In the end we decided to go with the new construction. 
I think it was something like $1300/sqft and was way too overpriced, but it has a great view. I guess people get pretty emotional + irrational when buying a primary residence.
Given how most parts of SF will likely appreciate over the years, I guess buying anything desirable is a good idea 
Once he sees the weed growing in my condo balcony, heāll tell me otherwise 
In that case you need to share the joyā¦ 
Come on, everyone knows the sleepy Sunset SFHs are perfect for grow operationsā¦
Why else would 2bd/1ba small homes go for 1M+???
I would sell your condo that you live in, take the tax free gain (up to 500K if married) and roll it into a nice SFH in the peninsula and live happily ever after. If you buy a condo, I can not guarantee the last partā¦
The city is close enough to come up often but for the 5 out of the 7 days you want your commute to be short if not reasonable. Long commutes can wreak havoc on your health and relationships. Not worth it.
As @manch mentioned in another thread I posted about HOA, he got a bill from the HOA about something that he was not aware of. Thatās one of the knocks of being part of a condo complex. Iāll take my chances on my own with a SFH thank you very much. I am not going to pay for amenities that either I donāt use or can easily provide on my own at a fraction of the cost. I also gain the most important part it, the freedom to do as I please with my home. I can add to it. I can paint it whatever color I want. Or choose not to. That extra $500-$1k every month adds up. Donāt do it. Buy the SFH if you can afford it, which it sounds like easily, and you will make out from it in spades years later should you want to then downsize. The main problem with buying a condo in SF right now is that there is so much supply and more to come. I do not recommend buying anything for that matter that they are making more of if one has thoughts of appreciation. If you can get one cheaply, that is one thing, but the ones you are looking at can easily be fitted with a SFH. You say you donāt have time for the upkeep. Well, go hire a gardener/maid. That can be your monthly HOA fee that you are willing to fork over so easilyā¦
Right. This was my rational arguments originally. Itās just that my wife is truly unhappy about living in a 50yr old house in a suburban town - weāre still in our early-mid 30s and are both from big cities. Then we thought, we can always switch jobs to SF if commute becomes a problem. Last time I looked, all the tech companies weād consider moving to are in SF anyway.
Since Iāve been in South Bay for ~5 years, Iāve seen how the house prices are more stable at SFH than in TH/Condos. I donāt know if the same holds true in SF, and thatās the only thing that concerns me. Down here, home prices are driven by school districts > commute >>>> age of home. Thatās really depressing for us because a) we donāt have kids (and happy to move elsewhere if we ever have kids), b) we hate upkeeping homes + arranging for handymen, c) we love living in the city with ease of commute, restaurant, stores, etc.
I donāt knowā¦ We were seriously considering just renting in SF until we have kids and just lose out on rents. Rent seems cheaper than interest weād be paying on mortgages anyway. Hmph.
Too much attention is being placed on the age of the home. Frankly, the older homesā bones tend to be better. Better construction and better woods used. I am sure others here, like @Elt1 would attest to that general notion. Believe me, any one of the regulars here would kill for a 50 year + āoldā Palo Alto home without batting an eyeā¦
The last thing you want to do is rent indefinitely. What is the #1 saying: you want your money to work for you at the end of the day, right? If the plan without any doubt involves kids in your future, I would seriously just go and buy a perhaps smaller SFH in a peninsula city that has a good/great/trending up school district that meets your current budget and has potential for expansion when you really need it and presumably have more capital to throw into it. If you can buy the ādreamā house now with enough rooms for your forseeable max family size, I would do it and go on with enjoying your life. Donāt think too much.
You leak the secret to millennials 
You have not addressed his observation that ārent is less than mortgage interestā.
Iām a millennial and personally I would never buy a condo unless itās super duper cheap and HOA is within reasonable limits. Ditto on what @sfdragonboy said to move on since you already made your purchase.
I say, trust the wife and buy the condo. Sometimes you need to be a bit romantic and not be an accountant all the timeā¦ You will come out fine. Donāt worry.
I wouldnāt live there, but the numbers donāt lieā¦
South Beach and SOMA condo prices are still falling. Still a good time to buy.
94105 has gained quite a bit this year, mostly because of new constructions jacking up prices. They started selling cheaper units first and later ones are quite a bit higher.
OTOH, if you look for $1100/sqft, there still are lots. 1000/sqft is now hard to find however. Makes sense, since Mission Bay has surpassed 1100/sqft long ago.