Oakland voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether banks and other lenders should pay the city's real estate transfer tax when they foreclose on most commercial buildings and larger apartment properties. Measure FF would close what supporters call a foreclosure loophole and send the money into the General Fund.
What the measure would change
Today, when an ordinary buyer and seller close on a home, apartment building or storefront in Oakland, both sides pay a real estate transfer tax. The city's share uses a progressive rate scale voters approved in 2018: 1% on sales under $300,000, rising to 2.5% on deals above $5 million, according to SPUR's voter guide. Foreclosures have been exempt, mirroring a state documentary-transfer-tax rule that most Bay Area charter cities also follow.
Measure FF would eliminate that general foreclosure exemption. Under the city attorney's impartial analysis summarized by The Oaklandside, three kinds of transfers would still be exempt: sales of four or fewer residential units to an individual or family trust; commercial property converted to interim shelter, single-room occupancy, affordable or permanent supportive housing, or a healthcare facility; and transfers to community banks with less than $10 billion in assets. The City Council could add, change or remove those remaining exceptions by ordinance without another citywide vote.
If voters approve it, the change would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. It needs a simple majority.
How much money is at stake
Transfer taxes are one of Oakland's bigger discretionary revenue streams, bringing in roughly $50 million to $70 million in recent years for police, fire, parks and other General Fund services, The Oaklandside reported. The city auditor estimates Measure FF could raise up to about $13.8 million in a strong year; SPUR and the official ballot summary put the range at roughly $4 million to $13 million annually. Open Disclosure Oakland's ballot language uses the same $4–$13 million figure.
Proponents argue foreclosure years often line up with economic downturns, when ordinary sales taxes and transfer taxes sag, so taxing lender takeovers could be a counter-cyclical bump. The official yes argument, signed by Mayor Barbara Lee, Councilmember Charlene Wang and others, claimed the exemption cost Oakland up to $25 million in the first half of 2026 alone — money they said could have gone to roads, 911 response and illegal dumping.
Who is for and against it
The City Council placed Measure FF on the ballot unanimously. KQED's voter guide lists Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Charlene Wang and former Councilmember Dan Kalb among supporters. It lists Council President Kevin Jenkins in opposition. SPUR recommends a yes vote, saying Oakland needs revenue that does not raise rates on working families and small businesses. KQED's no argument warns the exemptions are vague and that the plan lacks enough vetting to avoid unintended harm to the commercial market.
As of early October, Open Disclosure Oakland showed no campaign-finance committees reporting for or against the measure. San Francisco voters face a related question in Proposition J, which would also strip a foreclosure exemption from most commercial and multifamily transfers.
Ballots are already in the mail. The deadline to register online or by mail in Alameda County is Oct. 19; same-day registration remains available after that.