A beautiful open house doesn’t tell the whole story. In this episode, host Andrew Orr sits down with Bay Area home inspector Brian Cogley to explore what buyers should know before committing to a Bay Area home; from making sense of inspection findings to understanding potential repair costs. Plus, a practical lightning round to help you look beyond the fresh paint and ask better questions.

Episode Chapters

00:00- Welcome and Guest Intro

02:32- What a Home Inspector Actually Does

08:30- Biggest Red Flags to Fear

30:10- Should Buyers Hire Their Own Inspector?

36:05- Repair Cost Lightning Round

40:38- Closing and Takeaways

About the Guest

Brian Cogley has been inspecting Bay Area homes since 2004. A California licensed general contractor and American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Certified Inspector, he also holds certifications in residential building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspection. Brian served four years as president of Golden Gate ASHI and has taught building inspection and maintenance classes to Native American and public housing authorities across the country. He is also featured on the cover and in the introduction of The Complete Guide to Home Inspection.

Resources and Links

• Cogley Property Inspections— Brian's company website and contact information

Music:

• "Outside the Lines," 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.

What did getting a real estate license actually teach me about buying a home? Some of the most useful lessons came from the chapters I could barely get through.

In this short solo episode of HouseCall SF, I share four lessons from real estate school that helped my family navigate our Bay Area home purchase:

• Questioning a lender’s requirement about our purchase agreement.
• Negotiating for a seller-paid home warranty.
• Exploring seller financing—and why we ultimately didn’t use it.
• Taking ownership of the disclosure checklist instead of assuming someone else had it covered.

You don’t need a real estate license to use these lessons. You just need to know what to ask and when to ask someone to explain why.

Follow HouseCall SF for practical homebuying conversations for healthcare workers and other busy professionals. Find more at HouseCallSF.com and on Instagram @housecallsf.

Music:

• "Outside the Lines," 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.

San Francisco single-family-home prices have risen roughly 25% year over year—so where can buyers still find value?

In this episode, Andrew speaks with Michael Williams, a Bay Area real estate broker and a broker-associate at flat-fee brokerage TurboHome, about what is driving the market and where opportunities remain. They discuss relatively affordable neighborhood hidden gems, recent changes in the condo market, strategies for finding value, and Michael’s forecast for the next six to twelve months.

Whether you are actively searching or watching from the sidelines, this episode offers a practical look at where the San Francisco market may be headed and smart tips for how buyers can position themselves for the opportunities ahead.

About the Guest

Michael Williams is a Bay Area real estate agent with 17 years of experience. He is a broker-associate at TurboHome, working with buyers, sellers, and investors throughout the Bay Area, with a particular focus on San Francisco and the mid-Peninsula.

Resources and Links

• Michael Williams at TurboHome — Michael’s profile and contact information

Music:

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