As far as liability goes, IMO if you conduct business as business should be conducted then you should be golden!

Ask questions, read blogs, and the podcasts are golden.

My advice in Sac is to get hooked up with Safe Credit Union or Golden Pacific Bank to avoid these issues in the future.

Ask questions, read blogs, and the podcasts are golden.

They all seem to have their own quirky things that bother them but once you get over that hurdle you're golden.  

These are golden for establishing credibility.* Post on CL under Real Estate Services, if you haven't already.* You probably already know the companies that have a bad reputation.

How stable is your job/income Any risks of layoffs in a downturn At some point the economy will experience another recession I don’t think it’s too crazy to think it could be within 5 years .As other posters mentioned long term SF property should remain in demand and desirable just like property in L.A or NYC which are other cities with a lack of available land and many things that attract people from across the country and globe .But there are always risks and past performance isn’t a guarantee of future results .

If anything, just do some curb appeal with a couple of plants and greenery and you are golden. 

So in the contract phase- your golden.

I honestly think we are going to hit a market correction sooner rather than later.If you do check out my FB page see the one I posted today from the Globe that says since last year more houses are taking price cuts before selling and more sales are falling through (presumably as buyers realize that paying 10% over list with no contingencies is kinda dumb).