Even in a subdued fall market, luxury buyers still move fast when they see a special house in San Francisco. Case in point: the city’s oldest home has gone into contract less than two weeks after listing for $22 million at the end of last month.
The short stint on the market was the first time 825-845 Francisco Street, the 1849-built “Robertson Estate” atop Russian Hill, had been available since 1986. That’s when financier Sanford “Sandy” Robertson bought the home for almost $1.8 million, according to public records.
Robertson, a banker and tech investor who was a close advisor to Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, died at 93 in August at another home he owned in Dallas, according to his obituary.
Joseph Lucier and Stacey Caen of Sotheby’s represented the 8,400-square-foot historic Russian Hill home on a third-acre lot, which has a lap pool and an internal “hill-a-vator” from the two-car garage to the lower and main levels of the four-level home. They could not discuss details of the sale due to an NDA, but Caen said the home sold so quickly due in part to the duo’s ability to position the listing “as luxury goods.”
“By breathing new life into these legacy homes through extensive reconditioning and elevated staging, our listings activate uncommon interest with buyers looking for San Francisco trophy properties,” she said.
Caen did not say exactly how they brought new life to the 173-year-old home, but the listing pictures show updated paint, flooring and fixtures.
The panoramic views from Coit Tower to the Golden Gate Bridge surely helped the property move, not to mention the privacy afforded by having a hilltop home set back from the street and surrounded by tall hedges. The home also went through a major remodel during Robertson’s 38-year tenure, including the addition of a library/office on the main level and a pentroom with an enormous wraparound view deck and a skylight that illuminates the dramatic spiraling central staircase.
In addition to the “hill-a-vator” from the garage, there’s also another elevator that goes from the main floor to the upper bedroom level. Half of that floor is taken up by the primary suite, which has two walk-in closets, a large bathroom and another office with its own terrace. The two other bedrooms on that level are also en suite and have either a terrace or a sunroom attached.
The home is the oldest surviving residence in the city, according to its marketing materials, and one of only four remaining “legacy estates” atop Russian Hill. According to a 1993 article on Robertson’s extensive renovations in Architectural Digest, it was built by a ship captain using wood from the boat that brought him to San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
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