Falling in love with a home is easy. Understanding the steps to actually make it your own is where the real work begins.

In this episode, Andrew speaks with San Francisco real estate agent Sam Buckwalter for a practical, step-by-step roadmap from pre-approval to closing. They discuss how to choose the right lender and agent, where to focus your attention during an open house and in reviewing disclosures, and why recent comparable sales are better anchors than the list price for certain Bay Area communities.

About the Guest

Sam Buckwalter is a San Francisco Realtor with Compass and cofounder of Renée + Sam Real Homes. Together, Sam and his business partner, Renée Gonsalves, bring 30 years of combined experience and have helped clients buy and sell more than 350 homes throughout San Francisco. Sam is known for helping buyers understand the nuances of the local market and making the homebuying process feel clear, strategic and manageable. A San Francisco resident since 2010, he is also an avid gardener and an active member of the city’s dahlia community.

Resources and Links

https://OwninSF.com- Sam's real estate team website

https://www.instagram.com/sambuckwalter/- Sam's Instagram page

Music:

• "Outside the Lines," courtesy of Riverside's license-free music library
• “Free Spirit,” courtesy of Riverside’s license-free music library

Have a question, topic idea, or story to share? Visit HouseCallSF.com and contact us. If you found the episode helpful, please follow HouseCall SF and share it with someone navigating Bay Area homeownership.

HouseCall SF is for educational purposes only and does not provide financial, legal, tax, or real estate advice.

In the Bay Area, it can feel as though there is never a perfect time to buy. Or that waiting even a little longer means falling permanently behind.

In this episode, Andrew speaks with Justin Harvey, CFP®, founder of APM Wealth and co-host of Money Meets Medicine, about how buyers can navigate this tension. They discuss buying vs renting in the Bay Area, hidden costs of homeownership, how to determine what you can realistically afford, and how career plans, values, and risk tolerance should shape your choices.

This episode is designed to help local buyers move beyond vague advice and feel confident making smart decisions based on their own circumstances. Whether you are just starting your home search or deep in the process, this episode will help you think more clearly about when buying a home makes sense, and when waiting may be the wiser choice.

Episode Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:33 - Meet Justin Harvey
00:03:45 - Rent vs Buy Discussion
00:20:33 - How Much Home Can You Afford?
00:30:21 - How Much Cash Is Needed After Closing?
00:34:59 - Should External Factors Influence Timing of Your Home Purchase?
00:38:55 - Physician Loans and Adjustable Rate Mortgages
00:44:22 - The Right Time to Buy is When...

About the Guest

Justin Harvey, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, is a fee-only financial advisor with 17 years of experience in the industry and more than 15 years as a business owner. He is also a physician spouse, father of three, podcast host, and—as he puts it—a resident of a “terrible tax jurisdiction.”

Justin is the founder of a wealth management firm built for physicians and high-net-worth families seeking greater clarity, coordination, and control. He works closely with anesthesiologists, pain physicians, practice owners, and physician entrepreneurs. His firm focuses on simplifying complexity for delegation-minded families and helping them make well-calibrated decisions at the intersection of wealth, work, and family.

You can reach Justin at justin@apmsuccess.com.

Resources and Links

• https://www.apm-wealth.com/ — Justin’s wealth-management firm, APM Wealth
• APM Success — Justin’s podcast
• Money Meets Medicine Podcast — Co-hosted by Justin Harvey and Dr. Jimmy Turner
• Redfin: Renting Versus Buying in Major U.S. Markets — The rent-versus-buy comparison discussed during the episode

Music:

• "Outside the Lines," courtesy of Riverside's license-free music library
• “Blue Tuxedo,” courtesy of Riverside’s license-free music library
• "Electric Dream," courtesy of Riverside's license-free music library

Have a question, topic idea, or story to share? Visit HouseCallSF.com and contact us. If you found the episode helpful, please follow HouseCall SF and share it with someone navigating Bay Area homeownership.

HouseCall SF is for educational purposes only and does not provide financial, legal, tax, or real estate advice.

After a Bay Area fixer-upper sold for $1 million over asking, physician Andrew Orr realized how little he understood about the system behind the biggest financial decision of his life. In this solo introduction, Andrew shares why he earned a California real estate license, what he learned buying his first home, and why he created HouseCall SF to kick the tires on Bay Area real estate to better inform prospective homebuyers.

In This Episode

• Why Bay Area homebuying can feel uniquely confusing and high-stakes
• What Andrew learned from studying real estate and buying without an agent
• How HouseCall SF will help Bay Area homebuyers ask better questions, avoid costly surprises, and make informed decisions

Resources & Links

• Visit HouseCallSF.com to submit a question or suggest a future topic.
• S.F. homes are selling for $1 million over asking — San Francisco Chronicle
• A.I. Boom Upends San Francisco Housing Market — The New York Times

Music

• "Outside the Lines," courtesy of Riverside's license-free music library

Disclaimer

HouseCall SF is for general educational purposes only and does not provide legal, tax, financial, lending, or real estate advice. Andrew Orr holds a California real estate salesperson license but does not provide brokerage services through this podcast or in any other context. Nothing discussed herein or in any HouseCall SF production creates an agency, fiduciary, or other relationship. The views expressed herein are solely those of Andrew Orr, HouseCall SF, and its guests, and do not represent the views of other individual, entity, or institution. Please verify any information and consult a qualified real estate professional before making any real estate decisions.

Have a question, topic idea, or story to share? Visit HouseCallSF.com and contact us. If you found the episode helpful, please follow HouseCall SF and share it with someone navigating Bay Area homeownership.

HouseCall SF is for educational purposes only and does not provide financial, legal, tax, or real estate advice.