San Francisco · First-Time Buyers
First-Time Home Buyers in San Francisco
No question is a dumb question. I walk first-time buyers through every step, judgment-free.
Buying Your First Home in San Francisco, What You Get
Many first purchases in San Francisco are a condo or a TIC, and some are a smaller house on the south or west side. A condo means learning how an association works. A TIC means learning how a shared building and a shared agreement work. A house means learning what a hundred years of ownership did to it. Ask me anything. There are no dumb questions here.
Ready to find your next home?
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll get you real options.
Start Your Home SearchOr call/text (415) 722-0472
Or read how we do it, step by stepWhy First-Time Buyers in San Francisco Choose Tanja Odzak
I grew up in a family that owned and managed properties. I learned early how a building works, and I explain it patiently to first-time buyers, one step at a time. One past first-time buyer wrote that I kept helping after closing, finding repair people and answering new-homeowner questions.
When it's time to write an offer, you have a Master Certified Negotiation Expert on your side.
Our First-Time Buyer Process in San Francisco, What to Expect
We start with pre-approval and representation, and with the question of which kind of property your loan fits, since some lenders treat TICs differently. For a condo, I request the association's budget, reserves, and rules early. For a TIC, the agreement goes to a real estate attorney. We check whether parking comes with the home, because many condos have none. The full method is on how I help you buy.
Local Context & Proof for San Francisco
San Francisco's condos and TICs are spread through the older neighborhoods and the newer buildings in Mission Bay and SoMa, while its smaller houses are mostly on the south and west sides. In September 2026, one in four of the 104 single-family homes that sold in San Francisco closed under $1,666,250; condos and townhomes had a median of $1,304,000 (214 sold) (source: Bridge MLS); these figures include every closed sale, whatever its condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a TIC with a regular mortgage?
Usually not. Many TICs are bought with fractional loans from a smaller group of lenders, often at different rates and terms than a standard mortgage. Talk with a lender who makes TIC loans before you shop, and have an attorney review the TIC agreement.
What do I check in a condo association's documents?
The budget, the reserve study, the rules, recent meeting minutes, and any planned special assessments. In an older building, also ask about recent seismic or structural work. A thin reserve can mean higher dues later.
Does my first condo need to come with parking?
Only if you need it. Many San Francisco condos have no parking, and a deeded space adds to the price. If you need one, we confirm exactly what comes with the unit before you write an offer.
What is the energy and water certificate I'll see in escrow?
San Francisco requires an energy and water inspection before a residential sale closes, and the seller gets a certificate of compliance. It shows basic energy and water items, like low-flow fixtures, are in place.
What happens after my offer is accepted?
Escrow opens, and inspections, disclosures, the appraisal, and your loan all run on set deadlines. I keep the calendar and explain each decision as it comes.
How do I read the seller's disclosure packet?
It includes the seller's disclosures, the 3R report, any inspection reports, and for condos and TICs, the association or TIC documents. I go through it with you line by line.
Ready to find your next home?
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll get you real options.
Start Your Home SearchOr call/text (415) 722-0472
Or read how we do it, step by stepSan Francisco
What first-time buyers looks like in San Francisco
San Francisco sits just across the Bay, a compact 7-by-7-mile city surrounded by water on three sides, its hills giving almost every neighborhood its own microclimate and its own view.
San Francisco sits just across the Bay, a compact 7-by-7-mile city surrounded by water on three sides. Its hills give almost every neighborhood its own microclimate and its own view, of the Bay, the ocean, or the skyline, which is a big part of why the city reads so differently block to block.
San Francisco's neighborhoods range from dense districts of apartments and condos close to downtown to long rows of single-family homes out toward the ocean, each with its own architecture, from Victorian flats to 1930s Sunset District houses.
- The homes
- San Francisco's housing stock is dense and varied: Victorians and Edwardians in the older neighborhoods, 1920s to 1940s row houses in the Sunset and Richmond, mid-century and modern condos in newer developments, and a large share of the market made up of condos, TICs, and multi-unit buildings rather than single-family homes.
- Why people choose it
- Whether you're weighing a San Francisco condo against a house in the East Bay, or selling a San Francisco property you've owned for years.
The method
