From the journal

Michelle Quaranta

Michelle Quaranta | November 9, 2026

What the Back Cottage Really Pays

Half the lots in University Heights seem to have a little house out back, and the listing flyer always makes the rent look easy. Here's how I run the real numbers, and the one record you need to pull before you make an offer.

Michelle Quaranta | November 2, 2026

What My Podcast Guests Keep Saying About Mornings

My podcast guests almost never credit willpower for the routines they keep. They credit the space they live in, and that has changed how I show homes.

Michelle Quaranta | October 26, 2026

Why I Tell Buyers Not to Wait for Spring

Every fall, buyers tell me they'll pick their search back up in spring. Here's why the next couple of months might be the best window you'll get all year.

Michelle Quaranta | October 19, 2026

What the Makeup Chair Taught Me About Light

Twenty-five years in a makeup chair trained me to ask where the light is coming from before anything else. I still ask it in every home I walk into, and it changes how I'd show your house.

Michelle Quaranta | October 12, 2026

Would You Live Upstairs?

A North Park duplex came across my desk last month, and as a pure rental it loses about $2,400 a month. It can still be a smart buy, but only if you ask a different question.

Michelle Quaranta | October 5, 2026

Living Inside a Mission Hills Historic District

The trees, the canyon curves, the 1920s Craftsmans. What a historic district designation actually means for what you can and can't do with a Mission Hills home.

Michelle Quaranta | September 28, 2026

What North Park Is Telling Me This Fall

Three price cuts on one stretch of 30th Street in a single week. Here's what the fall market in North Park is actually doing, and what it means if you're buying or selling this quarter.

Michelle Quaranta | September 26, 2026

Hillcrest Condos and the Question Nobody Asks

Hillcrest sells itself on Sunday mornings on Normal Street. What decides whether it's a good buy is a document most people never ask to see.

Michelle Quaranta | September 7, 2026

The Dinner That Changed My Tuesday

A random weeknight meal in Hillcrest reminded me why I love working where I live.

Michelle Quaranta | August 31, 2026

University Heights Still Surprises Me

After 25 years in these neighborhoods, University Heights keeps doing something the other markets don't. Here's what I mean.

Michelle Quaranta | August 24, 2026

Mission Hills Pricing Just Got Interesting

Sellers in Mission Hills are adjusting faster than I expected this spring. Here's what the numbers actually look like and what I'd tell you over coffee.

Michelle Quaranta | August 10, 2026

The 1031 Mistake I Keep Seeing

Investors love the idea of a 1031 exchange. But in tight markets like Mission Hills, the timeline can turn a tax strategy into a panic buy.

Michelle Quaranta | August 3, 2026

The Walk That Resets My Whole Week

There's a stretch of Mission Hills I walk when I need to think clearly. It has nothing to do with real estate, and everything to do with it.

Michelle Quaranta | July 27, 2026

The Rent-to-Price Ratio on Meade Avenue

A small pocket of North Park is producing returns that don't match what most investors expect from the neighborhood. Here's what I've been watching.

Michelle Quaranta | July 20, 2026

The Block of Goldfinch Nobody Talks About

Mission Hills gets plenty of love for its views and its price tags. But one quiet stretch of Goldfinch Street tells a more interesting story than most people realize.

Michelle Quaranta | July 13, 2026

The Duplex Math That Surprises People

I ran the numbers on a North Park duplex last month and the result caught even me off guard. Here's what investors keep getting wrong about smaller multifamily in this market.

Michelle Quaranta | July 6, 2026

The Coffee Shop That Keeps Me Honest

Some mornings I don't need the MLS. I need a good espresso and a window seat in North Park.

Michelle Quaranta | June 29, 2026

Hillcrest Inventory Is Telling a Story

Active listings in Hillcrest have shifted in a way that matters right now. Here's what I'm seeing and what it means if you're thinking about making a move this quarter.

Michelle Quaranta | June 22, 2026

University Heights Has a Quiet Advantage

University Heights doesn't always make the shortlist. I think that's a mistake, and here's why the neighborhood deserves a harder look right now.

Michelle Quaranta | June 16, 2026

Content Changed How I Sell Homes

After 25 years building brands and producing content, I've learned that the way you present something matters as much as the thing itself. That applies to real estate too.

Michelle Quaranta | June 8, 2026

The Fourplex on Georgia Street Still Works

A real breakdown of why small multifamily in North Park still pencils out, even with today's rates.

Michelle Quaranta | June 1, 2026

Why I Keep Coming Back to Adams Avenue

Some streets just have a frequency you can feel. Adams Avenue in Normal Heights and University Heights is one of them.

Michelle Quaranta | May 25, 2026

Mission Hills Deserves a Closer Look

Mission Hills flies under the radar compared to its flashier neighbors. Here's what I think buyers and investors should actually know about it.

Michelle Quaranta | May 18, 2026

The Spring Shift Is Already Here

Inventory is moving differently across University Heights, Hillcrest, and North Park this quarter. Here's what I'm seeing on the ground.

Michelle Quaranta | May 11, 2026

The Fourplex Math That Still Works

A specific investment strategy I've watched play out on the same North Park blocks for years, and why the numbers still pencil if you know where to look.