The Buyer Consultation
We start with a conversation — what you want, where, what it truly costs, and how the process runs. In California we'll also sign a written buyer representation agreement before I show you a home, so my role and my fee are clear from day one.
No cost, no obligation. Bring every question you have.
Get Fully Pre-Approved
Your lender will want pay stubs, W-2s or 1099s, two years of returns and recent bank statements. A real pre-approval sets your true budget — and tells a seller you can perform.
Pre-qualified is not pre-approved. In a multiple-offer market, the underwritten letter wins.
See the Right Homes
The good part. You get a live MLS search built on your exact criteria and showings around your calendar — plus the coming-soon and quietly-marketed homes I hear about through thirteen years in this market.
Not every website shows every MLS listing. Your search comes straight from the California Regional MLS — every home agents can see, the moment it goes live.
Write the Offer
We use the California Residential Purchase Agreement. You choose the price and terms; I build the strategy around them — deposit, contingency timelines, close date, credits — and present it so it stands out for the right reasons.
Negotiate & Ratify
Counters are normal, and it may take a few rounds — hang in there. Price is only one lever; timeline, repairs, credits and a rent-back are often what actually close the gap. When both sides have signed, the contract is ratified.
Open Escrow
California closes through a neutral escrow and title company rather than an attorney. Your earnest money — commonly around 3% — is deposited within three business days, and the home is effectively held for you.
Escrow will also ask how you want to hold title. See the six ways, compared →
Contingencies & Due Diligence
Seventeen days is the California default: home inspection, appraisal, loan approval, preliminary title, HOA documents and the seller's disclosures — TDS, SPQ, NHD. If something turns up, we can request repairs, renegotiate, or walk.
Read the disclosures. I'll read them with you, line by line.
Sign, Fund & Record
You sign loan documents, wire your closing funds, and the deed records with the county recorder — Los Angeles County for most of my clients. Recording is the moment the home is legally yours — and the moment I hand you the keys.
Wire fraud is real. Never take wire instructions from an email — call escrow at a number you already have and verify before you send a dollar.