Silver Terrace, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Silver Terrace is a small hillside neighborhood in southeast San Francisco between Bayshore Boulevard and Third Street, under city rules through SF Planning. Most parcels are single-family houses from around 1942, industrial land lines its western edge, and the T Third light rail runs along its eastern side.
Explore Silver 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.
Silver Terrace is a small hillside neighborhood in southeast San Francisco, roughly between Bayshore Boulevard and US 101 on the west, Third Street on the east, Silver and Palou Avenues on the north and Williams Avenue on the south.
It sits between the Portola across the freeway and Bayview along Third Street. Industrial land lines its western edge, and the T Third light rail runs along its eastern one.
Silver Terrace homes for sale
Silver Terrace market report
Between Bayshore Boulevard and Third Street
The boundaries above are Wikipedia’s, which puts the neighborhood at about 0.39 square miles. The two long edges are very different. On the west, Bayshore Boulevard and the freeway are bordered by industrial and repair zoning; on the east, Third Street is the Bayview commercial corridor.
Wikipedia also notes that a Caltrain tunnel runs beneath the neighborhood. For an owner that is mostly a curiosity, but it is worth knowing when a survey, soils report or title exception mentions a railroad easement.
A neighborhood built in the early 1940s
- Before 1940: about 25 percent of houses.
- 1940–1945: about 39 percent.
- 1946–1959: about 19 percent.
- 1960–1979: about 6 percent.
- 1980 and later: about 12 percent, nearly half of them from 1986, described below.
The house blocks carry names such as Palou, Quesada, Quint, Topeka, Thornton, Elmira and Bridgeview Drive. A cluster of short streets takes its names from classical mythology: Apollo, Venus, Mercury, Neptune, Vesta and Diana Streets.
The 1986 hillside streets
For a buyer, these houses raise a different set of questions from the 1940s stock: the original subdivision map and any recorded covenants, the condition of retaining walls and drainage on sloped lots, and whether the street and slope maintenance is public or private. The title report answers most of them.
Zoning: one-family blocks and an industrial edge
Planning’s current zoning layer shows the same split, with M-1, PDR-1-B and PDR-2 districts toward Bayshore Boulevard and the freeway. Those districts are meant for production, distribution and repair businesses, so a house near the western edge may have them as neighbors.
What our point checks showed
We queried Planning’s zoning, special use district and hazard layers at three points in October 2026:
| Point | Zoning district | Special use district | Hazard layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayview Circle (1986 streets) | RH-1, Planning Code Sec. 209.1 | Only the quarter-mile buffer of the Fringe Financial Services RUD | No liquefaction, landslide or FEMA flood feature |
| Middle of the older grid | Not returned (point fell on a street) | Priority Equity Geographies SUD | No liquefaction, landslide or FEMA flood feature |
| North side of the neighborhood | Not returned (point fell on a street) | Priority Equity Geographies SUD | No liquefaction, landslide or FEMA flood feature |
The Priority Equity Geographies SUD (Sec. 249.97) took effect January 14, 2024, under an ordinance carrying out the 2022 Housing Element. It sets no height or density of its own; its controls live in Sections 311 and 317, the Planning Code’s permit-review and dwelling-unit-loss rules. The Bayview Circle point sits outside it, so check each lot on the Property Information Map.
Across US 101 is the Portola’s San Bruno Avenue NCD (Planning Code Sec. 741). On the east, Third Street carries the Bayview NCD (Sec. 737) together with the Third Street Alcohol and Third Street Formula Retail restricted use districts, which add alcohol and chain-store controls along the corridor.
T Third stations along the east edge
Light rail reached this stretch of Third Street in 2007, with full service from April, and since January 2023 its trains have run on through the Central Subway. Three of its stations sit on Third Street at Silver Terrace’s east side: Oakdale/Palou, Revere/Shafter and Williams. Southbound, the line ends at Sunnydale.
Published route lists also end the 23 Monterey and the 24 Divisadero at Palou Avenue and Third Street, on the neighborhood’s northeast corner, and Wikipedia’s station list shows both as connections at Oakdale/Palou. By car, US 101 and Bayshore Boulevard form the west side. Route lists date from 2022; confirm current service with SFMTA.
Hazard maps for Silver Terrace
Planning’s landslide layer shows seven small polygons in the subdistrict’s envelope, all in its northern part. None covers a large area.
The large liquefaction polygon that follows the old Islais Creek lowland reaches the north edge of the subdistrict’s envelope, but the points we checked inside the neighborhood, including one on its north side and one on Bayview Circle, were outside it (see the table above). Parcels at the north edge still deserve a lot-by-lot check on our San Francisco hazard maps page. A mapped zone must be disclosed at sale, normally in the natural hazard disclosure report.
Selling a home in Silver Terrace
Most sales here are 1940s houses compared against other 1940s houses. The details that separate them are usually below the main floor and behind the house.
- Lower levels: where a house sits over a garage and rooms were added there, compare them with the 3R report and see our unwarranted units guide.
- Slope work: on sloped lots, including the 1986 streets, collect retaining-wall, drainage and foundation records.
- Next-door uses: near Bayshore Boulevard, disclose known industrial neighbors and point buyers to the zoning map.
- Buyers with a project in mind: if a buyer may demolish, merge units or expand substantially, confirm whether the lot is in the Priority Equity Geographies SUD and how Sections 311 and 317 apply before anyone prices that plan in.
- Second units: if you have studied adding an accessory dwelling unit, share that work; our ADU investment guide explains how buyers value one.
Every San Francisco sale also involves the 3R report, energy rules and transfer tax, all on our selling requirements page.
Questions people ask
Where is Silver Terrace in San Francisco?
In the southeast, between Bayshore Boulevard and US 101 on the west and Third Street on the east, from Silver and Palou Avenues south to Williams Avenue. It is subdistrict 10G of SF District 10.
When were most Silver Terrace houses built?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
What zoning covers Silver Terrace?
Mostly RH-1 one-family zoning, with some RH-2. Industrial and PDR districts line the Bayshore Boulevard side, and Third Street on the east is in the Bayview NCD.
Which T Third stations serve Silver Terrace?
Oakdale/Palou, Revere/Shafter and Williams, all on Third Street along the neighborhood’s east side.
Is Silver Terrace in a landslide or liquefaction zone?
Small landslide polygons appear in the northern part of the neighborhood. The Islais Creek liquefaction zone reaches the subdistrict’s northern edge, but the three points we checked inside the neighborhood in October 2026 were outside it and outside FEMA’s flood zones. Check the specific lot.
What is the Priority Equity Geographies SUD?
A special use district in effect since January 2024 that Planning maps over parts of Silver Terrace. It adds no height or density limits; its rules sit in Planning Code Sections 311 and 317 on permit review and the loss of dwelling units.
Selling or buying in Silver Terrace? Ask for a home valuation; we price wartime houses against other wartime houses, and the 1986 streets against each other. For the surrounding area, see Bayview Heights, SF District 10 and our San Francisco guide.
Costs to plan for when buying in Silver Terrace
Transfer tax. San Francisco has one transfer tax, charged at a single rate on the whole price: $3.40 per $500 from just over $250,000 to under $1 million, and $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million (sf.gov: Transfer tax). The tax is due when the deed records; see our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
Property tax. Expect 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved rates (BOE Publication 29), then a supplemental bill for the rest of the fiscal year (sf.gov), plus citywide parcel taxes on the secured bill (SF Treasurer). If it will be your main home, file the homeowners’ exemption (claim form). Our San Francisco property tax guide covers due dates.
Shared costs on the 1986 streets. For the houses on Bayview Circle, Silverview Drive, Vista View Court, Whitecliff Way and Clearview Court, the title report will show whether any covenants, a homeowners association or shared slope and drainage maintenance come with the lot. Budget for them if they do.
Older systems. For a wartime house, sewer laterals, original wiring and foundations are the inspection items most likely to carry a repair estimate.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Silver Terrace
Planning reviews zoning and the Department of Building Inspection issues the permit (DBI). Look up a lot’s zoning and special use districts on the Property Information Map; as noted above, the Priority Equity Geographies SUD covers much of the older grid but not every street.
Second units. For a compact house, most owners who want more space look at a second unit. Planning’s State ADU 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; its Local ADU Program can grant code waivers, but a unit built with waivers may need a Costa-Hawkins Regulatory Agreement that puts it under rent control (SF Planning: Accessory dwelling units). State law provides a ministerial path, when its statutory conditions are met, for one ADU and one junior ADU within an existing single-family house (Government Code §66323), and the city’s guide walks through the permit (sf.gov: ADU permit).
Slopes. Projects on the northern blocks near the seven small mapped landslide zones may fall under the city’s slope protection requirements (sf.gov: slope protection). Check before you price an excavation.
Existing extra units. If a 1940s house already has a downstairs unit, confirm whether it was ever permitted with the 3R report (sf.gov: 3R report); our unwarranted units guide explains the legalization path.
Luxury homes and estates in Silver Terrace
Silver Terrace includes RH-1 house blocks, with industrial and PDR districts along the Bayshore Boulevard edge. Its higher-end homes are therefore the larger, remodeled houses on the older grid and the 1986 detached houses on the curving hillside streets, where lot dimensions and slope vary. Buyers comparing nearby hillside streets often look at Bayview Heights and the Portola.
For a substantial purchase, the due diligence that matters most is retaining walls and drainage on the sloped 1986 lots, whether the street and slopes are publicly or privately maintained, any railroad easement tied to the Caltrain tunnel beneath the neighborhood, and the permit history of any added living space. The industrial and PDR districts toward Bayshore Boulevard allow production and repair businesses, so check what operates near any house on the western blocks. Price earthquake coverage early (earthquake insurance guide) and read insuring a high-value home in California.
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. See San Francisco luxury homes for how we market higher-end homes.
Silver Terrace real estate: questions people ask
Where can I find Silver Terrace homes for sale?
The listings at the top of this page show current Silver Terrace homes for sale, from Assessor and MLS subdistrict 10G of District 10. Our District 10 guide compares the neighboring subdistricts.
Is Silver Terrace part of Bayview?
It is its own subdistrict, 10G, west of the Bayview commercial corridor on Third Street. Both are in San Francisco’s District 10 and governed by the City and County of San Francisco.
Can I add a second unit to a Silver Terrace house?
Usually. State law provides a ministerial path, when its statutory conditions are met, for one ADU and one junior ADU within an existing single-family house, and Planning’s two ADU programs set the details.
What transfer tax applies to a Silver Terrace sale?
San Francisco’s tiered tax at one rate on the whole price. A $900,000 sale at $3.40 per $500 owes $6,120 (sf.gov).
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.
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
- 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
- City and County of San Francisco, Learn about supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- SF Assessor-Recorder, Homeowners’ exemption claim form: https://www.sfassessor.org/forms-notices/forms/homeowners%E2%80%99-exemption-claim-form-english-version
- City and County of San Francisco, Department of Building Inspection: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- San Francisco Planning, Property Information Map: https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/
- San Francisco Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- California Government Code §66323 (via California Public Law): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_66323
- City and County of San Francisco, Get a building permit for an ADU: https://www.sf.gov/get-a-building-permit-for-an-accessory-dwelling-unit-adu
- City and County of San Francisco, Comply with slope protection requirements: https://www.sf.gov/departments–department-building-inspection
- City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): 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 and street samples for subdistrict 10G; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning districts, special use districts, CGS liquefaction and landslide zone layers; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Article 7, Neighborhood Commercial Districts (Sec. 737, 741, 782 and 786)
- Wikipedia: T Third Street (opening dates and station list)
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route names and termini; status as of July 2022)
- Wikipedia: Silver Terrace, San Francisco (boundaries, area, Caltrain tunnel; background only)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.97, Priority Equity Geographies Special Use District
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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