Hold Period — San Francisco, CA
Average flip hold-period in San Francisco, CA, broken out by property type.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
Property type breakdown — San Francisco
Average hold period by property type (sample ≥ 3)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | Property type | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | condos | 0.80 | 9.7 | +60.8% | 11 |
| 2 | Unknown | 0.95 | 11.6 | +89.6% | 217 |
| 3 | other | 0.96 | 11.7 | +180.9% | 5 |
| 4 | single_family | 1.17 | 14.2 | +75.8% | 36 |
| 5 | multi_family | 1.17 | 14.3 | +55.3% | 5 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.