Imagine you've owned your California home for 20, 30 or even 40 years. You bought it when prices were dramatically lower. Over the decades, the home's value climbed — perhaps to $1 million, $1.5 million or considerably more. But thanks to California's Proposition 13, your property's taxable value may still be far below its current market value. Now you want to move. Maybe you want to downsize. Maybe you want to leave the Bay Area for a less expensive part of Califor

Many purchased or refinanced when mortgage rates were dramatically lower than today's market. At the same time, years of home-price appreciation have left longtime owners with substantial equity. A recent Realtor.com analysis estimates that the typical California homeowner has approximately $627,000 in home equity. That creates an obvious question: What if you need access to some of that equity but don't want to give up your existing first mortgage? For certain homeow

If you're buying an expensive home in San Francisco, you may need a jumbo mortgage — but probably not as quickly as you think. For 2026, the conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in San Francisco County is $1,249,125. That means there are really three financing ranges San Francisco buyers should understand: 1. Conforming financing up to the national baseline limit. 2. High-balance conforming financing above the national baseline but within San Francisco County's