There's a two-block stretch of Goldfinch Street, right where it crosses W. Lewis, that I think gets overlooked. People drive through it on their way to Fort Stockton or up toward Presidio Park. They don't stop. They should.
This section of Mission Hills sits between the higher-end estates to the north and the more commercial energy of Hillcrest to the south. It's a pocket. A handful of smaller single-family homes from the 1930s and 40s, some duplexes, a few Spanish revival cottages that haven't been touched in decades. And then, mixed in, you'll see a couple of full renovations that closed north of $1.4 million in the last year.
That contrast is the story.
Most buyers I work with fall into one of two camps here. The first camp wants a finished product with views, and they head further up the hill. Fair enough. The second camp, the one I find more interesting, sees value in a walkable block with older housing stock, proximity to everything on Goldfinch, and room to add square footage or convert a garage unit. That second buyer is making the smarter long-term play, in my opinion.
I've been doing this for 25 years, and one pattern holds: neighborhoods where old inventory sits next to new renovation sell at a premium once the balance tips. That tipping point on lower Goldfinch feels close.
Here's the trade-off nobody warns you about. Parking is bad. Street parking only on most of these lots, and the blocks get tight in the evenings. If you're someone who needs a two-car garage and a wide driveway, this stretch isn't for you. That's real, and I won't pretend otherwise.
The other thing: lot sizes are modest. You're looking at 4,000 to 5,000 square feet on most parcels. So your renovation math has a ceiling. You can't build a 3,200-square-foot home on these lots and have it pencil. But a well-done 1,800-square-foot remodel with an ADU? That works. I've seen it work twice on this street in the last 18 months.
If you're an investor or a buyer who doesn't mind a project, come walk it with me before someone else figures out the math.
What's the address you keep driving past?