Midtown Terrace, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Because the homes are so uniform, sales turn on condition, view and later changes, and parts of the hillside carry mapped landslide zones.
Explore Midtown 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 | City and County of San Francisco — SF Planning |
| Housing | 1950s single-family tract houses; almost no condos or flats |
| Hazards to check | Landslide zones on surrounding slopes; narrow liquefaction strip on Portola Dr |
| Getting around | Forest Hill Station nearby for K, L and M Muni Metro; Portola Drive |
| Local rules | Mapped hazard zones must be disclosed at sale |
The MLS and the Assessor both code it 4F, part of District 4 .
That uniformity is the neighborhood’s defining trait. Most houses went up within a few years of each other on similar lots, so sales here turn on condition, view and later changes rather than on age or architectural style.
Midtown Terrace homes for sale
Midtown Terrace market report
Built in a single decade
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.
Lots are somewhat larger than the city’s common 25-by-100-foot size, which leaves room for rear or upper additions where zoning and slope allow. We could not verify the original builder from a primary source, so this guide does not name one.
The “view” streets
Midtown Terrace’s street names follow a theme. Panorama Drive and Dellbrook Avenue carry the most parcels, followed by Glenview Drive, and the rest are mostly “view” names: Marview, Skyview, Starview, Aquavista, Cityview, Dawnview, Knollview and Gladeview ways, Sunview Drive, and Clairview, Longview, Farview, Mountview and Greenview courts. Olympia Way and Midcrest Way complete the grid of curves.
A street name is no promise of a view. Whether a particular house looks out over the city depends on its side of the street, its height and its neighbors, so buyers check from the main floor rather than the listing photos.
Forest Knolls lies to the west, Twin Peaks to the east and Clarendon Heights to the north. Across Portola Drive to the south are Miraloma Park and Diamond Heights.
Sutro Tower and other large parcels
One is 1 La Avanzada Street, the Sutro Tower site, recorded under a non-residential class with a 1974 date. Wikipedia places the tower on the lower hill between Mount Sutro and Twin Peaks rather than on Mount Sutro itself.
None of those changes the character of the residential blocks, but they explain why parcel counts for “Midtown Terrace” can differ between sources.
Zoning: check the current map
The Assessor’s zoning field lists almost every Midtown Terrace parcel as RH-1 (one-family). At three interior points we checked, including one on the 500 block of Dellbrook Avenue, Planning’s current zoning map instead shows RH-1(D), the detached one-family district, with a 40//40-R-4 height district. The zoning field can lag Planning’s map, so check the specific parcel before relying on either.
Planning’s map also puts the houses in the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD, one of the routes to adding units on house lots, and the state’s SB 9 offers another; our SB 9 lot split guide covers the state rules. The Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD, which caps very large units, follows Portola Drive, Twin Peaks Boulevard and Clarendon Avenue along this area’s edges; the point we tested here was outside it.
This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California real estate attorney or architect before counting on any development path.
Slopes and the Portola Drive edge
Planning’s earthquake-induced landslide layer returns 24 mapped polygons inside a rectangle drawn around the 4F parcels. That rectangle also covers the steep Twin Peaks and Sutro Tower slopes, and neither of our two interior points fell in a zone, so the count describes the hillside setting rather than the typical lot.
The liquefaction layer shows only a narrow polygon along Portola Drive at the southern edge. If a lot is in a mapped zone, it must be disclosed at sale; our hazard maps guide explains how to check an address.
The 36 Teresita loop
Midtown Terrace has its own bus loop. SFMTA’s route page shows the 36 Teresita leaving Forest Hill Station on Laguna Honda Boulevard, climbing Clarendon Avenue and circling the neighborhood on Panorama Drive, Marview Way, Skyview Way, Cityview Way and Olympia Way, with stops such as Panorama Drive and Dellbrook Avenue, Skyview Way and Aquavista Way, and Olympia Way and Clarendon Avenue.
Forest Hill Station connects to the K, L and M Muni Metro lines. Per SFMTA, the 36 comes every half hour, starting at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, with the last runs around 10 p.m. The 52 Excelsior also stops on Portola Drive at Glenview Drive, at the southern edge.
Selling a home in Midtown Terrace
Because the houses share an era and a scale, buyers compare them line by line: the view from the main floor, how the kitchen and baths were updated, whether the garage level holds finished rooms, and how the yard handles the slope.
- Permits for later changes: rooms below the main floor, rear additions and decks should show permits; unpermitted space is addressed in our unwarranted units guide.
- Systems from the 1950s: buyers will ask about the sewer lateral, electrical service, windows and the foundation, so include any upgrade records.
- Slope records: retaining walls, drainage work and any engineer’s letters.
- City sale rules: the 3R report and other items on our San Francisco selling requirements page.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with, such as inspectors and contractors; you’re free to choose any provider. The market report on this page shows current 4F figures, and our San Francisco selling page walks through the listing process.
Costs to plan for when buying in Midtown Terrace
Midtown Terrace is part of the City and County of San Francisco, so purchase costs are set citywide; there is no separate city and county layer to add up.
Transfer tax. San Francisco’s real property transfer tax is due when the deed is recorded, and the rate is set by the entire value or consideration, not just the amount above a threshold (sf.gov: Transfer tax):
| Entire value or consideration | Rate |
|---|---|
| More than $100 up to $250,000 | $2.50 per $500 |
| More than $250,000, under $1 million | $3.40 per $500 |
| $1 million, under $5 million | $3.75 per $500 |
| $5 million, under $10 million | $11.25 per $500 |
| $10 million, under $25 million | $27.50 per $500 |
| $25 million or more | $30.00 per $500 |
A Transfer Tax Affidavit goes with the deed, and anyone claiming an exemption must submit written proof at recording. Which party pays is negotiable, so put it in the contract; our San Francisco transfer tax guide has worked examples.
Property tax. San Francisco publishes one secured rate for the whole city, 1.18162182% of net taxable value for fiscal year 2026–27, plus any direct charges and special assessments printed on the parcel’s bill (Treasurer & Tax Collector). A reassessable ownership change may change the assessed value, and the Assessor-Recorder issues one or two supplemental bills depending on the purchase date (Assessor-Recorder). An owner-occupant can claim the $7,000 homeowners’ exemption (claim form). Due dates and appeals are in our San Francisco property tax guide.
1950s systems. Many buyers here also budget for upgrades to original systems; ask for records of sewer lateral, electrical and foundation work before removing contingencies.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Midtown Terrace
Two city departments handle most home projects in Midtown Terrace: San Francisco Planning reviews zoning and design, and the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) reviews and issues building permits. Other agencies weigh in on some jobs, from SF Fire on fire flow to Public Works on street trees (sf.gov: ADU building permits). Midtown Terrace includes RH-1 house blocks (Assessor roll); confirm the current district on Planning’s map before planning an addition (Planning GIS).
Adding a unit. The city runs a State ADU Program and a Local ADU Program. Local Program projects need a Planning Approval Letter before the building permit is filed, and the owner must send a written declaration to the Rent Board and post it in the building at least 15 days before applying. Ask the reviewing agencies which current street-tree, notice, fee and review requirements apply to the chosen ADU path; obtain a project-specific schedule (sf.gov: Add units to your property). Our ADU investment guide covers the numbers, and buying a home with an ADU covers what to check in an existing one.
Historic review. Check the property’s current historic-resource status on Planning’s map. ACategoryBstatus means potential historic significance has not yet been evaluated; do not assume every older house has the same current status. For major alterations visible from the street, an owner may file a Historic Resource Review before the building permit, and projects that need a Certificate of Appropriateness take longer (sf.gov). The Central Neighborhoods Large Residence Special Use District follows Portola Drive, Twin Peaks Boulevard and Clarendon Avenue along Midtown Terrace’s edges, so check whether a given lot is inside it; where it applies, a project generally can’t leave a unit over 3,000 square feet of gross floor area unless the increase is under 15% (Planning Code Sec. 249.92).
Luxury homes and estates in Midtown Terrace
Midtown Terrace is a 1950s tract of single-family houses, so the high end here is a house with an open view and a well-permitted expansion rather than an estate. Confirm the specific parcel’s current RH-1 or other zoning (Assessor roll). On lots inside the Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD, which runs along the neighborhood’s edge streets, no development may leave a unit over 3,000 square feet of gross floor area unless the increase is less than 15%, and unpermitted space counts toward it (Planning Code Sec. 249.92); the interior point the live page tested was outside it.
For a buyer paying for a view, check whether a neighbor could build up; the zoning and height district on Planning’s map set the limit (Planning GIS). On the slopes, check the parcel’s landslide status on our San Francisco hazard maps page and ask for retaining-wall and drainage records.
On any high-value purchase, line up coverage early: see insuring a high-value home and earthquake insurance in California. Some owners prefer not to market a home publicly. 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: private sales page. For the wider market, see San Francisco luxury homes.
More Midtown Terrace real estate questions
Where can I see Midtown Terrace homes for sale?
Use the search on this page; the market report covers MLS subdistrict 4F. Nearly every listing is a single-family house. Nearby, Forest Knolls and Twin Peaks have similar hillside houses.
How large can I make a Midtown Terrace house?
It depends on the lot’s zoning, height district and yard rules on Planning’s map (Planning GIS). If the lot is inside the Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD along the edge streets, a unit generally can’t end up over 3,000 square feet of gross floor area unless the increase is under 15% (Sec. 249.92). Confirm with Planning.
Does Midtown Terrace have a transfer tax?
It pays San Francisco’s citywide transfer tax, set by the full price and due at recording (sf.gov). See our transfer tax guide.
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.
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.
For a Large Residence SUD project, confirm the mapped boundary, application-date exceptions and the code’s floor-area calculation before relying on a summary. Qualifying state-law housing paths require their own eligibility review.
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
- https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- https://sftreasurer.org/property/secured-property-taxes
- https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- https://www.sfassessor.org/forms-notices/forms/homeowners%E2%80%99-exemption-claim-form-english-version
- https://www.sf.gov/get-a-building-permit-for-an-accessory-dwelling-unit-adu
- https://data.sfgov.org/d/wv5m-vpq2
- https://sfplanninggis.org/arcgiswa/rest/services/PlanningData/MapServer
- https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_planning/0-0-0-65648
Questions people ask
Where is Midtown Terrace?
On the western slope below Twin Peaks, roughly between Clarendon Avenue, Twin Peaks Boulevard and Portola Drive, with Forest Knolls to the west and Diamond Heights and Miraloma Park across Portola Drive.
When were Midtown Terrace homes built?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
Is Sutro Tower in Midtown Terrace?
The Assessor places the tower’s parcel at 1 La Avanzada Street in subdistrict 4F, Midtown Terrace’s code. Other sources may describe its location differently.
Are there condos in Midtown Terrace?
Use current listings to identify the property type you need, then verify its ownership form, legal unit count and any recorded restrictions.
Is Midtown Terrace in a landslide zone?
Mapped landslide polygons appear on the steep slopes around the neighborhood, but the interior points we checked were outside them. Look up the specific parcel.
What bus serves Midtown Terrace?
The 36 Teresita loops through the neighborhood on Panorama Drive, Skyview Way, Cityview Way and Olympia Way and connects to Forest Hill Station. Check SFMTA for current service.
Want to know how your house compares with recent Midtown Terrace sales of the same plan and view? Request a home valuation. Our San Francisco guide covers the rest of the city.
Sources & notes
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, zoning codes, street listing and selected parcel locations for subdistrict 4F; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning, height and special use districts at three Midtown Terrace points; landslide and liquefaction polygon counts and extents; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.92, Central Neighborhoods Large Residence Special Use District
- SFMTA: 36 Teresita route page (streets, stops, hours and frequency)
- SFMTA: 52 Excelsior route page (streets, stops, hours and frequency)
- Wikipedia: Mount Sutro (reserve, Interior Green Belt, forest history; background only)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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