# I Was Just in Sacramento. Here’s What It Means for SF Buyers. *Real Talks with Ichi | April 2026*
Today, I was in Sacramento for CAR Legislative Day — one of the most important days of the year for REALTORS® across California. We walked the Capitol, met with lawmakers, and advocated for the people we serve every single day: buyers and sellers trying to make it work in one of the most challenging real estate markets in the country.
I want to bring that back to you in plain language.
So here’s what was on the table — and why it matters to you.
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## 1. California Is Finally Getting Serious About Building More Homes
Let’s start with the big one: supply.
California is short millions of homes. You feel it every time you lose a bidding war, every time a listing goes $200K over asking, every time you wonder if homeownership is even possible here. The shortage is real — and it’s been building for decades.
But Sacramento is pushing hard this year on three fronts:
**Factory-Built Housing**
Think of it like an assembly line for homes. Instead of building everything on-site from scratch, components are built in a factory — faster, more efficiently, with less waste — and then assembled on location. Off-site construction can cut timelines by 10 to 30 percent. That means more homes built, sooner. You’ve probably already noticed modular cranes going up around the Bay Area. This is only going to grow.
**Missing Middle Housing**
Duplexes. Townhomes. Small apartment buildings. These are the housing types that have been largely absent from San Francisco’s single-family neighborhoods for decades — and they’re exactly what a lot of buyers actually want. New legislation is pushing to unlock more of these in neighborhoods that have historically resisted anything but detached single-family homes. More housing types means more options at more price points.
**Streamlined Permitting**
Here’s a cost that most buyers never think about: waiting. In California, permits can take months — sometimes years — to get approved. Every month of delay costs builders money, and that cost gets passed directly to you in the form of higher prices. New legislation would require cities to disclose all building requirements within 30 days of a housing application. No more moving goalposts. No more surprise requirements added months into a project. Faster permits mean more homes get built — and that’s good for everyone.
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## 2. Faster Permit Processing = More Inventory for You
I want to spend a little more time on permits because this one doesn’t get enough attention.
When a developer has to wait 18 months just to break ground — before a single nail is hammered — the cost of that wait gets baked into the price of every unit they eventually sell. It’s one of the invisible reasons why new construction in San Francisco is so expensive.
If Sacramento can hold cities accountable to real timelines, we could start to see a meaningful shift in how quickly new housing reaches the market. It’s not a silver bullet. But it’s a real step in the right direction.
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## 3. Credit Score vs. Cash Flow — The Qualifying Game Is Changing
This one is especially important for my self-employed clients, freelancers, and small business owners — and there are a lot of you in San Francisco.
For a long time, your credit score was the gatekeeper. One number determined whether you could get a mortgage, at what rate, and for how much. But lenders are increasingly shifting toward cash flow-based underwriting — looking at your actual income and spending patterns, not just a three-digit score.
What does that mean in practice? If you have strong, consistent income but a complicated tax return, you may qualify for more than you think. Bank statement loans, DSCR loans for investors, and other alternative products are becoming more mainstream.
The key question to ask your lender: *“Do you offer cash flow or bank statement-based qualification?”*
If they only know one way to underwrite, it might be time to talk to someone who knows more options.
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## Why I Show Up
The housing market in San Francisco is hard. But it’s not impossible. And understanding what’s happening at the policy level is one more tool in your corner.
Have questions about qualifying, what’s coming to the SF market, or how any of this applies to your situation? My DMs are open.
📩 ichihalvorson@goldengate365.com
🌐 goldengate365.com
📱 @ichi.sf.realtor
🇰🇷 한국어 상담 가능
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*Ichi Halvorson is a REALTOR® at Golden Gate Realty & Finance (DRE #01973163), based in San Francisco. She has called the city home since 2003 and specializes in helping local, out-of-state, and international buyers navigate one of the world’s most competitive real estate markets.*
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This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult a licensed professional for guidance specific to your situation.
**Tags:** #RealTalksWithIchi #SFRealEstate #LegislativeDay #CARLegDay2026 #HousingSupply #MissingMiddle #PermitReform #MortgageTips #SFBuyers #CaliforniaHousing #GoldenGateRealty
