Monterey Heights, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale

Selling a home in Monterey Heights: local requirements

A Monterey Heights sale involves two kinds of records: city records and the neighborhood’s private covenants.

The 3R report. San Francisco’s housing code requires the seller of a residential building to give the buyer a Report of Residential Building Record (sf.gov, Request a 3R report).

• What it shows: the house’s authorized use and its residential building permit history.
• What it leaves out: plumbing and electrical permits, so request those records separately.
• Fee and timing: the city lists a $379 fee and a turnaround of seven to ten business days.

On a 1930s hillside house, compare the 3R report with every lower-level room, deck and retaining wall before you list.

The CC&Rs. Every parcel is RH-1(D), and the Monterey Heights Homes Association exists to administer the recorded CC&Rs, as described above. Give buyers the recorded restrictions early, along with any association correspondence about the house. If past work needed association consent, include proof that it was given.

Hazard disclosure. A lot inside the mapped earthquake-induced landslide polygons near San Jacinto Way and Maywood Drive must be disclosed. A natural hazard disclosure report confirms it; see our natural hazard disclosure guide. Our San Francisco selling requirements page lists the remaining city items.

Costs to plan for when buying in Monterey Heights

• Transfer tax: most Monterey Heights houses fall in San Francisco’s $1 million to under $5 million tier, at $3.75 per $500 on the whole price (sf.gov, Transfer tax). A $2.4 million sale owes $18,000. See our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
• Property tax: the base is 1% of the new assessed value plus voter-approved debt rates (BOE Publication 29), plus citywide parcel taxes (SF Treasurer). a reassessable ownership change may produce a supplemental bill or refund. If the house will be your main home, file the homeowners’ exemption.
• Association dues: ask the association whether it charges dues or assessments. Any charge would be billed by the association, not on the county bill.
• Hillside work: budget for drainage, retaining walls and the geotechnical and third-party review that DBI may require for an addition on a mapped or steep lot (sf.gov, Slope protection requirements).

Luxury homes and estates in Monterey Heights

Monterey Heights is one of District 4’s larger-house tracts. Every parcel is zoned RH-1(D), one-family detached, and the recorded CC&Rs add a private layer of rules. Compare the particular house’s permitted floor area and lot dimensions with nearby alternatives. The higher-end homes are mostly larger 1930s houses on the curving hillside streets.

For a high-value purchase here, the due diligence that matters most:

• CC&Rs: what the recorded covenants allow for height, additions and fences, and whether the association approved past work.
• Slope: the lot’s mapped landslide status and average slope, which decide whether DBI’s slope protection review applies to an addition.
• Historic district edge: for houses along San Jacinto Way and Yerba Buena Avenue, how close the lot is to the St. Francis Wood historic district boundary.
• Permits: permits matching every room and deck.
• Insurance: price earthquake and high-value coverage early; see insuring a high-value home in California.

Some owners prefer a discreet 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. We don’t promise that any particular house is available. Compare St. Francis Wood and Sherwood Forest, and see San Francisco luxury homes.

Monterey Heights real estate: questions people ask

Where can I find Monterey Heights homes for sale?

Current Monterey Heights homes for sale appear in the listings at the top of this page, from MLS subdistrict 4M. Buyers comparing detached houses often also watch Westwood Highlands and St. Francis Wood.

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.

What transfer tax applies in Monterey Heights?

San Francisco’s single tiered tax, at one rate on the whole price. At $1 million to under $5 million it is $3.75 per $500 (sf.gov).

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

1. City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): https://www.sf.gov/request3r
2. City and County of San Francisco, Transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
3. California State Board of Equalization, Publication 29: https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub29.pdf
4. SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
5. City and County of San Francisco, Comply with slope protection requirements: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection