October 9, 2026
The Lay of the Land: Buying a Practice in Northern California

Travis sits down with longtime friend Phill Hoover of Western Practice Sales to map out what buying a practice in Northern California actually looks like, from the Bay Area’s sky-high demand to the hidden gems everyone overlooks.

What’s covered:

  • Phill’s 20+ years in dental finance and transitions, from banking to running Western Practice Sales
  • Why geography (not just miles) dictates where you can realistically live and practice in Northern California
  • How Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and Walnut Creek each demand totally different practice strategies
  • Hot, competitive markets vs. underserved gems like Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, and Monterey, where a $100K practice can grow into a $1M practice in two years
  • The Delta Dental Premier trap: how legacy sellers quietly inflate collections, and what buyers need to ask before making an offer
  • Why hygienist and staffing costs run higher in Northern California, and how loyalty works differently here
  • A surprising stat: only about 110 of roughly 3,800 active Northern California dental offices are DSO-owned, making it one of the most private-practice-friendly regions in the country
  • Why corporate consolidation has largely skipped Northern California, and how private doctors are running their own mini roll-ups instead
  • Phill’s biggest advice: know yourself, know the dentistry you can deliver, and don’t let analysis paralysis keep you on the sidelines

A must-listen for anyone weighing whether (and where) to plant roots in the Bay Area or beyond. Tune in.

Contact Phill: WesternPracticeSales.com | phill@westernpracticesales.com | 415-481-2933

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