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** San Francisco rents are rising. Is it time to revisit buying? ------------------------------------------------------------ Victorian homes in San Francisco, photographed by Josh Hild.
San Francisco homes. Photo: Josh Hild / Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/a-row-of-houses-in-a-residential-area-dQNqUsFf6JU) .
San Francisco’s rental market is getting more expensive. If you’ve been weighing renting against buying, it’s a good reason to revisit your numbers.
Zumper’s September 2026 report (https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/national-rent-report) puts the city’s median asking rent for a one-bedroom at $4,400 a month, up 25.4% from a year earlier. That measures advertised rents in its listing data—not what every existing tenant pays. It also doesn’t mean rents across the East Bay are rising at the same pace.
Does that make buying the better choice?
It depends on your current rent, the home you would actually buy and how long you expect to stay.
Someone with a comfortable rental payment and plans to move in a couple of years may have good reasons to keep renting. Someone facing a move, looking for more space or planning to stay in the same community for years may want to take another look at ownership.
Here’s what I would compare: * The full monthly cost. Mortgage payments are only part of ownership. Property taxes, insurance, maintenance and any HOA dues belong in the calculation. * The cash you would have left. A down payment and closing costs should be considered alongside the savings you want available afterward. * Your likely timeline. Buying and eventually selling involve costs. A shorter stay gives you less time to absorb them. * Comparable homes. Compare places that would genuinely work for you in location, size and condition, rather than a citywide rent figure against an unrelated purchase price.
A fixed-rate mortgage can make principal and interest predictable, but other ownership costs can still rise. And rising rents don’t guarantee rising home values.
My take: this is a useful moment to update your comparison. There’s no need to let a headline make the decision for you.
If you’re weighing a move, reply with the city you’re considering and your approximate timeline. I’d be happy to help you identify which numbers to compare for your situation.
Westin Means Westin Means Business, brokered by eXp Realty Reply to Westin (mailto:west@westinmeans.com?subject=Renting%20or%20buying&body=Hi%20Westin%2C%0AThe%20city%20I%E2%80%99m%20considering%20is%3A%0AMy%20approximate%20timeline%20is%3A) Let me know if there is anything I can do for you Call/Text Westin Means 510-735-5685 Here are a few resources for Home Buyers & Sellers that I have curated.
Read the Seller’s Guide (https://www.dropbox.com/s/y3v4t0j90matosy/Listing%20Presentation%20x%20TEAMFAST.pdf?dl=0) Search For Homes (https://westinmeans856.realscout.me/) https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/mortgage-rates
https://hmbt.co/ZpDiU3
Current Listings
** 6606 Hagen Blvd, El Cerrito, CA 94530 ------------------------------------------------------------ * Asking $1,388,000 * 5 Bed | 4 Bath * 2,530 Sq Ft
View Listing (https://www.homes.com/property/6606-hagen-blvd-el-cerrito-ca/qwf1wh48746kn/)
** 1249 Heavenly Dr, Martinez, CA 94553 ------------------------------------------------------------ * Asking $849,000 * 4 Bed | 2 Bath * 1,564 Sq Ft
View Listing (https://www.homes.com/property/1249-heavenly-dr-martinez-ca/d0jw3qyscse54/)
** 3818 Suter St, Oakland, CA 94619 ------------------------------------------------------------ * Asking $649,000 * 3 Bed | 2 Bath
View Listing (https://www.homes.com/property/3818-suter-st-oakland-ca/y6gy2y6tgz920/) https://www.homes.com/property/6606-hagen-blvd-el-cerrito-ca/qwf1wh48746kn/ https://www.homes.com/property/1249-heavenly-dr-martinez-ca/d0jw3qyscse54/ https://www.homes.com/property/3818-suter-st-oakland-ca/y6gy2y6tgz920/
** County Level Data ------------------------------------------------------------ Alameda County Data (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/1510/alameda-county-ca/) Contra Costa County Data (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/3159/contra-costa-county-ca/) Marin County Data (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/625/marin-county-ca/) San Francisco County Data (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/3227/san-francisco-county-ca/) Santa Clara County Data (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/3136/santa-clara-county-ca/)
** City Level Data ------------------------------------------------------------ Alameda (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/16697/alameda-ca/) Berkeley (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/16992/berkeley-ca/) Concord (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/51518/concord-ca/) Fremont (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/11540/fremont-ca/) Lafayette (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/25455/lafayette-ca/) Moraga (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/32942/moraga-ca/) Orinda (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/42569/orinda-ca/) Pleasant Hill (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/53925/pleasant-hill-ca/) San Francisco (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/20330/san-francisco-ca/) San Jose (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/33839/san-jose-ca/) Union City (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/41333/union-city-ca/) Albany (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/37073/albany-ca/) Castro Valley (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/30785/castro-valley-ca/) El Cerrito (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/51858/el-cerrito-ca/) Hayward (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/18518/hayward-ca/) Martinez (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/12592/martinez-ca/) Oakland (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/13072/oakland-ca/) Piedmont (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/6495/piedmont-ca/) Richmond (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/26751/richmond-ca/) San Leandro (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/13698/san-leandro-ca/) San Lorenzo (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/47550/san-lorenzo-ca/) Walnut Creek (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/34637/walnut-creek-ca/)
My goal is to tell you what the evidence suggests, explain the tradeoffs in plain language and help you stay focused on the decisions that matter.
I am always available
Westin Means (510) 735-5685 (tel:+15107355685) west@westinmeans.com DRE 02068528 westinmeansbusiness.com (https://westinmeansbusiness.com/)
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