Resources for Small Property Owners

• SPOSF Resource Guide  A list of vendors, from appliance dealers and plumbers to roofers and tilesetters, who SPOSF members have utilized in the past and feel good enough about to recommend to others. The list is still fairly short, so we're hoping that members will continue to add to the list. If you know a great service or product provider, please share the wealth with fellow SPOSF members: Email us at info@smallprop.org with their name, type of service or product they provide, contact information, and a short description of why you liked them. Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising, and hiring by referral is the best way of increasing the odds that you'll be happy with the vendor you choose.
  
  
• SF Board of Supervisors (www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp).
  - Contact information for each supervisor is listed prominently below the photo of the full board. Just click on any name and you'll be taken directly to their page. Then just click on the supervisor's name to send him or her an email.
  - Meetings, legislation, etc.: See right side of home page for links to the Clerk, Meeting Information (including committee agendas) and Legislation Introduced. Unfortunately, the web site does not provide text of pending legislation. For this you must call the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (415) 554-5184 to get a faxed copy of legislation.
• Tracking bills in the State Legislature (www.leginfo.ca.gov). The Legislative Analyst constantly updates the status of Sacramento bills in the legislative process.
• San Francisco Rent Board (www.sfgov.org/site/rentboard_index.asp). The Rent Board offers a wealth of information on state law, the SF Rent Ordinance, and the current interest rate legally required to be paid on tenant security deposits.
• The San Francisco Affordable Housing Study. A comprehensive analysis of current housing issues based on both published and primary data, commissioned by resolution of the SF Board of Supervisors in 2000 to be "neutral and fact-based." The designated Study Moderator was Joe Grubb, former Executive Director of the San Francisco Rent Arbitration and Stabilization Board. The Study is composed of the following parts:
  San Francisco Housing DataBook (PDF, 3.6Mb)
  Citywide Tenant Survey (PDF, 2.9Mb)
  Citywide Landlord Survey (PDF, 1.4Mb)
• Condominium conversions. This law firm, one of a number representing San Francisco property owners who wish to convert their apartments to condominiums, has an excellent web site with informative articles that will bring you up to date on how to successfully apply for and complete the complex conversion process.
• Co-ownership resources. This site contains the most comprehensive body of information on real estate co-ownership and homeowner associations available on the internet. It provides both basic information suitable for homeowners or home buyers with no real estate background, and more sophisticated information for real estate professionals and attorneys. There are separate articles on various co-ownership topics, each one organized in a simple "Q & A" format and written in plain English. There are also links to relevant laws, newspaper articles, books (including one you can download), and other resources.
• SPUR (San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association) (www.spur.org). A leading San Francisco policy think tank with interesting studies on housing.

Have we omitted some valuable resource? Please let us know so we can make this list better!

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