August in the City: Everything Worth Showing Up For

August is when San Francisco really shows off. The fog clears, the weekends fill up, and you can barely go a few days without something worth showing up for — most of it outside, most of it free. Whether you're a longtime San Franciscan or just landed here, this is the month to get out and enjoy the city — so grab your calendar and let's plan your August.

• Festivals:

SF's Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival — August 15 Three of my favorite food groups, one afternoon. Come hungry.

Yes Yes Fest — August 22 A great excuse to spend a Saturday outside with good music and an even better crowd.

San Francisco Historium Spotlight — August 22–23 A weekend dedicated to the stories and history that make this city what it is — perfect if you want a deeper appreciation for the neighborhood you live in (or the one you're thinking about moving to).

SOMA Nights — August 27 SOMA comes alive after dark. Worth checking out if you haven't spent much time in this part of the city lately.

• Shows:

Twelfth Night — August 7–16 A late-summer classic, performed outdoors — one of my favorite ways to spend a warm SF evening.

Hairspray — Ongoing Big, bright, and a lot of fun if you're looking for a night out.

Dear San Francisco — Ongoing A love letter to the city in show form. If you haven't seen it yet, add it to the list.

• Sports

Professional Women's Soccer — August 1–23 A full month of games to catch.

San Francisco Giants vs. Houston Astros — August 11–13 A classic Bay Area weekend at Oracle Park.

Run Against Breast Cancer — August 29 A great cause and a great reason to get moving — plus you'll get one of the best views in the city along the way.

What's Happening in the Market This Month

While you're out enjoying everything August has to offer, here's a quick look at where things stand in real estate — both nationally and right here in San Francisco.

Nationally, the spring rally took a bit of a breather in July. The median home sale price pulled back slightly to $434,100, but that's still up nearly 2% from a year ago. Inventory dipped below year-ago levels for the first time in months, and new listings dropped off sharply — sellers seem to be pausing a bit as mortgage rates climbed back up to 6.69% in August, the highest we've seen since last summer. Sales cooled slightly from June but are still holding just above last year's pace, which tells me demand hasn't gone anywhere — buyers are just being more selective about when they jump in.

Here in San Francisco, the story is more pointed. Single-family home prices came in at $2,050,000 in July — a slight pullback from June's peak, but still up almost 25% from last year. Condos actually moved the opposite direction, climbing to $1,250,000 and posting nearly a 9% year-over-year gain, which is a real shift from the flatter numbers we were seeing earlier this summer.

What's really driving the market right now is supply. We're down to just 154 single-family homes for sale citywide and 353 condos — both dramatically below where we stood a year ago. Single-family homes are still selling in about two weeks, and condos have actually sped up to just 20 days on market, down from 43 days last July. Buyers who are serious are moving fast, and sellers are seeing real leverage — single-family homes are averaging 26% over asking, the highest premium we've tracked yet.

Bottom line: San Francisco remains firmly a seller's market on both the single-family and condo side, even as the national picture looks more balanced. If you've been on the fence about listing, this kind of inventory crunch is exactly the environment that works in your favor. And if you're a buyer, it means having a clear strategy — and someone in your corner who knows this market inside and out — matters more than ever.

If you want to talk through what any of this means for your specific situation, whether you're buying, selling, or just curious what your home is worth in today's market, I'm always happy to chat. Enjoy August — I'll see you out there.

— Lisa