapped landslide zone on the upper slopes around Castenada Avenue, the permit history of lower levels and additions, historic-resource review for any planned exterior change, and the walk to Forest Hill station. Price earthquake coverage early (earthquake insurance guide) and read insuring a high-value home in California. Buyers often compare Forest Hill Extension and St. Francis Wood.
Owners here often value discretion. 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. See San Francisco luxury homes and private sales.
Forest Hill real estate: questions people ask
Where can I find Forest Hill homes for sale?
The listings at the top of this page show current Forest Hill homes for sale, from MLS subdistrict 4C of District 4. Search by property type and verify whether a listing is a separate house, condominium or other ownership interest.
Is Forest Hill the same as Forest Hill Extension?
No. Forest Hill Extension is a separate subdistrict south of Dewey Boulevard, which includes Edgehill Mountain. See our Forest Hill Extension guide.
Can I add an ADU in Forest Hill?
Often, through Planning’s ADU programs. Interior or rear units are usually simpler because exterior changes can draw historic review in this eligible district.
Does Forest Hill have its own transfer tax?
No. Sales pay San Francisco’s citywide tiered transfer tax. A $3 million sale at $3.75 per $500 owes $22,500 (sf.gov).
Historic review depends on the designating ordinance and scope of work. Ordinary in-kind maintenance/repair can be exempt from a Certificate of Appropriateness, and some minor work has an administrative review path.
Assessment records are a starting point for checking a property, not a certification of legal use or a live listing inventory. Verify current permits, recorded ownership documents and any affordability restrictions.
Sources for this section
- City and County of San Francisco, Department of Building Inspection: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): https://www.sf.gov/request3r
- City and County of San Francisco, Comply with slope protection requirements: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- San Francisco Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- San Francisco Planning Code, Article 10: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_planning/0-0-0-27871
- 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
Sources & notes
- Wikipedia: Forest Hill, San Francisco
- Forest Hill Association: home page
- Forest Hill Association: History
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, median lot and building area, zoning codes and street lists for subdistricts 4A-4T; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning districts, height districts, special use districts, landmarks, National and California Register historic districts, Article 10 districts, seismic hazard zones; queried October 2026)
- Wikipedia: Twin Peaks Tunnel
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route termini; page states service as of July 2022)
- San Francisco Planning: Residence Parks Historic Context Statement
- 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
- SF.gov / Department of Building Inspection: Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project
- California Geological Survey: Seismic Hazards Program
- St. Francis Homes Association: History
- California Government Code section 12956.2 (Restrictive Covenant Modification), via California Public Law
- San Francisco Association of REALTORS: MLS district map (2001 edition, via Reineck & Reineck)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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