Specialist · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 8 posts · 3 votes
Currently looking for creative ways to aquire a condo in SF (non BMR). Within the next month I will be debt free with about 40-50k cash on hand. Any suggestions? Seller financing?
Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
5mo
Unless you are a "specialist" in condo operating budgets, reserve funding plans, local law and Governing documents for the project you are interested in, stick to Fee simple ownership. There are too many ways a condo/HOA can change the rules and change your annual expenses outside of your control.
Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
5mo
Unless you are a "specialist" in condo operating budgets, reserve funding plans, local law and Governing documents for the project you are interested in, stick to Fee simple ownership. There are too many ways a condo/HOA can change the rules and change your annual expenses outside of your control.
Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2026 · 13 posts · 1 vote
2mo
Congrats on getting to the point where you’ll be debt free and have cash available. That’s a strong position to start from.
Seller financing is definitely something worth exploring, especially if you find a seller who values certainty, flexibility, or a faster/easier closing process. That said, in San Francisco condos, the challenge is usually finding a seller who has enough equity and is motivated enough to consider creative terms.
A few other things I’d look at:
Negotiating credits or a price adjustment on condos that have been sitting longer.
Looking for sellers who have owned the property for a long time and may have more flexibility.
Exploring whether a conventional loan with your cash reserves could get you into a better position than waiting for the perfect creative deal.
The biggest question is probably what your goal is—are you looking for a primary residence, a rental investment, or a future house hack?
I’m also in California and interested in creative ways investors are structuring deals in this market. Curious what area of SF you’re targeting and what kind of condo you’re looking for.
Congrats on getting to the point where you’ll be debt free and have cash available. That’s a strong position to start from.
Seller financing is definitely something worth exploring, especially if you find a seller who values certainty, flexibility, or a faster/easier closing process. That said, in San Francisco condos, the challenge is usually finding a seller who has enough equity and is motivated enough to consider creative terms.
A few other things I’d look at:
Negotiating credits or a price adjustment on condos that have been sitting longer.
Looking for sellers who have owned the property for a long time and may have more flexibility.
Exploring whether a conventional loan with your cash reserves could get you into a better position than waiting for the perfect creative deal.
The biggest question is probably what your goal is—are you looking for a primary residence, a rental investment, or a future house hack?
I’m also in California and interested in creative ways investors are structuring deals in this market. Curious what area of SF you’re targeting and what kind of condo you’re looking for.
I'm curious. What numbers do you look for in condo project financials to provide insight as to the actual condition of their finances, that could affect an individual purchase next year, or 3 years from now, or more, and how do you protect your investment from that?