SF District 4, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
SF District 4 is the San Francisco MLS search area for the hills west and south of Twin Peaks, from West Portal and St. Francis Wood to Miraloma Park and Diamond Heights, under city rules through SF Planning. It is hill country with mapped landslide zones in several neighborhoods, and the K, L and M enter the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
Explore SF District 4, CA 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 | Mostly detached single-family houses across sixteen hill neighborhoods |
| Hazards to check | Landslide zones in St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Monterey Heights and others |
| Getting around | K, L and M Muni Metro at West Portal and Forest Hill stations; Muni buses |
| Local rules | No Article 10 district; St. Francis Wood National Register historic district |
SF District 4 is the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® MLS search district for the hills west and south of Twin Peaks: West Portal, St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Forest Hill Extension, Monterey Heights, Miraloma Park, Sunnyside, Westwood Park, Westwood Highlands, Balboa Terrace, Ingleside Terrace, Mount Davidson Manor, Sherwood Forest, Midtown Terrace, Diamond Heights and Forest Knolls. The MLS uses the number to group listings; it is not Supervisor District 4, which is drawn for elections. The Assessor uses the same sixteen subdistrict codes, 4A through 4T, so the city’s parcel records can describe each neighborhood on its own terms.
SF District 4 homes for sale
SF District 4 market report
District 4 neighborhoods at a glance
Each row gives the MLS code, a one-line description drawn from Assessor and Planning records, and the main transit. Follow the links for full guides.
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.
District 4 meets District 2 (the Inner Sunset, Parkside and Golden Gate Heights) to the north and west, District 3 (Lakeside, Merced Manor and Ingleside) to the southwest, District 5 (Twin Peaks, Clarendon Heights and Glen Park) to the east and District 10 (Mission Terrace and the Outer Mission) to the southeast.
What “District 4” means on a listing
SFAR’s printed map divides the city into ten districts with lettered subdistricts. Its District 4 codes match the Assessor’s exactly, from 4A Balboa Terrace to 4T West Portal; the letters I, L, O and Q are skipped.
Supervisor District 4 is a separate election map with its own lines. When a listing, a tax bill and a city mailer each mention “District 4,” check which map each one means before drawing conclusions about schools, services or comparable sales.
Parcel records: a district of houses
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.
Two groups stand out. Midtown Terrace, Diamond Heights and Forest Knolls are almost entirely postwar, and Sherwood Forest mostly so.
Residence parks, associations and recorded restrictions
San Francisco Planning’s residence parks study describes these developments as garden suburbs built at the edge of the street system, with large lots, landscaping, entry gates, stairs and fountains. Its sample of eight includes four in District 4: Ingleside Terraces (1911), Forest Hill and Forest Hill Extension (1912), St. Francis Wood (1912) and Balboa Terrace (1920).
Several neighborhoods have their own organizations, most of them tied to the tract’s founding restrictions or landscaping:
- St. Francis Homes Association, whose site describes St. Francis Wood’s four parks, more than 1,200 significant trees, seven miles of parkways and the 1917 upper fountain.
- Forest Hill Association, incorporated in 1918, runs the 1919 Bernard Maybeck clubhouse.
- Monterey Heights Homes Association lists its mission with the IRS as coordinating and administering the CC&Rs.
- Westwood Park Association, formed on March 21, 1917, collects dues mainly for Westwood Park’s gates, trees and landscaping; the neighborhood also has its own special use district on Planning’s map.
- Balboa Terrace Homes Association: its FAQ says every Balboa Terrace homeowner is automatically a member, pays an annual assessment based on lot size and needs Architectural Review Committee approval for exterior work such as windows.
- Miraloma Park Improvement Club, incorporated in 1936, has its clubhouse at 350 O’Shaughnessy Boulevard and publishes design guidelines.
- Ingleside Terraces Homes Association was formed in 1938 to protect the tract’s residential character and maintain its parks and courts, according to Planning’s sundial landmark fact sheet.
The individual neighborhood guides cover other tracts. For any address, the preliminary title report is where recorded CC&Rs appear; read them before you remove an opening contingency.
Some early deed restrictions were discriminatory. St. Francis Wood’s own history page says its 1912 CC&Rs contained a clause barring certain groups from owning or leasing, and Planning’s landmark record for the Joseph Leonard house on Cedro Avenue notes that Leonard, developer of Ingleside Terraces, popularized restrictive covenants in city subdivisions. The U.S. Supreme Court made such covenants unenforceable in 1948, and California now lets an owner record a Restrictive Covenant Modification that removes the unlawful language (Government Code section 12956.2). This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California real estate attorney about the documents on a specific lot.
Zoning after the Family Zoning Plan
Most of the district is house zoning. In the Assessor’s zoning field, RH-1(D) (one-family detached) covers every parcel in Monterey Heights and Sherwood Forest and nearly every parcel in St. Francis Wood, Balboa Terrace, Ingleside Terrace, Westwood Highlands and Forest Hill Extension. Midtown Terrace, Miraloma Park and Sunnyside are mainly RH-1, and Diamond Heights is mainly RM-1. That field can lag: at the three Midtown Terrace points we checked, Planning’s current map shows RH-1(D).
The Family Zoning Plan took effect January 12, 2026, raising heights on transit and commercial corridors and removing density limits elsewhere within existing height limits. Planning’s current zoning layer shows the West Portal Avenue Neighborhood Commercial District, RTO-C parcels near West Portal station and St. Francis Circle, and a two-tier height designation on West Portal Avenue.
Every point we checked in the five western subdistricts also falls inside the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity Special Use District, which can allow two to four units on qualifying RH lots. It bars demolishing landmarks and buildings listed in, or eligible for, the California or National Register, including district contributors, so historic status matters as much as zoning here. Read our SB 9 lot split guide for the state-law route, which has its own historic exclusions.
Historic districts and landmarks
Planning’s layers show no Article 10 historic district in District 4, but several Register districts and city landmarks:
- Listed: St. Francis Wood Historic District, National and California Registers, period of significance 1912–1954, 591 properties with 529 contributors.
- Eligible for the California Register: Forest Hill (1912–1939), West Portal Park (built by Fernando Nelson, 1916–1929), Balboa Terrace (1921–1939), Ingleside Terrace (1910–1930), Miraloma Park (1926, Meyer Brothers) and its 2023 extension, Diamond Heights Stage 1 (1962–1965) and Laguna Honda.
- City landmarks: Forest Hill Muni Station (No. 231), Cowell House at 171 San Marcos Avenue (No. 270), the Joseph Leonard/Cecil F. Poole House at 90 Cedro Avenue (No. 213), Ingleside Terraces Sundial and Sundial Park (No. 293), Westwood Park Entrance Gateway and Pillars (No. 314), the Gregangelo Museum at 225 San Leandro Way (No. 318) and Sunnyside Conservatory (No. 78).
The tunnel and the K, L and M
The Twin Peaks Tunnel opened to revenue service on February 3, 1918, running about 2.27 miles from near Market and Castro streets to West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street. Its two District 4 stations, West Portal and Forest Hill, are where the K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Ocean View lines enter the subway.
Planners promoted the tunnel to open the western hills to housing, and several residence parks were laid out while it was being planned and built. SFMTA’s route pages show the 36 Teresita linking Forest Hill station with Midtown Terrace, Forest Knolls and Myra Way on Mount Davidson, the 52 Excelsior running from Forest Hill station along Portola Drive and Diamond Heights Boulevard toward Glen Park, and the 23 Monterey along Monterey Boulevard. The 57 Parkmerced begins at West Portal station per a 2022 route list, so check current SFMTA service for a specific address.
Slopes, landslide zones and slope protection
This is hill country. Planning’s earthquake-induced landslide layer shows mapped polygons in St. Francis Wood (around Terrace Drive and Santa Paula Avenue, and near Portola and Miraloma drives), on Edgehill Way in Forest Hill Extension, near upper Castenada Avenue in Forest Hill, along San Jacinto Way and Maywood Drive in Monterey Heights, on Casitas Avenue in Sherwood Forest, and on open-space slopes in Forest Knolls and below the Diamond Heights neighborhood center.
The liquefaction layer, by contrast, shows no mapped zone across the West Portal, St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Forest Hill Extension and Monterey Heights area. Mapped liquefaction polygons do appear toward the district’s southern and eastern edges, including a strip along Portola Drive at the Diamond Heights edge, so check each address. California law requires sellers and their agents to disclose that a property lies in a mapped seismic hazard zone; our Natural Hazard Disclosure guide and San Francisco hazard maps page explain the reports.
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.
How buyers and sellers compare District 4 neighborhoods
Buyers here usually compare houses, not building types, so the questions are about the lot and the street. A 5,000-square-foot St. Francis Wood or Ingleside Terrace lot, a 3,300-square-foot West Portal lot and a 2,500-square-foot Sunnyside lot are different products even at similar living areas.
- Era: 1920s period-revival houses (Westwood Park, West Portal, Balboa Terrace) bring older systems and lower-level rooms to check; postwar tracts (Midtown Terrace, Miraloma Park, Sherwood Forest) bring different construction and garage layouts.
- Recorded obligations: associations, architectural approval and CC&Rs vary by tract and are found in the title report, not the listing.
- Historic status: listed or eligible districts shape what can be added or replaced.
- Slope: landslide-zone or slope-protection status changes the cost and timeline of additions.
- Transit: walking distance to West Portal or Forest Hill station is a real dividing line within neighborhoods.
For sellers, the city’s sale requirements apply everywhere; our San Francisco selling requirements guide covers the 3R report, energy rules and transfer tax. Larger houses on the biggest lots often follow the marketing approach on our San Francisco luxury homes page, and the citywide context is on the San Francisco guide.
Questions people ask
Is SF District 4 the same as Supervisor District 4?
No. MLS District 4 is the SFAR search area west and south of Twin Peaks, with subdistricts 4A–4T. Supervisor District 4 is a separate election map with different lines.
Which District 4 neighborhoods have homes associations?
We could confirm seven: the St. Francis Homes Association (St. Francis Wood), the Forest Hill Association, the Monterey Heights Homes Association, the Westwood Park Association, the Balboa Terrace Homes Association, the Miraloma Park Improvement Club and the Ingleside Terraces Homes Association. Their roles differ, from mandatory assessments and design review in Balboa Terrace to a club that offers memberships in Miraloma Park, and other tracts may have recorded CC&Rs without an active association. The title report for each lot is the reliable source.
Can I add a unit to a house in District 4?
Often, but the answer is lot-specific. The Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD and SB 9 both offer routes, and both exclude certain historic buildings; slope protection and private CC&Rs can add conditions. Ask Planning and an attorney before you price in a unit.
Is St. Francis Wood a historic district?
Yes. Planning’s records show it listed on both the National and California Registers, with 529 contributing and 62 non-contributing properties. It is not an Article 10 city historic district.
Where are the landslide zones in District 4?
Planning’s landslide layer shows mapped polygons on the steeper slopes, including parts of St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Forest Hill Extension, Monterey Heights and Sherwood Forest. Check the map for the specific parcel; a nearby zone does not mean the lot is in one.
Which Muni lines serve District 4?
The K, L and M Muni Metro lines stop at West Portal and Forest Hill stations, and the K and M continue south from West Portal Avenue. Bus lines include the 23, 36, 48, 52 and 57; confirm current routing with SFMTA.
Why do District 4 houses have such different lot sizes?
The neighborhoods were laid out by different developers in different decades.
Are there condos in District 4?
Use current listings to identify the property type you need, then verify its ownership form, legal unit count and any recorded restrictions.
Planning a sale or a move within District 4? Request a home valuation and we will compare your house with recent sales from the same subdistrict and the same era of construction.
Costs to plan for when buying in District 4
- Transfer tax. San Francisco’s tax is set per $500 of value: $3.40 to under $1 million, $3.75 to under $5 million, $11.25 to under $10 million, $27.50 to under $25 million and $30.00 at $25 million or more (SF transfer tax). See our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
- Property tax. The 2026–27 secured rate is 1.18162182% of net taxable value, plus direct charges (SF Treasurer). After closing, the Assessor-Recorder issues one or two supplemental bills (Assessor-Recorder), and an owner-occupant can claim the homeowners’ exemption (claim form).
- Ocean Avenue assessment. The Treasurer lists an Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District among its special assessments (SF Treasurer, special assessments). Buildings on the Ocean Avenue frontage of Westwood Park and Mount Davidson Manor may be inside it; the house blocks behind generally are not, but the bill is the proof.
- Homes association dues. Where a tract’s association levies an assessment, as Balboa Terrace’s mandatory homes association does, it is billed by the association and doesn’t appear on the city tax bill. Other District 4 associations range from mandatory to voluntary, so ask the seller what applies, the current amount and payment status.
Selling a home in District 4: local requirements
- The 3R report. Sellers must give buyers a Report of Residential Building Record. DBI charges $379 per building and quotes seven to ten business days (DBI 3R report). In Miraloma Park and Midtown Terrace, where houses sit over garages, buyers use it to check ground-floor rooms.
- Hazard disclosure. The landslide polygons in St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Monterey Heights, Miraloma Park, Sherwood Forest and elsewhere must be disclosed for lots inside them. If you did work under the city’s slope protection rules, include the engineering reports (sf.gov, slope protection).
- Association approvals. In tracts with design review, assemble the association’s approvals for past work along with the city permits.
- Covenant cleanup. If the title report shows old discriminatory language, an owner can record a Restrictive Covenant Modification to remove it, as noted above.
The full list is on our San Francisco selling requirements page.
Luxury homes and estates in District 4
District 4 holds much of San Francisco’s residence-park housing, and the high end follows those plans. St. Francis Wood, the 1912 Olmsted Brothers park, is listed on the National and California Registers with 529 contributing properties. Ingleside Terrace and Sherwood Forest offer detached-house settings; confirm the lot size and zoning for the individual property. Forest Hill’s curving hillside streets and Balboa Terrace’s design-reviewed tract round out the list. Lot size, setting and the tract’s recorded rules separate one house from another more than age does.
For a high-value purchase, the due diligence that matters most:
- Recorded CC&Rs and association rules, including design review for exterior changes.
- Slope and landslide status, slope protection obligations and a geotechnical review where warranted (hillside geotechnical guide).
- Historic status, especially for contributors in St. Francis Wood (historic home guide).
- Insurance: see insuring a high-value home and earthquake insurance.
Owners in these small parks often value privacy. 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). See the St. Francis Wood, Ingleside Terrace and Sherwood Forest guides and our San Francisco luxury homes guide.
District 4 real estate: more questions
Are homes association dues on the property tax bill?
No. Where a District 4 homes association charges an assessment, it bills it separately. The city tax bill carries the property tax, parcel taxes and any special assessments, such as a community benefit district charge on certain Ocean Avenue parcels.
What transfer tax applies to a St. Francis Wood sale?
San Francisco’s tiered tax. From $1 million to under $5 million it’s $3.75 per $500 (0.75%), and from $5 million to under $10 million it’s $11.25 per $500 (2.25%).
What does a District 4 seller need to provide?
A 3R report from DBI, the state disclosures including any landslide-zone status, and, in tracts with associations, the association’s documents and approvals for past work.
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 Assessor-Recorder, transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- SF Treasurer, secured property taxes: https://sftreasurer.org/property/secured-property-taxes
- SF, supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Assessor-Recorder, homeowners’ exemption claim form: https://www.sfassessor.org/forms-notices/forms/homeowners%E2%80%99-exemption-claim-form-english-version
- SF Treasurer, parcel taxes and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- SF DBI, request a 3R report: https://www.sf.gov/request3r
- SF.gov, slope protection requirements: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
Sources & notes
- San Francisco Association of REALTORS: MLS district map (2001 edition, via Reineck & Reineck)
- 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)
- San Francisco Planning: Residence Parks Historic Context Statement
- San Francisco Planning: SF Family Zoning Plan
- 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
- California Government Code section 12956.2 (Restrictive Covenant Modification), via California Public Law
- St. Francis Homes Association: St. Francis Wood home page
- St. Francis Homes Association: History
- Forest Hill Association: home page
- Candid (GuideStar): Monterey Heights Homes Association nonprofit profile
- Westwood Park Association: History
- Balboa Terrace Homes Association: Frequently Asked Questions
- Miraloma Park Improvement Club: home page
- San Francisco Planning: Ingleside Terraces Sundial and Sundial Park, Landmark No. 293 designation fact sheet
- Balboa Reservoir project site: Balboa Reservoir (Phase 1A construction status)
- Wikipedia: Twin Peaks Tunnel
- Wikipedia: West Portal, San Francisco
- SFMTA: 36 Teresita route page
- SFMTA: 52 Excelsior route page
- SFMTA: 23 Monterey route page
- San Francisco Planning: Historic Resource Evaluation Response, 261 Amber Drive, Case 2016-006782ENV (Diamond Heights Stage 1)
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route termini; page states service as of July 2022)
- California Geological Survey: Seismic Hazards Program
- SF.gov / Department of Building Inspection: Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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