Can I search San Francisco listings on this site?

The San Francisco search on this page opens the home search on matthewsmithrealty.com, which is operated under Luxe Places International Realty. Listings there are shown with listing brokerage credit.

Why are some San Francisco neighborhoods sunnier than others?

San Francisco is roughly three climates in seven miles. The west and the hilltops sit in the summer fog belt, while the east and southeast, including the Mission, Bernal Heights, and Potrero Hill, stay sunny because Twin Peaks blocks the marine layer. Sun often carries a measurable price premium.

Does buying near a good school in San Francisco guarantee my child a spot?

No. San Francisco public schools use a citywide choice system, not pure address-based assignment. There is a tiebreaker preference for your attendance-area school, but it is a preference, not a guarantee.

Who customarily pays the San Francisco transfer tax?

By local custom the seller usually pays the San Francisco real property transfer tax, though it is negotiable and should be confirmed with escrow on every deal. The rate is tiered by sale price and rises steeply at the top end.

San Francisco Homes & Neighborhood Guide

San Francisco from above

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Open San Francisco in OpenStreetMap

Gold points open each neighborhood guide.

Neighborhoods

35 neighborhoods, sorted by sun or fog, by features, and by home type. Tap a card to search homes there, or read the full guide.

Climate

Features

How you live

Neighborhood card photos via Wikimedia Commons, cropped: Pacific Heights: Christopher Beland, public domain; Presidio Heights: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0; Sea Cliff: Supercarwaar, CC BY-SA 4.0; Marina: WeiHsiang Wang, CC BY-SA 3.0; Cow Hollow: Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0; Russian Hill: Benoît Prieur, CC0; Nob Hill: Junipercypress, CC BY-SA 4.0; North Beach & Telegraph Hill: Lily Phan, CC BY-SA 3.0; Financial District & Jackson Square: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0; Noe Valley: Yaman32, CC BY-SA 3.0; Castro & Eureka Valley: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0; Cole Valley: Robin Sloan, CC BY 2.0; Haight-Ashbury: Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0; Glen Park: Mx. Granger, CC0; Twin Peaks & Diamond Heights: Daderot, CC0; Mission: Travel Coffee Book, CC0; Potrero Hill: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0; Dogpatch: Clyde Charles Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mission Bay: Insightwm, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hayes Valley: Daderot, CC0; NoPa: Clinton Steeds, CC BY 2.0; Alamo Square: Bernard Spragg. NZ, CC0; Inner Richmond: Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0; Outer Richmond: Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0; Inner Sunset: Goldrock95, CC0; Outer Sunset & Parkside: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0; St. Francis Wood: Goldrock95, CC0; Forest Hill: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0; West Portal: Drew Jacksich, CC BY 2.0; Excelsior: Tim Adams, CC BY 3.0; Outer Mission: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bayview & Portola: Firstcultural, CC0; Visitacion Valley: anonymouse1, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sun and fog by neighborhood

Sun belt, east and southeast.
Fog belt, west.
Mixed, central and north.
The team can walk a block with you at the time of day you would use it.

Sunny Mixed Fog belt

Disclosures and city requirements

San Francisco has local rules that change what a home costs to buy, hold, or rent out.

Transfer tax is tiered +

San Francisco charges a real property transfer tax that rises with price, from 0.5 percent at the low end up to 6 percent on sales of $25M and over. By local custom the seller usually pays it, though it is negotiable. Source: City and County of San Francisco, sf.gov/transfer-tax

The 3R Report +

Sellers must provide a Report of Residential Building Record, the 3R report, which documents the permit and legal-use history of the property. Source: SF Department of Building Inspection, sf.gov/request3r

Soft-story retrofit on older multi-unit buildings +

Wood-frame buildings with five or more units and two or more stories over a basement or underfloor area, permitted before January 1, 1978, had to be seismically retrofitted under the city's Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program. Retrofit status by address is on the city's soft-story properties map. Source: SF mandatory soft-story program and properties map, sfgov.org/sfc/esip/soft-story

Tenancy in common versus condominium +

A tenancy in common, or TIC, is shared ownership of one property. The condo-conversion lottery has been suspended since 2013 and not reinstated, with a limited two-unit bypass path. Source: SF Tenants Union and Sirkin Law conversion summaries

Rent control +

Multi-unit buildings with a certificate of occupancy before June 13, 1979 are generally rent-controlled, which caps rent increases and limits removing tenants. Single-family homes and condos are exempt from the rent-increase cap, though just-cause eviction rules still apply. Source: San Francisco Tenants Union, sftu.org/rent-control

Short-term rental rules +

Only a primary residence qualifies for short-term rental, the host must register with the city, and host-absent rentals are capped at 90 nights a year. A pure investment or second home does not qualify. Source: SF Office of Short-Term Rentals, sf.gov short-term rental guide

Property tax reassessment +

Under Prop 13 the home is reassessed to market value when you buy, then rises no more than 2 percent a year. The San Francisco secured rate is about 1.18 percent for fiscal year 2026 to 2027, and you will get a one-time supplemental bill for the difference after closing. Source: SF Treasurer and Tax Collector, sftreasurer.org

How school assignment works

San Francisco public schools use a citywide choice system, not pure address-based assignment. Buying near a particular school does not guarantee your child a seat there. There is a tiebreaker preference for your attendance-area school.