After many years of dreaming about building our own home (isn't that on every architect couple's life goal list?), years of searching the incredibly overpriced real estate market of the San Francisco Bay Area, and many more years of soul searching as to whether we'd actually commit to putting money on the table if we ever found something, we became the proud owners of a small infill residential lot in the Pacific Manor neighborhood of Pacifica this summer.
We had narrowed our Bay Area search to Pacifica about four years ago as it impressed us with its landscape, incredible views of mountains and ocean, and a feeling of "going on vacation" every time we drove over the hill on Highway 1. You could occasionally find a small residential piece of land for sale and the prices were reasonable. We visited many times, checking out the fog at different periods of the year, checking out the playgrounds with our children, speaking with as many parents as we could, visiting the shops, the awesome bowling alley, restaurants and farmer's market. People were very friendly and helpful - it seemed like a family oriented town. We discovered that the fog was not so bad. There were definite pockets that experienced protected sunny weather, and in the areas where we were looking closer to the flatlands with a view of the ocean, the fog tended to stay above your head, so it was gray, but not miserable, cold and wet as it often is in higher up and in Daly City . Sometimes we were even treated to a fabulous sunset under the fog! This image was taken in August, notoriously the foggiest weather of the year.
Our lot, at 478 Monterey Road, appears to be the only vacant lot in the area, subdivided back in the 50's and later traded to the previous owner for a boat! The lot is downslope, 60x100, south facing, with a creek in the rear and a lovely outlook to the hills and residential area around it. The real estate flyer did not advertise an ocean view, but we immediately saw that if you placed the main floor level towards the high end of the site, you could get over the lower roofs and see the ocean! Even with the downturn in the real estate market, we pinch ourselves often, and still consider ourselves very lucky. We will have to wait a little while for the markets to pick up before we can start construction, but as architects, we want to really take our time and have fun with the design process in the meantime.
We are happy to read in the Pacifica Tribune that so many residents are environmentally conscious, and aware of the need to protect not only scenic Pacifica, but also the larger planet. We are committed to building a GREEN home, and will research and test new materials and construction methods in the process. We will be participating in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program for new homes, as well as comparing it to the local Build It Green program.
As part of these programs, we hope to use local tradespeople and craftsmen, so if you and your business are committed to excellent service and share our environmental values, please contact us through this site, as we would like to organize a public forum and list to be able to share with others.
A modified version of this blog was just posted on pacificariptide.com. Thank you for your warm welcome John!
Posted by: Christine Boles | November 13, 2008 at 02:17 PM