Bernal Heights
Single-family homes on San Francisco’s southeast hill — cottages, Victorians, and view houses.
REALTOR® · San Francisco & the Peninsula
Distinguished Properties.
Discerning Representation.
Thomas helps buyers and sellers of single-family homes across San Francisco and the Peninsula, with a focus on Bernal Heights and Burlingame — and brings an investor’s eye for value from his background in multifamily real estate.
Portfolio
Current Opportunities
Homes newly presented to the market, those moving through contract, and recent closings. Current listings include homes represented by fellow members of The Louie Team at Compass, marked with the team ribbon and credited to their listing agents. Recently closed sales are Thomas's own, including those from his time with his former brokerage, Coldwell Banker.
Closed-transaction data is sourced from Thomas's agent profile with his former brokerage, Coldwell Banker (information provided by the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® MLS), and reflects reported sale prices from that time; properties marked “co-represented” were transacted together with Coldwell Banker Commercial. Thomas is now affiliated with Compass. Listing information is provided for general informational purposes, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and is not a substitute for current MLS data. Listings marked “The Louie Team” are listed by other members of The Louie Team at Compass, not by Thomas; the listing agent is credited on each, and status, price, and photos are drawn from Compass and refreshed daily. When a team listing sells, it is removed unless Thomas represented the buyer or seller; sales since he joined Compass are drawn from his Compass agent profile. Square footage, price, and status should be independently verified. All measurements and figures are approximate. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Thomas Galicia · DRE #01896556
About
From the boiler room to the boardroom
Thomas's understanding of real estate didn't begin behind a desk — it began with a set of keys and a work order. While earning his degree at the University of California, Davis, he worked as a maintenance technician, learning buildings from the inside out: what makes them last, what quietly drains value, and what a property is really worth once you've seen how it's put together.
That ground-level fluency became the foundation for an unusually wide command of the industry. Thomas went on to sharpen an analytical edge as an analyst with Marcus & Millichap, then served as Director of Real Estate at a local affordable housing nonprofit. His work has since spanned residential sales, investment and multifamily properties, affordable housing, commercial real estate, and the finer points of HUD and TCAC compliance. Few agents can speak as fluently to a first-time buyer, a seasoned investor, and an institutional seller in the same afternoon.
Today, as a REALTOR® with Compass and a member of The Louie Team, Thomas focuses his residential practice on single-family homes in San Francisco — particularly Bernal Heights — and in Burlingame on the Peninsula. He pairs that focus with rigorous market research, careful valuation, and clear-eyed risk assessment, including representing both sides in the $4,990,000 sale of the 18-unit Somerset Apartments in Dolores Heights.
The two disciplines meet in practice. The same underwriting used on an apartment building — condition, permit history, carrying costs, rental income, and risk — goes into pricing a Bernal Heights cottage with an in-law unit or a Burlingame house with rebuild potential. Buyers and sellers get an advisor who has seen the whole picture, from the mechanical room to the closing table. Read Thomas’s full background.
- UC Davis Graduate
- Marcus & Millichap Investment-analysis background
- Residential · Investment · Commercial Multifamily, affordable housing & HUD/TCAC
- Compass · The Louie Team Bay Area Real Estate Agent · DRE #01896556
Member of The Louie Team at Compass · 891 Beach St, San Francisco
- Thomas Galicia DRE #01896556
- Burt Louie DRE #01231888
- Dan Chang DRE #01905745
- Sandon Cheung DRE #02230404
- Jasmine Fu DRE #02234490
- Kenneth Go DRE #01167826
- Angela Liu DRE #02252152
- Sharon Louie DRE #00969025
- Stephanie Owyang DRE #01831895
Biographical details are provided by Thomas. Transaction reference reflects a publicly reported sale.
Areas of Focus
Where Thomas works, and what he works on
A residential practice centered on single-family homes in two markets, backed by investment-property experience. Each guide below is written by Thomas and updated as conditions change.
Burlingame & the Peninsula
Single-family homes in Burlingame, San Mateo, and Millbrae.
Investment & Multifamily
Two- to 18-unit San Francisco buildings, rental-income analysis, and 1031 exchange coordination.
Market Reports
Monthly single-family data for Bernal Heights, San Francisco, Burlingame, and the Peninsula, with sources and methodology.
Perspective
Bay Area Pulse — Nine Counties
The Bay Area is nine distinct markets. Tap a county on the map for its housing data, official sales reports, and this week’s housing headlines from established local news organizations. Headlines refresh automatically every week, and every item links to its original source.
Select a county for local market data & headlines Tap a county for local data & news
County boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files.
This week in Bay Area housing
Updated weekly · Week of October 19, 2026 · All nine counties →
- Santa Clara County rents two San Jose office buildings in market boost
- Land Trust of Napa County to acquire 436-acre property for wildlife protection
- Menlo Park looks to outside law firm to defend against high-rise developer’s lawsuit
- Why so many marquee Oakland properties changing hands for pennies on the dollar
- Gilroy to vote on extending data center development moratorium
- Napa Co.: Napa County Land Trust To Acquire 436-Acre Property For $1 Million
County data, market trends, and news are provided by independent third parties (including Redfin, the California Association of REALTORS®, and Google News) and open at their respective sources. Thomas Galicia Real Estate does not author, host, or guarantee that data; it is shown for general informational purposes only and is not investment, legal, or financial advice. Verify figures at the source and consult a professional for guidance specific to your situation. Headlines appear as published by their news organizations, with the publisher, date, and a link to the original; articles are not reproduced, and Thomas does not verify or endorse third-party reporting.
Financing
Bay Area Mortgage Rates
Benchmark national averages from the most widely cited public surveys, offered as a reference point for conversations with your lender — not a quote, application, or offer of credit from Thomas Galicia Real Estate. Updated automatically every week.
30-Year Fixed
7.40%
15-Year Fixed
6.71%
Source
Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of October 15, 2026. Updated weekly.
For the week of , the 30-year fixed averaged 7.40%, unchanged from the prior week, and the 15-year fixed averaged 6.71%, down 0.02 percentage points from the prior week. Source: Freddie Mac PMMS.
5-year trend
Monthly average of weekly Freddie Mac PMMS rates, Nov 2021 – Oct 2026
View as table
| Month | 30-year fixed | 15-year fixed | Weekly surveys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 * | 7.36% | 6.68% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | 6.86% | 6.20% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | 6.67% | 5.97% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | 6.54% | 5.91% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | 6.49% | 5.82% | 4 |
| May 2026 | 6.44% | 5.79% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 6.33% | 5.68% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | 6.18% | 5.55% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | 6.05% | 5.43% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | 6.10% | 5.44% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | 6.19% | 5.48% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | 6.24% | 5.51% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | 6.25% | 5.49% | 5 |
| Sep 2025 | 6.35% | 5.50% | 4 |
| Aug 2025 | 6.59% | 5.71% | 4 |
| Jul 2025 | 6.72% | 5.86% | 5 |
| Jun 2025 | 6.82% | 5.95% | 4 |
| May 2025 | 6.82% | 5.95% | 5 |
| Apr 2025 | 6.72% | 5.90% | 4 |
| Mar 2025 | 6.65% | 5.83% | 4 |
| Feb 2025 | 6.84% | 6.03% | 4 |
| Jan 2025 | 6.96% | 6.16% | 5 |
| Dec 2024 | 6.71% | 5.93% | 4 |
| Nov 2024 | 6.80% | 6.03% | 4 |
| Oct 2024 | 6.43% | 5.60% | 5 |
| Sep 2024 | 6.18% | 5.26% | 4 |
| Aug 2024 | 6.50% | 5.68% | 5 |
| Jul 2024 | 6.85% | 6.13% | 4 |
| Jun 2024 | 6.92% | 6.19% | 4 |
| May 2024 | 7.06% | 6.35% | 5 |
| Apr 2024 | 6.99% | 6.26% | 4 |
| Mar 2024 | 6.82% | 6.17% | 4 |
| Feb 2024 | 6.78% | 6.10% | 5 |
| Jan 2024 | 6.64% | 5.87% | 4 |
| Dec 2023 | 6.82% | 6.14% | 4 |
| Nov 2023 | 7.44% | 6.77% | 5 |
| Oct 2023 | 7.62% | 6.91% | 4 |
| Sep 2023 | 7.20% | 6.57% | 4 |
| Aug 2023 | 7.07% | 6.43% | 5 |
| Jul 2023 | 6.84% | 6.18% | 4 |
| Jun 2023 | 6.71% | 6.09% | 5 |
| May 2023 | 6.42% | 5.81% | 4 |
| Apr 2023 | 6.34% | 5.66% | 4 |
| Mar 2023 | 6.54% | 5.80% | 5 |
| Feb 2023 | 6.26% | 5.42% | 4 |
| Jan 2023 | 6.27% | 5.42% | 4 |
| Dec 2022 | 6.36% | 5.67% | 5 |
| Nov 2022 | 6.80% | 6.14% | 4 |
| Oct 2022 | 6.90% | 6.15% | 4 |
| Sep 2022 | 6.11% | 5.35% | 5 |
| Aug 2022 | 5.22% | 4.56% | 4 |
| Jul 2022 | 5.41% | 4.61% | 4 |
| Jun 2022 | 5.52% | 4.65% | 5 |
| May 2022 | 5.23% | 4.43% | 4 |
| Apr 2022 | 4.98% | 4.21% | 4 |
| Mar 2022 | 4.17% | 3.39% | 5 |
| Feb 2022 | 3.76% | 3.00% | 4 |
| Jan 2022 | 3.45% | 2.66% | 4 |
| Dec 2021 | 3.10% | 2.35% | 5 |
| Nov 2021 | 3.07% | 2.36% | 4 |
Other loan types & daily movement
FHA, VA, jumbo, and adjustable-rate programs price differently and move daily. For current figures on these, see the daily averages published by:
Figures above are national benchmark averages reported by the cited third-party sources as of the date shown; they are not Bay Area-specific quotes, not an offer or extension of credit, and will differ from what you are actually offered. Your rate and APR depend on lender, credit profile, down payment, loan amount, property type, occupancy, and market conditions, and change daily. Thomas Galicia Real Estate is not a mortgage lender or broker and does not originate loans; please contact a licensed mortgage professional (NMLS-registered) for a personalized, current quote. The figures, survey date, and chart are refreshed automatically each week from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED).
For Investors
The 1031 Exchange
A 1031 “like-kind” exchange lets real estate investors defer federal — and California — capital-gains tax by rolling the proceeds of one investment property into another, instead of cashing out. The rules are strict and time-sensitive; here's the shape of it, with the official California and federal how-to below.
What qualifies
Real property held for business or investment, exchanged for other like-kind real property. Since 2018, Section 1031 applies to real estate only — not a primary residence or property held mainly to flip.
The 45 / 180-day clock
From the day your property sells, you generally have 45 days to formally identify replacement property and 180 days to close. A neutral Qualified Intermediary must hold the funds — touch the proceeds and the exchange is broken.
California Form 3840
Exchange a California property for one outside California and the state requires you to file FTB Form 3840 every year until the deferred gain is recognized — California's “clawback” tracking.
Official rules & step-by-step — California & federal
Provided for general informational purposes only. A 1031 exchange is complex, deadline-driven, and not right for every situation; this is not tax, legal, or accounting advice. Thomas is a licensed real estate salesperson, not a tax advisor, attorney, or qualified intermediary. Consult a CPA, tax attorney, and a qualified intermediary, and verify all rules at the official sources above, before acting. Rules and forms change.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who is Thomas Galicia?
Thomas Galicia is a REALTOR® and licensed California real estate salesperson (DRE #01896556) with Compass, and a member of The Louie Team. He works from the Compass office at 891 Beach St., San Francisco. A native San Franciscan, he has been licensed since 2011 and brings a background as a building maintenance technician and an investment analyst.
What areas does Thomas serve?
His residential practice focuses on single-family homes in San Francisco — particularly Bernal Heights — and on the Peninsula, particularly Burlingame, along with San Mateo and Millbrae. He also serves clients elsewhere in San Francisco, Marin County, and the East Bay.
Does Thomas work with multifamily and investment property?
Yes. Before focusing on single-family homes, Thomas worked as an analyst at Marcus & Millichap and as Director of Real Estate at a local affordable housing nonprofit. His closed sales include representing both sides of the $4,990,000 sale of the 18-unit Somerset Apartments in Dolores Heights.
Can Thomas help with a 1031 exchange?
Thomas can help identify and negotiate replacement property within the 45-day identification and 180-day closing windows. He is not a tax advisor, attorney, or qualified intermediary, so every exchange should also involve a CPA, a tax attorney, and a qualified intermediary.
How is a home's value determined?
For a specific home, the most reliable value is a comparable-sales analysis prepared for that address. Neighborhood medians are useful context but can swing month to month, especially in small markets like Burlingame. Thomas prepares comparable-sales analyses on request.
Where do the market figures and mortgage rates on this site come from?
Market statistics come from MLS data, with the source, date, geography, and method stated on every figure; nothing is estimated. Mortgage rates are the weekly Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey national averages, updated automatically each week, and are a reference point, not a quote or offer of credit.
How do I contact Thomas?
Email thomasgaliciarealestate@gmail.com, call or text (510) 258-2719, or send an inquiry using the form below. Thomas typically replies personally within one business day.
Get in Touch
Begin a private conversation
Searching for a home, considering a sale, or simply weighing your options — every conversation with Thomas begins with listening. Share a few details below and you'll hear back personally — typically within one business day.
- Buying — Off-market access, private showings, and representation built around your timeline.
- Selling — A tailored presentation strategy, from preparation through close.
- General Inquiries — Questions about a neighborhood, the market, or where to start.
Compass · The Louie Team · DRE #01896556
891 Beach St., San Francisco, CA 94109