1031 Exchanges: What Real Estate Investors Should Know Before They Sell

For many real estate investors, one of the biggest obstacles to selling an appreciated property isn’t finding a buyer. It’s the tax consequences of selling. An investor may have owned a rental house, apartment building, commercial property, or other investment real estate for years—or even decades. Commercial Real Estate Loans Archives – Steven Hook, San…

A Homebuyer’s Credit Readiness Checklist Every year, thousands of prospective homebuyers spend weeks browsing homes online, attending open houses, and imagining themselves in their dream home—only to discover that a credit issue or financing obstacle delays their plans. The good news? Many of these issues can be identified and addressed before you ever begin house…

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that I write about a wide variety of financing topics. One week it might be VA loans. Another week it could be construction financing, condominium lending, bridge loans, owner-occupied commercial real estate, financing for medical professionals, or one of my Mission Impossible…

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear from business owners is that there’s only one type of commercial real estate loan. In reality, there isn’t. There are multiple financing strategies, each designed for different borrowers, different businesses, different property types, and different long-term goals. Over the years, I’ve helped physicians purchase medical offices, contractors acquire…

One of the Best Home Loan Benefits in America—And One of the Most Misunderstood As a mortgage broker in San Francisco, I do not see VA loans every day the way lenders in more military-heavy markets might. But that has not stopped them from becoming some of my favorite loans. Why? Because when a VA…

For years, many homebuyers believed their mortgage options were controlled entirely by one thing: Their FICO score. Now, the lending world is beginning to shift in a very important way. A newer scoring model called VantageScore is rapidly expanding across the mortgage industry, and it could create more opportunities for both buyers and homeowners —…

If you’ve owned a home for a while in the San Francisco Bay Area, you already know what the “lock-in effect” is. Homeowners sitting on 2–3% mortgage rates aren’t moving easily. Many have said, half-jokingly, they’re leaving “feet first in a pine box.” The result? Inventory remains tight (as of Q1 2026) Desirable homes still…

In San Francisco condo financing, not every building qualifies for conventional lending. Bay Area Condo Requirements, in general, are just about the same level of complexity, but possibly have even more variables. A non-warrantable condo typically fails HOA, insurance, or ownership guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Understanding these requirements before writing an…

Buying a condo is often the smartest entry point into California homeownership — but condo financing has rules most buyers never hear about until it’s too late. Even with good credit and savings, your loan can fail because of the building, not you. Here are the most common condo financing mistakes millennials make in California…

I have known Howard Steiermann for over two decades, used him as an appraiser for San Francisco Residential Real Estate and he is on my list of RECOMMENDED PROFESSIONALS you will find under RESOURCES on this website. https://www.sanfranciscoloanoptions.com/recommended-professionals/ The question to Howard was: What are the top ideas, tips and unknown aspects of residential appraisal…