K- this is a real question, not just a complaint... Honestly, I realize it's not this hot that often, and I absolutely love where I live... But!
Why in the world in an area with some of the highest real estate prices in the country, did so many of the houses I looked at above 700K last year not have freakin AC. Honestly, it's like 99 in San Rafael today and Hottt! The lamo excuses I heard from realitors about moderate temperatures, come on!
I know there are some cool microclimates, but that's not a satisfactory explaination for the areas I was house shopping in, with a higher median temperature. I've been here a couple years, and I'll tell you the climate warrants AC about 1/3rd of the summer.
It really does depend on where you live. I live in Reno now, where AC is really important, but I honestly don't remember ever using AC when I lived in SF (and I literally mean SF). Yeah, it tended to get a little hot for a couple of weeks in September when the fog didn't roll in, but it was rarely bad enough to justify the cost of installing AC. After all, most of the places in SF were built before AC was invented.
Now, the North Bay is another story. I lived in Tera Linda and Navato. Navato was the hottest. I was pretty young when I lived in Tera Linda so I don't remember the AC situation there. I would expect AC in Navato.
Thx Jbolty!That my friend is the most credible rational I've gotten yet. I bet you hit it pretty much right on...
Even though I was there, I forget how different things were in the 60's when my house was built. I think there were still only three television network stations VHF was a strange farse, Radio was king and FM was a revolution, people were filming home movies was 8mm on 2.5 minute rolls without sound, few families had more than one car, most families had an at home mother cause middle america could still count on a primary breadwinners sallary to raise a family... Dang that's future shock! wait a minute... I gotta Txt my therapist then tweet an affirmation confirming my youth and vigor before the heat runs me out of my house! Kiddding!
I'm not as old as you, but I do remember San Francisco when I moved there in 1984. There was one store open until midnight, which was a pharmacy on Market and something like Octavia. Shortly after that there were 24 hr supermarkets. The only department store in the heart of the city was a Sears on Geary Blvd, which was so big it's now like three or four stores, including a Best Buy (and maybe a Staples?)
Boy has that city changed in 25 years. But it started shortly after I moved there, really. But in any case, the chains stayed out for a long time. I didn't know what a Wal-Mart was until I moved back to Michigan.
1) Many of the houses in the Bay Area are old. You can't even convince many of the cities to allow you to tear down and rebuild because they're so attached to the novelty of these old buildings. Being old means they weren't built with central AC and you'd have to deal with a mountain of paperwork to be able to remove the few bricks required to add it later.
2) We like heat. Most of the houses I've lived in have had AC but I almost never used it. If I come home to a cold house, in the middle of summer, I'm usually pissed. Not only is it expensive but I hate being cold. Cold? Go outside and turn on hose. Sun is good for you.
3) You think it's hot now? Hah! Best weather of my life was the late 80's in the Bay Area. I don't recall it ever raining as a kid. I was outside all day, and all night, in shorts with a skateboard. Man I miss the drought... (See also number 2).
You may not agree with all or any of that but it's what I have to offer.
I flew out to San Francisco in July one year and didn't pack a jacket (First trip) it was 99+ in St. Louis when we left, when we landed in San Fran, I was FREZZING!! I had to buy a sweat shirt from a place on the pier! LOL But it was a great visit!
All that to say, I laughed when I saw that there was no A/C in the places you were looking. We had A/C in the hotel we stayed at and really didn't need it.
I like to think of it like this, we only get a few handfuls of hot weather in No. Bay, so just deal with it and enjoy it while it lasts. Then when its cold, look back and reminisce.
Up until not too many years ago A/C was a major expense. The units were expensive to install and maintain and cost a fortune to run. Now, with modern systems they are small and efficient, homes are better insulated and the operating costs are way down. Pretty much the same for cars; it used to be an expensive option.
I doubt many homes buit in the last 10-15 years don't have air.
Cold... it doesn't ever get cold enough to long for a day sweating without A/C. Granted, I'm not grousing cause I fugure we're paying for the life, a small town atmosphere 15 min from the best city in the united States!
It takes a six figure pocketbook in the Bay to improve the probability of amenities buyers in other parts of the the country take for granted; A/C, granite countertops, and freshly updated finishes. Kinda crazy, I gotta say!
I'm pretty convinced between my initial assertion that the prohibitive cost of getting in a house leaves middle class buyers cash strapped for luxuries like A/C, and jbolty's historical context, we've come up with a defensible explaination.
Enjoying this new local forum, Thx for all the contributions... D.
I flew out to San Francisco in July one year and didn't pack a jacket (First trip) it was 99+ in St. Louis when we left, when we landed in San Fran, I was FREZZING!! I had to buy a sweat shirt from a place on the pier! LOL But it was a great visit!
that is how we can tell who are tourists-- they are the ones in the sweatshirts bought at Pier 39.
ha ha
kidding (kinda!)
With a lot of the coastal areas the lack of a/c has to do with both the mostly moderate temperatures and the fact that a majority of the houses were built either before a/c existed or wasn't worth the money. I live in Monterey, and my house was built in 1927 and has a ton of windows to get the breeze to flow through the house.
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