The San Francisco Buyer's Guide (2026)

The guide · October 2026 edition

13 chapters ~122 min totalWritten in plain English for first-time buyersGlossary of terms →

Panorama of the Golden Gate Bridge rising out of a sea of fog at sunrise, with the city skyline on the horizon

Zetong Li / Unsplash

Plan

The SF market right now

What homes cost, how fast they sell, and what today's interest rates mean for you.

8 min read

How much home can you afford?

Monthly cost math at $1.5M, $3M and $6M, and the income lenders want to see.

9 min read

Finance

Your down payment

Saving up, family gifts, and turning company stock into cash — plus the taxes to plan for.

12 min read

Getting a mortgage

Loan types, how lenders look at your income (including stock pay), and choosing a lender.

12 min read

Shop

SF property types decoded

Victorians vs Edwardians, condos, TICs, 2–4 unit buildings, rent control and new towers.

11 min read

Neighborhoods by budget

What $1M, $2M, $3–5M and $5–10M buys — and the commute to the AI labs.

12 min read

Assembling your team

Who you need on your side — agent, lender, inspector — and how to choose them.

7 min read

Disclosures & inspections

Reading the pre-inspection packet, 3R reports, permit history and red flags.

10 min read

Buy

Winning an offer in SF

Offer dates, underpricing, contingencies, pre-emptive offers and escalation.

10 min read

Escrow to keys

Deposits, title, vesting, transfer tax tiers, closing costs and the timeline.

8 min read

Insurance & earthquakes

Getting a homeowners policy in the 2026 California market, and whether to buy quake coverage.

7 min read

Own

Taxes after you buy

Property taxes, the surprise second tax bill, and the deductions homeowners can take.

8 min read

Renovating in SF

Permits, seismic work, and how to vet contractors using real permit history.

8 min read

Your first San Francisco home, start to finish.

Plan

The SF market right now

How much home can you afford?

Finance

Your down payment

Getting a mortgage

Shop

SF property types decoded

Neighborhoods by budget

Assembling your team

Disclosures & inspections

Buy

Winning an offer in SF

Escrow to keys

Insurance & earthquakes

Own

Taxes after you buy

Renovating in SF