Is the "Urban Exodus" Over? SF’s Surprise Surge & The 2026 Outlook
Hi everyone, As we wrap up the year, the November 2025 housing numbers are in, and they paint a picture of a market in transition. As an investor, I’m always looking for data that contradicts the popular narrative. For the last two years, the story has been the "exodus" from expensive coastal cities to affordable hubs. While that trend is still very much alive, November showed us a spark of life in a major market that many had written off. Here is my take on the latest shifts in the landscape and what they mean for us as we head into 2026. The Surprise: San Francisco Wakes Up While the South and West generally trailed behind the rest of the country last month, San Francisco defied the odds. The metro area climbed 36 spots in the Realtor.com Hottest Housing Markets ranking. This is the most dramatic jump among large U.S. markets. Why this matters to us: San Francisco is still pricey (median list price: $915k), but it’s becoming efficient again. Homes there are moving in 50 d...