Here's what it's like to buy a first home in San Francisco, one of the world's most competitive real estate markets

The housing market in San Francisco is red-hot, with property values shooting through the roof year after year.

The median home price in San Francisco proper is just over $1.1 million, according to Zillow.

That's great news if you're a homeowner.

It's less great if you're trying to buy your first house. In San Francisco. At age 28. With significantly less than $1.1 million in the bank.

Here's how my girlfriend and I navigated San Francisco's insane housing market to find a home - and get out of San Francisco's crazy rental market.

It's an eight-month saga with lots of ups and downs. But I promise it has a happy ending.