Do you have a quarter of a million dollars lying around? Because on average, that is what it will take to buy a home in San Francisco.

That money is attributed to the one-time cost associated with buying a home.

It is no secret that the Bay Area is one of the most expensive places to buy a home in the United States. What some first-time home buyers may not know is that the sticker shock doesn’t end with the sale price.

That is just the beginning.

When it comes to one-time costs like down payments, the Bay Area is in a class by itself.

“That’s just 20 percent,” Keller Williams Realtor Andres Restrepo said. “So, if we are talking about a $1.5 million dollar condo, $1.5 million dollar home, that’s going to be $300,000 out the door.”

A $300,000 down payment could buy a home outright in most real-estate markets, but not in The Bay Area, says Restrepo.

He talks about some of the other one-time fees in addition to the down payment.

“Those closing costs can be anywhere from one-to-two points depending on the property,” Restrepo said. “So, if we’re talking a million dollar home, which in San Francisco the median price is 1.6 (million), I am just using a million. You’re looking at $15,000-to-$20,000.”

He is just getting started.

“Your property inspection that’s going to range from $400 to $1,200,” Restrepo said. “Then, you’re going to have your loan origination fee. That’s going to be about $10,000.”

Don’t forget the transfer tax.

“The transfer tax is the cost associated with transferring the property from the seller to the buyer,” Restrepo said. “That can be anywhere from $15,000-to-$20,000.”

That is $250,000-to-$350,000 in upfront costs depending on a sales price of $1 million-to-$1.5 Million.

The reason for the high cost of Bay Area real estate is simple–supply and demand.

“Is the low inventory due to that, there is a high demand, people want to get in,” Restrepo said. “That’s why things are so expensive.”

If you’re still interested in buying your first home in the Bay Area after hearing all of that, he has some advice for you.

“No. 1–get you a top agent,” Restrepo said. “No. 2–have your finances in order and know what you can afford from the get-go. No. 3, when you find a property that you love, act fast. Do not wait. Somebody else is going to come and going to get it.”

WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:

>>MORE STORIES