Local market • San Francisco, CA
House Flipping Calculator for San Francisco, CA
Among the highest price points in the country — flips demand significant capital, but cosmetic updates on dated inventory can produce large absolute profits.
Worked example: the 80% rule in San Francisco
With a median home price around $1,300,000 in San Francisco, a flipper using a 80% of ARV rule would target a maximum offer near $884,000 on a property worth $1,300,000 after repairs with roughly $156,000 of rehab. The classic 70% rule is too conservative here — at a $1,300,000 ARV, a flat 70% would price you out of nearly every deal. Fixed transaction costs are a smaller share of a high ARV and competition compresses margins, so San Francisco flippers underwrite closer to 80%.
| After-repair value (ARV) | $1,300,000 |
| Estimated rehab (≈12% of ARV) | $156,000 |
| 80% of ARV | $1,040,000 |
| Maximum allowable offer (MAO) | $884,000 |
These are illustrative figures. Run the actual numbers — comps, true rehab scope, holding costs, financing — in the FlipOS deal analyzer for an accurate MAO.
A more accurate MAO: work backward from your costs
The percentage rule is just a shortcut for the real formula — subtract every cost and your target profit from the ARV:
MAO = ARV − rehab − closing − holding − selling − target profit
| After-repair value (ARV) | $1,300,000 |
| Rehab (≈12% of ARV) | −$156,000 |
| Buy / closing costs (≈2%) | −$26,000 |
| Holding costs (≈3%) | −$39,000 |
| Selling costs (≈6.5%) | −$84,500 |
| Target profit (≈9% of ARV) | −$110,500 |
| Maximum allowable offer (MAO) | $884,000 |
Notice this lands on the same $884,000 as the 80% rule above — the rule just bakes these costs into one number. The trade-off it hides: a higher ARV percentage means a thinner profit margin (9% here), which is exactly why competitive markets like San Francisco accept tighter spreads. Always confirm rehab, holding, and selling costs for the specific deal.
What flippers should know about San Francisco
Among the highest price points in the country — flips demand significant capital, but cosmetic updates on dated inventory can produce large absolute profits. As with any market, the headline median price masks wide variation block-to-block. Pull comps inside a one-mile radius (or tighter in urban submarkets), and confirm rehab costs with at least two local contractors before committing.
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