San Francisco DSCR Loans
San Francisco landlords rent into a market with a median home value of $1,424,767 and a median rent of $4,682 a month. Investors weighing a DSCR loan here are working with a 3.94% gross yield, which at 6.95% supports a DSCR near 0.52 at 20% down.
Median Home Value
$1,424,767
Median Rent
$4,682
Gross Yield
3.94%
DSCR @ 20% Down
0.52
Sources: Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08-31 · Zillow ZORI, 2026-08-31 · Freddie Mac via FRED (MORTGAGE30US), 6.95% as of 2026-09-17
San Francisco Rental Economics
Median household income in San Francisco is $141,446. Roughly 836,321 people live in San Francisco. Investors looking at San Francisco are comparing a 3.94% gross yield against a 6.95% cost of borrowing. Where that spread is thin, San Francisco gets bought for appreciation and held long term rather than bought for monthly cash flow, and the underwriting has to reflect that.
Gross Rental Yield
3.94%
Annual median rent measured against median home value in San Francisco.
Down Payment for a 0.75 DSCR
50.0%
What San Francisco financing typically needs to clear a 0.75 ratio.
Median Household Income
$141,446
Census income for San Francisco.
What DSCR Financing Requires in San Francisco
A DSCR lender sizes a San Francisco loan against the rent rather than your personal income. On a median-priced San Francisco property the ratio lands at 0.52 with 20% down and 0.61 with 35% down, so reaching a 0.75 ratio takes roughly 50% down and reaching 1.0 takes about 66%. These are median-property figures for San Francisco. A specific deal moves with the rent an appraiser supports and with the taxes and insurance on that parcel.
| Down payment | DSCR in San Francisco | Typical lender treatment |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 0.52 | Below the 0.75 floor most lenders use |
| 35% | 0.61 | Below the 0.75 floor most lenders use |
Median-property figures for San Francisco. Taxes and insurance modelled at 1.25% of value per year. A specific deal will vary with the rent and the parcel.
Submarkets Inside San Francisco
Rental performance moves street by street inside San Francisco. These are the areas investors ask about most often:
San Francisco DSCR Questions
What is the median home value in San Francisco?
The median home value in San Francisco is $1,424,767 as of August 2026 (Zillow ZHVI). Median rent is $4,682 a month, a gross yield of 3.94%.
What down payment does a DSCR loan need in San Francisco?
On a median-priced San Francisco rental at a 6.95% rate, reaching a 0.75 DSCR takes roughly 50% down, and reaching 1.0 takes about 66%. The real number depends on the rent, taxes and insurance for that specific property.
Does DSCR lending work in San Francisco?
San Francisco needs a real down payment for a DSCR loan to work. The median home value of $1,424,767 against a median rent of $4,682 produces a gross yield of 3.94%. At 6.95%, that supports about a 0.52 ratio at 20% down, so a DSCR approval in San Francisco generally means roughly 50% down for a 0.75 ratio.
Is San Francisco a cash-flow market or an appreciation market?
With a gross yield of 3.94% against a 6.95% mortgage rate, San Francisco leans toward appreciation. Monthly cash flow is thin at these yields, so most San Francisco investors are underwriting the hold rather than the month.
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