@Marshall Barta- if planning to try to buy in May - you should  begin the loan pre approval  process  now  ...by  doing this you will see if you are approvable for  what you want to do and  you will also learn more about the  process and the  numbers  ( payment amt / cash needed /   qualifying rations  etc ...) ....the pre approval  process is  easy and  should be  free 

Are your fears rational though?

Call me when I can do something rationally.  

Look at the map and somewhere in a corner there should be some ratio of length that changes as you zoom in.Now from that ration with your ruler measure the house on your screen  (in map view) and you can get reasonably accurate numbers.

There is no rational reason to not get a permit.

To me, the only real rational reason a buy-and-hold investor would purchase in SF would be for the appreciation - they you'd be giving that up for some help with the down payment. 

It only gets worse from here.It sounds a bit like you are trying to rationalize the situation in order to fill your vacancy.  

He gave one example after the next from his 5 days a week normally spent not dreaming about whatever, but practicing law IN THE MKE CTY COURTHOUSE and it was one after the next where reading the law and hearing both sides, any rational person would say "sounds like landlord wins"-WRONG!!!!!

Many of these "investors" are really looking to just park their cash and maintain purchasing power instead of investing on a rational self-maximization basis.  

Like I said, my gift to the boards is to help folks think and rationalize around the asset class.