The Chronicle’s John King discusses some of the award winners in the contest to design new housing along Octavia Boulevard. The structure in the photo at the left is designed to be built in the narrow lot at Market and Octavia, right next to the Octavia Lounge. Also interesting are the details of the much larger project at Octavia and Oak, which is a full city block. A welcome plan for bold — not big — housing [SFGate] (photo from …

The MLS hit its 2006 active inventory peak in October, and other than a couple of weeks of increases at the beginning of January 2007, we see yet another week of lower active inventory today. For comparison, today’s active inventory of 955 properties is lower than ANY WEEK in 2006 (other than the week after Christmas). Smart/quick/aggressive buyers can still find deals, but it’s the sellers who are benefitting right now. Buyers who think that that the slow-decision-making of last …

From today’s SFGate, A city commission named a new director for San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection on Monday, bringing in a new leader from out of town to head an agency that has been criticized for favoritism, cronyism and being too susceptible to local political pressure. Isam Hasenin spent the last five years working as San Diego’s chief building officer. He also serves as vice chairman of the California Building Standards Commission, which is charged with adopting and implementing …

Thanks to Kevin from NOPNA for the tip on this one… Late last fall, the DMV put out a press release about how they were exploring the opportunities available to them in leasing out the airspace above two of their urban locations in San Francisco and San Diego for mixed-use housing development. …while the state would retain ownership of the two parcels of land, it would make the “airspace” above it available for lease by private developers who would then …

For those who live in/near West Portal, you now have your library back! From sfpl.org, Located at 190 Lenox Way [Google Map], West Portal is the second branch to be renovated under the Branch Library Improvement Program, which is funded by a $105.9 million bond measure passed by voters in November 2000. This neighborhood gem closed on Dec. 19, 2004 to undergo a much-needed upgrade. The building is now seismically safe and fully accessible. A new elevator with an entrance …