September 1, 2026

San Francisco has always been a magnet for people ready for a change of scenery. In 2026, the city is once again pulling new residents in from across the country, driven by the return of tech, the AI boom clustered in and around Hayes Valley’s “Cerebral Valley,” and a housing market that has recovered meaningfully

Buying a home in San Francisco is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will ever make. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. The city’s housing market runs on its own rules, including tiered transfer taxes, TICs, co-ops, seismic disclosures, view premiums, and block-by-block market conditions that shift dramatically within a single neighborhood.