Lake Shore, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Lake Shore is the southwest corner of San Francisco’s District 3, between Sloat Boulevard and Lake Merced, with city rules through SF Planning. Most homes are postwar detached houses, plus condominiums on Lake Merced Hill, and parts sit in the Coastal Zone, where work needs a Coastal Zone Permit.
Explore Lake Shore, 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 | City and County of San Francisco — SF Planning |
| Housing | Postwar detached houses; condominiums on Lake Merced Hill |
| Hazards to check | Liquefaction near coast and lake edges; small landslide zones on slopes to the lake |
| Getting around | 23, 57 and 58 Muni buses; M Ocean View on 19th Ave; Sloat Blvd, Great Highway |
| Local rules | Coastal Zone Permit near lake; Family Zoning Plan (RTO-C on Sloat) since Jan 2026 |
Compare the particular property’s permitted living area, actual lot size, construction history and ownership documents; a neighborhood statistic is not a substitute for those records. Related: District 3.
Lake Shore homes for sale
Lake Shore market report
Three parts of one subdistrict
| Part | Where | What the 2025 roll shows |
|---|---|---|
| The house blocks | South of Sloat Boulevard, from about 26th Avenue west to Lakeshore Drive and Berkshire Way, north of the lake | 1,139 single-family parcels and a small shopping center |
| Lake Merced Hill | South of Brotherhood Way, on the Lake Merced Hill street | All 200 of the subdistrict’s condominium parcels |
| Lake, golf and institutions | Around Lake Merced, along Skyline Boulevard, John Muir Drive, Brotherhood Way and Thomas More Way | Eight golf-course parcels, public land, church and school parcels, one large apartment property |
Neighbors are Pine Lake Park across Sloat, Merced Manor to the east beyond 26th Avenue, and Stonestown to the southeast, which on the Assessor’s map includes Parkmerced. The Outer Parkside lies northwest across Sloat in District 2.
The houses south of Sloat
This is a postwar neighborhood. None carries a pre-1930 date.
The zoning splits the house blocks in two:
- RH-1(D), one-family detached: the western and central streets, including Country Club Drive (the longest, about 150 parcels), Lakeshore Drive, Morningside, Gellert, Clearfield, Springfield, Everglade, Huntington, Westmoorland and Havenside drives, and Berkshire Way.
- RH-1, one-family but not limited to detached houses: the eastern blocks of Meadowbrook, Forest View and Inverness drives and parts of Riverton, Middlefield and Sylvan drives, toward 26th Avenue.
Ocean Avenue and Eucalyptus Drive run east-west through the blocks. The shopping center between Sloat and Ocean, at 1501 and 1595 Sloat Boulevard, is zoned NC-S, Neighborhood Commercial Shopping Center.
Lake Merced Hill condominiums
Some of its parcel records carry unit suffixes, so count units from the condominium plan rather than from street numbers.
For a condominium here, the documents matter more than the map: the HOA budget and reserve study, recent minutes, any special assessments and insurance coverage. Our San Francisco condo guide covers what to request.
The hill also sits inside the Coastal Zone on Planning’s map, which the house blocks largely do not. A point check on the hill found no mapped liquefaction or landslide zone, but small landslide polygons appear near its northern and southern edges.
Lake Merced, golf courses and the Brotherhood Way corridor
Much of the subdistrict’s area is not residential. Wikipedia describes Lake Merced Park as 614 acres in the southwest corner of the city, fed by an underground spring, with three golf courses nearby: the Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and TPC Harding Park. The same article lists Fort Funston, the city’s National Guard armory, an SFPD shooting range and Lakeshore Alternative Elementary School among its neighbors.
The Assessor’s roll reflects those uses as parcels:
- Eight parcels classed as golf course, on Skyline Boulevard, John Muir Drive and Thomas More Way.
- Church parcels on Brotherhood Way and Junipero Serra Boulevard, and school parcels on Thomas More Way and Junipero Serra.
- One apartment property of 15 or more units at 501 to 695 John Muir Drive, zoned RM-2.
- Public parcels on the Great Highway, Skyline Boulevard, Armory Drive and Olympic Country Club Road.
These large holdings define the neighborhood’s edges and are not part of the housing market.
Zoning since January 2026
Planning’s current map adds a change from the Family Zoning Plan, which took effect January 12, 2026: RTO-C (Residential Transit Oriented – Commercial) now runs along the Sloat Boulevard frontages and along Eucalyptus Drive on the eastern blocks toward 26th Avenue.
A point check on Lakeshore Drive also found the area inside the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District (Planning Code section 249.94), which can permit up to four units on an eligible lot. Inside the Coastal Zone, Planning says the plan’s code and map amendments go to the California Coastal Commission for certification as Local Coastal Program amendments, so timing can differ there. Read our SB 9 guide for the state route to a second unit.
The Coastal Zone, liquefaction and the bluff
Planning’s Coastal Zone boundary wraps Lake Merced and its parkland and runs close to the western and southern edges of the house blocks; a point at the Lakeshore Drive edge near Berkshire Way was just outside it. Under Planning Code section 330.1, private demolition, construction and changes of use within the boundary need a Coastal Zone Permit unless specifically exempt, in addition to other permits. Lots at the edge deserve a parcel-level check.
The seismic layers vary across the neighborhood:
- Liquefaction: the same point on the Lakeshore Drive edge is inside a mapped liquefaction zone, part of the zone that follows the coast and the lake margins. The shopping center site in the middle of the neighborhood is outside it.
- Landslide: small mapped polygons line the slope near the southern ends of streets such as Gellert, Morningside, Clearfield and Lakeshore drives, where the ground drops toward the lake.
Either mapping must be disclosed at sale. Read the guide to the Natural Hazard Disclosure report, then look the lot up using our San Francisco hazard map instructions.
Sloat Boulevard, the Great Highway and transit
The Great Highway south of Sloat is changing. The SFPUC’s Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project would permanently close it to public vehicles between Sloat and Skyline boulevards, build a buried wall to protect wastewater and recycled-water facilities, and add more than a mile of seaside trail. Its fact sheet puts construction at late 2027 to early 2031, subject to change, and says SFMTA is planning further changes at the Sloat and Skyline intersection and along Sloat Boulevard.
Per published route lists, the 23 Monterey ends at the Zoo at Sloat and the Great Highway, the 57 Parkmerced runs from West Portal station to Daly City station, and the 58 Lake Merced starts at Stonestown Galleria. The M Ocean View’s Stonestown and SF State stations are on 19th Avenue, east of the neighborhood. The bus list we used is dated 2022, so confirm current routes with SFMTA.
Selling a home in Lake Shore
A Lake Shore house is best priced against other Lake Shore sales on the same side of the RH-1 and RH-1(D) line, then against Merced Manor and Pine Lake Park.
- Match the permit history to every room, bathroom and deck, and order the 3R report early.
- For lots on the lake side, have the hazard disclosure, any geotechnical reports and the Coastal Zone status ready.
- For a Lake Merced Hill condominium, gather the HOA documents before listing.
- Check the city’s sale requirements in our San Francisco selling requirements guide.
The market report on this page has current subdistrict figures, and our San Francisco selling guide covers preparation and pricing.
Questions people ask
Is Lake Shore the same as Lakeside?
No. Lake Shore (3A) is west of 26th Avenue toward Lake Merced; Lakeside (3E) is the strip between 19th Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard. Both are in MLS District 3.
Are there condos in Lake Shore?
Use current listings to identify the property type you need, then verify its ownership form, legal unit count and any recorded restrictions.
Is Lake Shore in the Coastal Zone?
Lake Merced Hill and the lake’s parkland are. The boundary runs close to the western and southern edges of the house blocks, so a lot at the edge needs a parcel check.
Is the Great Highway south of Sloat closing?
Under the SFPUC’s plan, yes: the road between Sloat and Skyline would close to public vehicles permanently, and construction is expected from late 2027 to early 2031, subject to change.
How old are Lake Shore houses?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
What is around Lake Merced besides houses?
Golf courses (the roll shows eight golf-course parcels; Wikipedia names the Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and TPC Harding Park), city parkland, the National Guard armory, church and school campuses on Brotherhood Way, and Fort Funston toward the ocean.
Pricing a Lake Shore house or a Lake Merced Hill condo? Request a home valuation and we will measure it against sales on the same side of the zoning line, or browse more of San Francisco.
Permits, additions and ADUs in Lake Shore
A Lake Shore addition can need more city reviews than the same project a mile east, because of the lake, the bluff and the Coastal Zone:
- Coastal Zone Permit. Inside Planning’s Coastal Zone boundary, private demolition, construction and changes of use need a Coastal Zone Permit unless specifically exempt, on top of other permits (Planning Code §330.1). That covers the Lake Merced Hill condominiums, and possibly lots on the western and southern edges of the house blocks. Slope and excavation review. Ask DBI to identify the current slope-protection and geotechnical requirements for the parcel and proposed work. Check mapped landslide hazards, site slope, grading, shoring and underpinning, and obtain any required engineer-stamped documents. Review is project-specific; archived checklists may differ from the code currently in force. Allow for any required independent review and fees before pricing an expansion.
- ADUs. San Francisco has a Local ADU Program and a State ADU Program, which can’t be combined. The State 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 (SF Planning, Accessory dwelling units). Postwar Lake Shore houses with ground-level garages are common candidates. Also check the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District described above.
Before you buy a house to expand, ask Planning whether the parcel is inside the Coastal Zone and whether it touches a mapped landslide zone. Get both answers in writing.
Costs to plan for when buying in Lake Shore
Lake Shore is a house neighborhood. Its RH-1 and RH-1(D) blocks have no condo association dues except on Lake Merced Hill, so the main costs are tax and insurance:
- Transfer tax: San Francisco’s tax applies one rate to the whole price. It’s $3.40 per $500 under $1 million and $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million (sf.gov, Transfer tax). See our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
- Property tax: the base is 1% of assessed value, plus voter-approved debt and citywide parcel taxes such as the School Parcel Tax of 2020 (BOE Publication 29; SF Treasurer). a reassessable ownership change may produce a supplemental bill or refund. See our San Francisco property tax guide.
- Insurance: price earthquake coverage early, especially for lots in the mapped liquefaction or landslide areas. See our earthquake insurance guide.
- Lake Merced Hill: a condo here adds HOA dues and any special assessments. Get the reserve study and budget early; our HOA documents guide explains what to request.
Luxury homes and estates in Lake Shore
Lake Shore’s higher-end houses are on the RH-1(D) one-family detached blocks, such as Lakeshore Drive and the streets near the lake. Several of these blocks back onto the slope above Lake Merced, close to the Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and TPC Harding Park courses. The houses are mostly postwar, so a high-end home here is often an expanded or rebuilt one rather than an original estate.
For a high-value purchase, the checks that matter most:
- Approval path: Coastal Zone status and whether the lot falls in a mapped landslide or liquefaction zone. These decide what review an expansion would face.
- Permit history: permits and finals for second stories, lower-level rooms and decks, matched to the 3R report.
- Geotechnical records: any geotechnical or drainage reports for lots on the lake slope.
- Area changes: the Great Highway closure south of Sloat and the Sloat Boulevard changes described above, which will change traffic and access in the area.
See insuring a high-value home in California.
Some Lake Shore owners would rather sell without a public listing. 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. We don’t promise that any particular house is available. Compare nearby Merced Manor and Pine Lake Park, and see San Francisco luxury homes.
Lake Shore real estate: questions people ask
Do I need a Coastal Zone Permit to remodel in Lake Shore?
Only if the lot is inside Planning’s Coastal Zone boundary and the project isn’t exempt. There, private demolition, construction and changes of use need a Coastal Zone Permit in addition to other permits (Planning Code §330.1). Most of the house blocks are outside it, but edge lots should be checked.
Where can I find Lake Shore homes for sale?
Current Lake Shore houses and Lake Merced Hill condos for sale appear in the listings at the top of this page. Few come up at a time, so buyers often also watch Merced Manor and Pine Lake Park.
Is Lake Shore in San Francisco County?
Yes. Lake Shore is in the City and County of San Francisco, which handles zoning, permits, property tax and the transfer tax for every Lake Shore parcel.
Sources for this section
- San Francisco Planning Code §330.1 (code mirror cited on the live page): https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/san-francisco-county-zoning/article-6/sec.-330.-purpose-and-coastal-zone-permit-area/sec.-330.1.-projects-requiring-coastal-zone-permit-review
- 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
- 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
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
Sources & notes
- San Francisco Association of REALTORS: San Francisco MLS district map (Reineck & Reineck, 2001)
- DataSF (Office of the Assessor-Recorder): Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, median lot and building area, zoning codes, street lists and coordinates for District 3 subdistricts; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning districts, height districts, special use districts, Coastal Zone, seismic hazard liquefaction and landslide layers; envelope and point queries, October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: SF Family Zoning Plan (adoption and effective dates, Coastal Zone handling)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.94, Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 330.1, Projects Requiring Coastal Zone Permit Review
- Wikipedia: Lake Merced (park area, surrounding golf courses and land uses)
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project fact sheet (October 2025)
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route termini; service as of July 2022)
- Wikipedia: M Ocean View (route, stops, history, ridership, subway concept)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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