Gavin Newsom’s Childhood Home in Cole Valley Sells for $5.85M

The wooded upper Cole Valley house across from Sutro Forest where Gov. Gavin Newsom lived as a young child in the late 1960s has sold for $5.85 million—exceeding $4,000 per square foot—after drawing multiple all-cash offers and closing just 14 days after listing for $4.5 million in early October, according to The San Francisco Standard.

Built in 1951, the two-bedroom, two-bath redwood-shingled home measures under 1,500 square feet—accompanied by a separate studio and Japanese soaking tub—but sits on two combined parcels totaling nearly 10,000 square feet, one of which opens onto Belgrave Avenue.

Land Value and Double the 2019 Sale Price

Compass listing agent John DiDomenico told The San Francisco Standard that while the governor’s childhood connection drew initial attention, “ultimately the value component and upside rested in the land and its potential.” Vanguard Properties agent Frank Nolan represented the buyer, the Sutro Trust. The $5.85 million closing price is more than double the property’s $2.8 million sale price in 2019 and nearly $2 million above an intra-family transfer recorded last year.

Botanical Garden Roots and 2020 Remodel

Originally owned by Newsom’s maternal grandfather, San Francisco Botanical Garden horticulturalist Arthur Menzies, the property was home to Newsom, his parents, his sister, and his pet otter, Potter, before his mother sold the house in 1972 following his parents’ divorce. Subsequent owners added Marin-harvested redwood cladding in 1979, and the most recent seller remodeled the kitchen, both bathrooms, and the primary closet in 2020.