Mission Terrace, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Mission Terrace is a 1920s house neighborhood on the west side of the greater Excelsior in San Francisco, between I-280 and the Mission Street area, under city rules through SF Planning. Most parcels are single-family houses, and blocks near Balboa Park BART fall inside the Balboa Park Station Area Plan with different zoning.
Explore Mission Terrace, San Francisco real estate and homes for sale with this local guide. Contact Diamond to discuss your criteria and current property-search options.
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.
| County and government | City and County of San Francisco; SF Planning handles land-use and zoning questions, and DBI maintains building-permit records. |
|---|---|
| Housing | Houses, flats and some mixed-use buildings near commercial corridors. Verify the permitted units and living area of the specific property. |
| Planning | The station area has its own planning context. Check current zoning and parcel details with SF Planning’s property lookup and the Balboa Park Station Area Plan. |
| Transit | Balboa Park BART is a local transit reference point. Plan the actual trip for the property’s address and check current agency information. |
| Property records | Compare alterations and stated living area with permit records. A residential 3R report provides building-record history; it is not a certification of every property condition or use. |
| Parcel checks | Review current zoning and hazard mapping for the lot, together with the property’s disclosure and inspection records. A neighborhood name does not establish a parcel’s hazard-zone status. |
Mission Terrace is the 1920s house neighborhood on the west side of the greater Excelsior, roughly between San Jose Avenue and Interstate 280 on the west and the Mission Street area on the east, from around Silver and Santa Rosa Avenues south to Balboa Park station at Geneva Avenue.
The south end of the neighborhood is inside the Balboa Park Station Area Plan, so the blocks nearest the station carry different zoning from the rest. The north end meets the freeway near Santa Rosa Avenue.
Mission Terrace homes for sale
Mission Terrace market report
Where Mission Terrace sits
There is no single official boundary. Wikipedia’s Excelsior article describes Mission Terrace as the district’s western part, and the MLS treats it as its own subdistrict. The Assessor’s 10H parcels run along streets from Silver, Santa Rosa and Delano Avenues in the north to Geneva and Ocean Avenues in the south, with San Jose Avenue on the west side; only a couple of Mission Street houses fall inside it.
The neighbors are the Excelsior to the east, the Outer Mission south of Geneva Avenue, and Glen Park and Sunnyside across I-280.
Street names: nations and missions
Two naming patterns run through the grid. Wikipedia notes that many streets were named for American Indian nations; it gives Seneca Avenue, once Mohawk Avenue, as an example, and lists Onondaga, Navajo, Modoc, Ottawa, Oneida, Seminole and Cayuga.
A second group, by our own reading of the street list, echoes Spanish saints and California mission names: Santa Rosa, Santa Ynez, Santa Ysabel, San Gabriel, San Juan and Capistrano.
A neighborhood finished before the war
Multi-unit buildings are a small minority: roughly 67 two-unit flats, some 42 buildings with flats over shops, and 33 apartment buildings (11 with up to four units, 18 with 5 to 14 and 4 larger), plus about 69 condominium units. Two-unit flats and small apartment buildings of this age raise rent-ordinance questions for buyers who plan to live in one unit; our San Francisco multifamily guide covers them.
Balboa High School and other landmarks
Balboa High School, at 1000 Cayuga Avenue, is San Francisco Landmark No. 205. The building dates from 1930 and was designated in 1995, and its parcel is in subdistrict 10H.
Nearby on Onondaga Avenue, the Alemany Emergency Hospital and Health Center at 35–45 Onondaga, built in 1933, became Landmark No. 272 in 2016. Just across Geneva Avenue in the Outer Mission is Landmark No. 180, the 1901 railroad office building at 2301 San Jose Avenue.
Landmark status applies to the designated buildings, not the houses around them, but work on a designated property needs Planning review.
The station end: plan, zoning and 915 Cayuga
The Balboa Park Station Area Plan was adopted in May 2009 and covers about 210 acres around the station. For Mission Terrace, three parts of it matter most:
- Transit-oriented zoning. Around San Jose Avenue just north of Geneva, the zoning layer shows NCT-1 and NCT-2 transit districts; nearly everything else in the subdistrict is RH-1.
- The Geneva and San Jose corner. Policy 4.3.2 encourages mixed-use housing on the northeast corner of the intersection, which the plan describes as a one-story retail building and a Recreation and Park strip.
- The 915 Cayuga Avenue site. The Cayuga/Alemany Special Use District, Planning Code Sec. 249.63, covers one lot bounded generally by Cayuga Street, Ocean Avenue, Alemany Boulevard and Onondaga Avenue. It implements a development agreement (File No. 190249) with no residential density limit, at least 70 percent of units with two or more bedrooms, and half of the on-site units affordable at set income tiers. The 2025 roll still classes that lot, listed at 1830 Alemany Boulevard, as industrial.
Planning’s current map puts Mission Street in the Excelsior Outer Mission Street NCD (Sec. 720) and also shows RH-1(S) and RM-1 pockets nearby.
BART, Muni Metro and Mission Street buses
Balboa Park station opened in 1973, and the 2009 area plan described it as the busiest BART station outside downtown San Francisco. Street access to the elevator is from Geneva Avenue, and BART lists bike share at both the Ocean Avenue and Geneva Avenue plazas.
The J Church and the M Ocean View end at Balboa Park, per published route lists. The 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid run on Mission Street on the east side. For station parking, BART directs drivers to Glen Park. Route details date from 2022, so confirm service with SFMTA.
Hazards: the north end by I-280
Most of Mission Terrace sits outside the state’s mapped seismic hazard zones. The exceptions are at the north end. Planning’s liquefaction layer shows a small polygon near San Jose Avenue, Santa Rosa Avenue and Pilgrim Avenue by the freeway, with two more just north of the subdistrict.
The landslide layer shows only three tiny polygons, all at the northern edge along I-280. Buyers of houses near the freeway should also ask about noise and any retaining structures. Check each lot on our hazard maps page; mapped zones must be disclosed at sale, as our natural hazard disclosure guide explains.
Selling a home in Mission Terrace
A house built in 1925 has usually been remodeled at least once, and buyers in Mission Terrace look closely at what was permitted.
- Permit history: pull the permit record and the 3R report early; rear additions and lower-level rooms are the usual questions, and our unwarranted units guide covers unpermitted space.
- Foundations and systems: for 1920s houses, have the foundation, wiring and sewer lateral reports ready, since buyers will commission their own.
- Near the station: list the zoning district and point buyers to the area plan and the Cayuga/Alemany SUD where nearby.
- Flats: assemble leases and rent history for multi-unit buildings.
The 3R report, transfer tax and the other steps required for any city sale are explained on our San Francisco selling requirements page.
Questions people ask
Where is Mission Terrace?
On the west side of the greater Excelsior, roughly between San Jose Avenue and the Mission Street area, from about Silver Avenue south to Geneva Avenue and Balboa Park station. It is subdistrict 10H of SF District 10; there is no official boundary.
Why are Mission Terrace streets named after Indian nations?
Wikipedia notes that many streets in the area were named for American Indian nations, including Seneca, Onondaga, Navajo, Modoc, Ottawa, Oneida, Seminole and Cayuga, but it does not say who chose the names.
How old are Mission Terrace houses?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
Is Balboa High School a landmark?
Yes. The 1930 building at 1000 Cayuga Avenue is San Francisco Landmark No. 205, designated in 1995.
What is planned at 915 Cayuga Avenue?
The Cayuga/Alemany SUD and a development agreement allow a residential project with no density limit, mostly family-size units and half of the on-site units affordable. Check Planning’s records for the current permit status.
Is Mission Terrace in a liquefaction zone?
Most of it is not. Planning’s map shows a small liquefaction polygon near San Jose and Santa Rosa Avenues by I-280, at the north end.
Getting ready to sell, or comparing houses in Mission Terrace? Request a home valuation that weighs your house’s era, permits and lot against recent nearby sales. See also SF District 10 and our San Francisco guide.
Costs to plan for when buying in Mission Terrace
Transfer tax. San Francisco’s transfer tax applies one rate to the full price. For most Mission Terrace houses that means $3.40 per $500 under $1 million or $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million (SF.gov: Transfer tax). By our arithmetic, a $1,300,000 house owes $9,750. See our transfer tax guide.
Parcel taxes for houses and flats. For 2025–26, a single-family bill carries the School Parcel Tax of 2020 ($334.38), SFUSD Teacher Support ($319.34) and the SFUSD Facilities District ($43.00). For one of the neighborhood’s roughly 67 two-unit flats or its small apartment buildings, the Facilities District charge is $21.50 per unit instead (SF Treasurer).
Mission Street parcels. The Treasurer’s list of benefit districts includes an Excelsior CBD. If you’re buying a flats-over-shop building on the Mission Street frontage, check whether that assessment appears on the bill. A reassessable ownership change may produce supplemental bills or refunds (SF.gov); see San Francisco property tax.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Mission Terrace
For an older Mission Terrace house on a compact lot, ground-floor work and rear additions require careful permit and structural review. Planning’s two ADU programs can’t be combined. The State program allows a junior ADU of up to 500 square feet inside a single-family house, with ministerial review in 60 days and no Section 311 notice. The Local program covers converted, attached and detached ADUs, puts the units under rent control and, where it waives code rules on a lot with rental units, may require a Costa-Hawkins Regulatory Agreement (SF Planning: ADUs). Review periods apply to qualifying complete applications and the applicable state pathway, with statutory exceptions; they do not guarantee that a proposed unit is feasible or that a building permit will be issued. Confirm the current requirements with the permit agency and HCD.
For the two-unit flats, it’s usually harder to remove a unit than to add one. Planning Code Section 317 counts combining units as a merger, which generally needs Conditional Use approval. The Commission considers whether the units were owner-occupied and whether rent-stabilized housing would be lost (Planning Code §317). A buyer who wants to live in a flat as a single house should get Planning’s view before making an offer. See San Francisco multifamily.
DBI issues permits and keeps the records behind the 3R report. From September 14, 2026, most over-the-counter permits run through its PermitSF portal (SF.gov: DBI).
Luxury homes and estates in Mission Terrace
Mission Terrace includes RH-1 house blocks; verify the actual lot and approved living area. Its higher-end homes are the 1920s houses that have been fully remodeled with permits, houses expanded upward or to the rear within RH-1 limits, and the occasional larger corner or through lot. Nearness to Balboa Park station is part of how buyers compare them, as are the NCT transit districts and the 915 Cayuga site at the south end. A buyer near San Jose Avenue should look up what the adjoining zoning allows on the Property Information Map (SF Planning PIM).
The checks that matter most on a higher-priced house are the permit record for each added room or floor, measured against the 3R report (SF.gov: 3R report), foundation and sewer lateral reports on a century-old house, and liquefaction-zone status at the I-280 end. Get earthquake insurance quotes early (earthquake insurance).
Some sellers prefer to test the market quietly. 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. We don’t promise that any particular house is available. Nearby comparisons include Glen Park, Sunnyside and the Excelsior; for the city’s high end, see San Francisco luxury homes.
Mission Terrace real estate: questions people ask
What homes are for sale in Mission Terrace?
Mostly 1920s and 1930s single-family houses on RH-1 lots, with some two-unit flats, flats over shops and small apartment buildings near Mission Street and San Jose Avenue.
Can I convert a Mission Terrace two-flat into one house?
Only with Planning approval. A merger generally needs Conditional Use authorization under Planning Code Section 317, and the Commission weighs tenancy and owner-occupancy history.
Is Mission Terrace part of the Excelsior?
On the MLS it’s its own subdistrict, 10H, in District 10. Common usage treats it as the western part of the greater Excelsior. Both are in the City and County of San Francisco.
Parcel-tax amounts labeled 2025–26 are historical examples. Use the current fiscal-year Treasurer information and the parcel’s actual bill for today’s amounts, applicable exemptions and assessments.
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
- SF.gov, Transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- SF.gov, Learn about supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- San Francisco Planning Code §317 (GoCodebook mirror): https://gocodebook.com/library/us/ca/san-francisco-planning/article-3-zoning-procedures/sec.-317.-loss-of-residential-and-unauthorized-units-through-demolition,-merger,-and-conversion
- SF.gov, Department of Building Inspection: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- SF Planning, Property Information Map: https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/
- SF.gov, 3R report: https://www.sf.gov/request3r
Sources & notes
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, build years, zoning field, street list and parcel lookups for subdistrict 10H; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning districts, special use districts, landmarks, CGS liquefaction and landslide zone layers; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: Balboa Park Station Area Plan (archived project page)
- San Francisco Planning, General Plan: Balboa Park Station Area Plan
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.63, Cayuga/Alemany Special Use District
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 720, Excelsior Outer Mission Street Neighborhood Commercial District
- BART: Balboa Park Station (401 Geneva Avenue)
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route names and termini; status as of July 2022)
- Wikipedia: Excelsior District, San Francisco (Mission Terrace and its street names; background only)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Send a property inquiry
Matthew Martinez
Your inquiry is processed through our iHomefinder service. Review the form’s contact choices before submitting. Privacy Policy · Terms of Use.
What is your property in Mission Terrace, San Francisco worth?
Planning a sale or weighing your next move? Request a broker market analysis based on the property, relevant comparable sales and the local setting.
Request your Mission Terrace, San Francisco home and property valuation
