San Mateo’s $100M Win and SF’s Scaled-Down Housing Shift

BAYAREAOWN WEEKLY RECAP

BAY AREA DEVELOPMENTS & REAL ESTATE

2834 San Jose Avenue, Oceanview (San Francisco)
Six one-bedroom apartments across 7,100 sq. ft. in a four-story infill by RS Engineering and Podesta Construction, with parking for five cars and six bikes. Steps from the Muni M-Line and minutes to Daly City BART along I-280, the scaled-down plan (reduced from nine units) shows how smaller, transit-adjacent projects are threading the needle on feasibility and neighborhood fit.

1840 Gateway, San Mateo — Class A Office Sale
Cushman & Wakefield brokered the $16.25M trade to SC Properties for this ~70,000-sq.-ft. building at the 101/92 nexus. With creative interiors, a renovated gym, and flexible zoning that could enable future residential conversion, the deal underscores continued bets on high-visibility, mid-Peninsula assets even as the office market resets.

1320 Marshall Street, Redwood City — 32 Townhomes Proposed
City Ventures filed permits for 32 Spanish Revival townhome-style condos designed by Hunt Hale Jones Architects. Three-bed layouts with private decks and two-car garages, including five moderate-income homes. Two blocks from the proposed 910 Marshall tower and an eight-minute walk to downtown, the project aims to transition gracefully between higher-density cores and nearby single-family streets.

772 Pacific Avenue, Chinatown (San Francisco)
State funding of $33.5M advances a 15-story, 175-unit senior housing community led by Chinatown Community Development Center, plus a 13,500-sq.-ft. community banquet hall. Using SB 330, AB 2011, and State Density Bonus streamlining, the project cleared approvals earlier this year; construction is targeted for 2027–2029.

San Mateo County Secures $100M+ for Sea-Level Rise
New Prop 4 climate-bond dollars will fund shoreline restoration and coastal protection with a focus on vulnerable communities like East Palo Alto and Pacifica. Local leaders warn that without action, flooding risks could affect a large share of East Palo Alto residents within a decade. Expect near-term planning for levees, wetlands, and nature-based buffers.

AI’s Economic Wave Hits the Bay
A widely discussed op-ed argues that the Bay Area captured the lion’s share of 2025’s AI venture surge and that Big Tech is plowing hundreds of billions into data centers and related infrastructure. The bet: jobs, R&D, and select office leasing will follow. The open question: how to translate that capital into broad-based prosperity and housing near jobs.

MARKET TRENDS

Fed cuts rates 25 bps, first move since December

• Mortgage rates have eased from summer highs, bringing more qualified buyers back into the hunt.

• Inventory is inching up year over year, but still trails pre-pandemic norms; turnkey, well-located homes under each city’s median remain competitive.

• Days on market have lengthened modestly since spring, and price reductions are more common in outer-ring submarkets; Peninsula tech corridors are holding firmer.

• Jumbo financing and builder incentives are doing more of the heavy lifting for move-up buyers; rate buydowns and closing-cost credits are back in play.

• On the ground: we’re seeing stronger open-house traffic for thoughtfully updated homes near transit and walkable amenities, while dated listings without a pricing strategy are sitting.

📩 Want to better understand what this means for the future of Bay Area housing? We’re here to help — send us a message at [email protected].

FOOD & DRINK

JUST OPENED IN THE BAY AREA

YOUTUBE

The TRUTH About Living in San Mateo From A Local

San Mateo isn’t just another pricey Bay Area suburb. With 30 micro-neighborhoods and a $600,000 spread in value, I’ll show you where the real opportunities still exist.

UPCOMING EVENTS

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?

1. Sama-Sama Fest
October 11 — Union Landing (next to Best Buy), 31350 Courthouse Dr, Union City
Filipino American History Month celebration featuring food trucks, live music, and local vendors.

2. San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show
October 10–12 — Marina Green & SF Waterfront, San Francisco

3. Fridays on Front St: Yacht Rock Block Party (Fleet Week Edition)
October 10 — 240 Front St, San Francisco

4. Italian Heritage Festival & Parade
October 12 — North Beach, San Francisco

5. World of Dumplings Festival
October 12 — Ferry Building Plaza, San Francisco

6. Indigenous Peoples Day Pow Wow & Indian Market
October 11 — MLK Civic Center Park, Berkeley

7. Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering
October 13 — Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay

8. Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF 48)
Through October 12 — Venues in Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Rafael & Berkeley

9. Litquake Literary Festival
October 9–25 — Multiple venues across San Francisco & East Bay

10. Lit Crawl San Francisco
October 25 — Mission District, San Francisco

11. Oakland Autumn Lights Festival
October 16–18 — Gardens at Lake Merritt, Oakland

12. Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off
October 13 — IDES Grounds, 735 Main St, Half Moon Bay

13. Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
October 18–19 — Main Street, Half Moon Bay

14. SF Open Studios (Citywide Art Tours)
Weekends through October 19 — Various neighborhoods, San Francisco

15. Shipyard Open Studios
October 18–19 — Hunters Point Shipyard & Islais Creek Studios, San Francisco

16. Bay Area Science Festival: Discovery Day
October 25 — UCSF Mission Bay, 747 16th St, San Francisco

17. Festival Fright Nights (Winchester Mystery House)
Select nights through November 1 — 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

18. Boo at the Zoo
October 24–26 — Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland

19. Cupertino Diwali Festival of Lights
October 11 — Memorial Park, 21121 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

20. Santa Clara County Fall Festival
October 11 — Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave, San Jose

Not sure what to do next? Big changes are underway. Across the Bay, every city is writing its own story this fall. Some are scaling back new builds, others are finding fresh energy through reinvestment. Wherever you are, the right local strategy makes all the difference. Let’s build your plan together. Send over a message to [email protected].