learnsix calculatorssourced rates, your assumptionsboyenga team at compass
Silicon Valley real estate calculators
Payments, what you can afford, transfer tax for every city we cover, Prop 13 and the supplemental bill, what you’d net from a sale, and renting versus buying. The rates are sourced; the assumptions are yours to change.
- monthly paymentMonthly paymentPrincipal, interest, tax, insurance and HOA, with the 2026 loan limits.
- budgetWhat you can affordWork back from income, debts and cash to a price.
- closingTransfer tax by cityCounty and city taxes for all 32 cities we cover, and who usually pays.
- prop 13Property taxThe yearly bill, the supplemental bill after closing, and the 2% cap.
- sellingSeller net sheetPrice minus commission, taxes, costs and payoff.
- rent or buyRent or buyNet worth either way, year by year, on your assumptions.
monthly payment
Monthly payment
What a home costs each month at your price, down payment and rate, including property tax, insurance and HOA dues.
your monthly payment
what you can afford
What price fits your budget
Start from your income, debts and cash, and see the price where the monthly cost fits your target debt-to-income ratio.
what fits
transfer tax by city
Transfer tax by city
Every sale in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties pays a county transfer tax, a few cities add their own, and San Francisco has its own brackets. Pick a city to see the total and how it’s usually split.
transfer tax at closing
property tax
Property tax and the supplemental bill
California taxes a home on its purchase price, then caps increases in assessed value at 2% a year. After closing, the county also sends a supplemental bill for the jump from the seller’s assessed value.
property tax estimate
seller net sheet
What you’d net from a sale
A first look at what reaches your account after a sale. Your escrow officer’s estimate replaces these numbers once you’re in contract.
estimated seller net
rent or buy
Rent or buy
Compare your net worth if you buy against renting and investing the difference, year by year. Change any assumption and the answer updates.
rent vs buy
↑ buying aheadyears 1–15↓ renting ahead
sources
Where the rates come from
Transfer tax and property tax figures come from county and city sources, checked October 15, 2026. Who-pays customs come from a 2024 Bay Area title-company chart and are negotiable.
- Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder: county and city transfer taxCounty tax $1.10 per $1,000; city taxes in San Jose, Palo Alto and Mountain View.clerkrecorder.santaclaracounty.gov
- San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer taxCounty tax $1.10 per $1,000.smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder/documentary-transfer-tax
- City and County of San Francisco: transfer taxSix price brackets from 0.50% to 6.00%, each applied to the whole price.www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- City of Mountain View: real property transfer tax (Measure G)1.5% of the whole price on sales over $6 million, in effect since December 20, 2024.www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/finance-and-administrative-services/city-tax-information/real-property-transfer-conveyance-tax
- City of San Mateo: Ordinance 2022-15 (Measure CC)0.5% below $10 million; 1.5% at $10 million or more.law.cityofsanmateo.org/us/ca/cities/san-mateo/ordinances/2022/15
- San Jose Measure E0.75% to 1.5% of the whole price on sales above about $2.3 million (an inflation-adjusted threshold), as published in a 2024 title-company manual. Confirm with escrow.
- FHFA: 2026 conforming loan limitsBaseline $832,750; high-cost ceiling $1,249,125 for one unit.www.fhfa.gov/news/news-release/fhfa-announces-conforming-loan-limit-values-for-2026
- Santa Clara County Assessor: supplemental assessmentsHow supplemental bills are figured, with the county’s own estimator.www.sccassessor.org
- San Francisco Board of Supervisors: 2025-26 property tax rate1.18268325% of assessed value.sfbos.archive.sf.gov/sites/default/files/r0447-25.pdf
- San Mateo County Tax Collector: secured property taxesTwo installments, due by December 10 and April 10.www.smcgov.org/tax/secured-property-taxes
questions
Questions we hear
Who pays transfer tax in Silicon Valley?
By local custom in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, the seller pays the county tax and buyer and seller split any city tax. In San Francisco, the seller pays the transfer tax. It’s negotiable, and the purchase contract sets it.
Which cities add their own transfer tax?
Among the cities we cover: San Jose, Palo Alto and Mountain View in Santa Clara County, the City of San Mateo and Hillsborough in San Mateo County, and San Francisco, which has its own brackets. San Jose’s Measure E adds 0.75% to 1.5% on sales above about $2.3 million, and Mountain View charges 1.5% on sales over $6 million.
What is the supplemental property tax bill?
After a sale, the county reassesses the home at its value on the closing date and bills the tax on the increase over the seller’s assessed value for the rest of the fiscal year, which runs July through June. A closing from January through May brings a second bill for the full next fiscal year. The bills come separately from the regular tax bill, usually months after closing.
How much can property tax go up each year?
Under Prop 13, assessed value can rise by at most 2% a year, or less when California’s inflation index is lower, until the home sells or new construction is added. Voter-approved bonds can change the rate, and parcel taxes and other direct charges are added to the bill.
What are the 2026 loan limits?
FHFA set the 2026 baseline conforming loan limit at $832,750 and the high-cost ceiling at $1,249,125 for a one-unit home. Larger loans are jumbo loans, priced and approved by each lender.
Are these numbers final?
No. They’re estimates for planning. Your lender’s loan estimate and your escrow officer’s closing estimate are the real figures, and we’ll go through both with you.
more to learn
Keep going
- Market PulseLive listings and 12 months of sale prices for every city we cover.
- What’s my home worth?A value range from a Property Nerd, based on the sales that match your home.
- Buy with the Property NerdsHow we help buyers win in Silicon Valley.
- Sell My HomeOur selling process, from prep to closing.
- Silicon Valley SchoolsSchool district boundaries and guides for every city we cover.
Estimates for general information only, not tax, legal or lending advice. Rates were checked October 15, 2026 and can change; confirm every figure with your lender, escrow officer and tax advisor.
talk to a property nerd
Want real numbers for a real home?
We’ll run the payment, the closing costs and the net with you for the home you’re buying or selling. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
Want help with the numbers? Send us a note.
