You build the future.
Find your place in it.
Silicon Valley home buying for technology professionals.
Model your finances. Explore the tradeoffs. Make a more considered move.
Your compensation is complex.
Your plan should be clear.
Start with the dependable part of your income. Then see what changes when you introduce bonus and equity.
Buying power lab
ILLUSTRATIVELoan, tax & ownership assumptions
Equity compensation scenarios
Use annual vested, distributed equity as an educational input. The inclusion factor is your assumption, not a lender policy. Private-company equity, unvested grants and tender offers are not automatically qualifying income.
Read Fannie Mae’s RSU guidance ›estimated monthly housing payment
Same home. Different income assumptions.
At 28–36% total debt / gross income using the conservative equity scenario and your fixed down payment. These are planning settings, not qualification thresholds.
30-year fixed amortization. Housing includes principal, interest, tax, insurance, HOA and PMI assumption; maintenance is shown separately. No credit review or preapproval. No tax advice. Values stay in memory and reset on reload.
Optimize for your actual life.
Start with the office you’ll use, the places you enjoy, and the home you need. City names are only the beginning.
Hub-first geography, without invented travel times.
Your comparison 0 / 3
Select up to three places to compare their tradeoffs.
Qualitative research starting points, not citywide scores or property valuations. Price depends on property type, condition and address; no current market prices are asserted. Proximity describes broad city geography, not mileage or traffic. Walkability, schools and infrastructure must be checked for the exact address. Official Caltrain stations ›
Make a personal research shortlist
Choose priorities. Matching is a transparent count of the editorial tags shown on each card; ties follow the city list. It does not use protected characteristics or school demographics.
Buying is a decision.
So is staying flexible.
Compare ownership with renting and investing the difference. Small changes in assumptions can change the outcome.
Buy vs. rent simulator
Independent scenario; these inputs do not change the buying power lab.
All model assumptions
Based solely on the editable assumptions
How the comparison works
Buyer position is sale proceeds after selling costs and remaining loan balance. Renter invests the down payment and avoided purchase closing costs. Each month, the lower-cost side invests its savings at the assumed return. Ownership cash flow includes mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, HOA and PMI. Rent grows annually. No tax benefits, capital gains taxes, investment taxes, moving costs or refinancing are modeled. Negative cash-flow differences are invested by the other side, not silently discarded. The mortgage ends after 360 months. These are scenarios, not forecasts.
Do the homework.
Then make your move.
A practical sequence for compensation, neighborhood research and the details behind a beautiful home.
Your buying roadmap
A smarter home checklist.
Selections stay in this tab until reload.
Think in systems, not just square feet.
Separate income from liquidity. A grant’s headline value, lender-recognized income and cash available to close are different numbers. Coordinate vesting, trading windows, tax reserves and settlement time before committing to an offer.
Reduce correlated risks. Your role, portfolio and home market may all depend on the same technology cycle. Stress-test a stock decline and an employment gap together. Keep a reserve beyond the down payment.
Research the micro-market. Compare similar homes in the same local area, then examine lot usability, layout, condition, HOA obligations and insurance. A city median cannot price the home in front of you.
Buy for an ordinary Tuesday. Test the door-to-door commute, including station access and the last mile. Check workspace acoustics, light, connectivity and the neighborhood at the times you’ll actually use it.
Field notes & related reading
Read the AI professional’s guide to Bay Area home buying ›
Questions worth asking
Can RSUs fund a down payment?
Ask your lender about documentation and your tax advisor about sale timing and taxes. Available funds and qualifying income are separate underwriting questions.
Should I choose San Francisco, the Peninsula or the South Bay?
Use your actual office address and schedule. Compare housing type, total costs and the everyday routes you would use. Visit the specific neighborhood before deciding.
What should I investigate in an Eichler?
Review roof, glazing, radiant heat, electrical capacity and alteration records with qualified inspectors. An architectural preference does not replace property due diligence.
Sources, dates & limitations
Research reviewed November 12, 2026. Calculator defaults are sample inputs, not market observations, quotes or forecasts. No live listing feed, market medians, school ratings or traffic API is connected. School assignments must be confirmed directly with the district for each address; city boundaries do not establish enrollment. Request dated comparable sales by home type from the team.
Bring your questions.
We’ll bring our homework.
Discuss your home-buying strategy with the Property Nerds®
at the Boyenga Team, Compass.