I see a lot of interesting things when I’m out touring homes. Out of respect for the privacy of the sellers and future buyers, I don’t post a lot of it.

Every now and again, though, something is just too irresistible. For example, the numerous steps required to get yourself seated on the toilet in this bathroom surely make it  more of a throne than just a humble water-closet.

And believe it or not, this is one of the more tame toilets I’ve seen over the years.

The Castle at 881 Innes in the Bayview – when last on the market – had a toilet that, quite literally, looked like a wooden throne. Since you probably won’t believe me, here’s a photograph:

A True Throne?

My favorite toilet, however, is one that I can’t seem to find the picture for. But if was a fishbowl toilet in a million dollar + home in Noe Valley!

[as a quick side note, I'd just like to point out how hard it is to write a blog post about toilets without resorting to potty humor]…

Most (good) agents believe that our job is to make sure a home shows as spectacularly awesome as is possible. And part of that is to highlight a home’s features and de-emphasize the less-than-ideal parts of a home. Which does not mean conceal or hide them, thank you very much!

The reason we do this is because when a potential buyer leaves your home after a viewing, we don’t want their only memory to be of your unique toilet (or your boring toilet in a unique location, which is another post in of itself), or flamboyantly wallpapered or painted walls (the Barbie Bathroom comes to mind, for example).

Have a great Monday, if you know of any awesomely fascinating toilets, we’d love to hear about them (no, seriously) in the comments below. But keep it clean!

Have you ever been to Flora Grubb? If you have, then the picture below is probably old news. But if you haven’t, and you live in the city, then you owe it to yourself to find some time to make your way out to this amazing garden center and nursery. Not only do they have amazing plant sculptures – like the car below – but they also have incredibly good plants, and really helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable people that know far more about plants than I probably ever will.

A Flora Grubb Plant Powered Car

Even if trips to the Bayview aren’t your normal weekend (or evening) thing, if you have access to some yard and you are in need of plants, then I would strongly encourage you to find the time to visit Flora Grubb. Here are my top three reasons why you should visit the amazingly smart folks at Flora Grubb:

1. They sell Ritual coffee on-site. Even if you hate plants, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the folks at Ritual make some awesome coffee. 
2. I have yet to kill a plant that I have purchased at Flora Grubb. And while you might think I’m a Realtor, my main job is torturing plants before killing them. And so far, my black  thumb has been no match for the great greenery of the Flora Grubb. If I can’t kill it, then you probably can’t either.
3. It’s quirky. And sunny. Ok, make it four reasons. I can wander around the gardens at Flora Grubb for a very, very long time. They are filled with creatively arranged plants, plants I’ve never seen before, plants I didn’t know existed, and broken down cars that are filled with… plants.

What’s your favorite nursery in San Francisco? Even if it isn’t Flora Grubb, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below

Is it a map of Ellis Act Evictions in San Francisco, or a Rorschach eviction-blot test to see where you are on the San Francisco political spectrum?  The map below shows the location of Ellis Act evictions in San Francisco over the past approximately 15 years. While I have some issues with the map (ie, the map points of interest are rather larger), I find the reaction people have to the map to be even more interesting.

Map of Ellis Act Evictions in San Francisco

Some individuals and institutions (I’m looking at you, SFBG) feel that it is proof of how wealthy “speculators” have occupied San Francisco, forcing out every person of modest means in their never-ending-quest to enrich their pockets at the expense of others.

Others look at it and see evidence of a city failing to meet the housing demands of its residents – both current and future.

Others look at the map and wonder what the big deal is all about, anyway?

What do you see?

As for me, I get really frustrated every time I see an article that posits home-owners and home-renters are mutually exclusive groups with no common ground. I get even more frustrated when the situation is seen in terms of a “zero-sum” game, in which every “win” comes at the expense of the other side.

What I see when I look at the map is an incredible failure of the leaders and planners of San Francisco to meet the housing demands over decades and decades. San Francisco isn’t the largest city in the world, and it will never have the space to sprawl like a Las Vegas. But that doesn’t have to mean a victory for home-owners must come at the expense of renters, or vice versa.

It’s easy to play the politics of divide and conquer, lining up the usual suspects for “property rights” against the usual suspects f0r “tenant rights.” Why do otherwise smart and savvy San Franciscans continue to fall for this? Why aren’t we capable of electing leaders and choosing planners that realize for our city to continue to flourish we will need to find ways to accommodate citizens of every socio-economic background and income range?

We can do better, and I think it starts with putting our typical polarizing arguments to the side and working from areas of common agreement. What do you think?