Buying a home, step by step
Buying a home is exciting, and it’s also a long list of decisions and deadlines. Here’s how it usually works in California, and what I do for you at each step.
How buying works
Every purchase is different, so think of this as the usual path, not a fixed schedule. The decisions along the way are always yours.
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Start with a conversation
- What happens
- We talk about what you want in a home, where, your budget and your timing. If you’re selling a home too, we plan both moves together.
- How I help
- I listen, answer your questions and lay out what the next few months could look like. There’s no cost and no obligation to talk, and we can talk in English, Hindi or Punjabi.
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Get pre-approved for a loan
- What happens
- A lender reviews your income, savings and credit, then gives you a letter saying how much it’s prepared to lend, subject to conditions. Sellers usually expect a pre-approval letter with your offer, or proof of funds if you’re paying cash.
- How I help
- If you don’t have a lender yet, I can give you a few names to compare. Which lender you choose is up to you, and your lender is the right person for loan advice.
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Put our agreement in writing
- What happens
- Before we tour homes together, we sign a written buyer representation agreement with REALTY EXPERTS®, the brokerage I work with. It says what I’ll do for you, for how long, and how REALTY EXPERTS® is paid for my work. California law sets rules for these agreements. Real estate commissions are not fixed by law. They’re negotiable.
- How I help
- I go through the agreement with you line by line before you sign, so you know what you’re agreeing to.
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Find the right home
- What happens
- We look at homes that fit, online and in person, and compare them with what similar homes nearby have sold for recently.
- How I help
- I set up a search that sends you new listings as they come up, arrange showings, and tell you plainly what I notice in each home, the good and the not so good.
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Make an offer
- What happens
- Your offer sets the price, the deposit, the contingencies and the timeline. Contingencies are conditions in your offer, such as a satisfactory inspection, an appraisal or loan approval, each with its own deadline.
- How I help
- I pull recent sales so we can talk about price with real numbers, explain each term and its trade-offs, and present your offer to the seller’s agent. If other buyers are bidding too, I’ll lay out your options without pressure.
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Escrow to keys
- What happens
- Once the seller accepts, escrow opens with a neutral escrow holder and you make your deposit. You review the seller’s disclosures and reports and do your inspections, and your lender orders an appraisal. Each has a deadline in your contract. In the days before closing, you sign your loan and escrow documents and send your funds to escrow. When the deed is recorded with the county, the home is yours.
- How I help
- I keep a calendar of every deadline and remind you before each one, help you schedule inspections, and go through the reports and disclosures with you. At the end, I do the final walk-through with you and stay with you until you have the keys.
Before you wire any money
Criminals send convincing fake wiring instructions during real estate transactions, and a legitimate escrow or title company won’t change its instructions by email.
I will never email or text you wiring instructions.
Before you wire a deposit or closing funds, call your escrow officer at a phone number you already know is real, not one from an email or text, and confirm the instructions by voice.
What you can expect from me
- You reach me directly by call, text or email.
- Plain explanations of each form before you sign, and of every deadline.
- Honest opinions about each home, including the drawbacks I notice.
- The sales data behind my price advice, so you can judge it yourself.
- Updates at each step, by call, text or email.
- Your decisions stay yours. I explain the options, and you choose.
Legal, tax and loan questions
I’m a real estate agent, not a lawyer, tax advisor or lender, so I don’t give legal, tax or loan advice. When a question needs one of them, I’ll say so, and you can talk with a qualified professional.
Plain answers
Questions you might have about buying, answered in plain words.
Who pays for your services when I buy a home?
Compensation is set in your written buyer representation agreement with REALTY EXPERTS®, the brokerage I work with, before we tour homes, and I go through it with you line by line. It’s paid to REALTY EXPERTS®, usually through escrow at closing. Sometimes the seller agrees to pay part or all of it, and sometimes you pay it. Real estate commissions are not fixed by law. They’re negotiable.
How long does buying a home take?
It depends on your search and on the market. Finding the right home can take weeks or months. Once your offer is accepted, your contract sets the timeline to closing, and I keep track of every date in it.
Can you help if I also need to sell my home?
Yes. If you’re selling a home too, we plan both moves together and talk through the timing of each. Here’s how selling works.
Can we look at homes in more than one city?
Yes. I work with buyers in 14 cities, from Fremont, Newark and Union City to San Jose, Pleasanton, Dublin and Tracy. Here are notes on each city.
Have a question that isn’t here? Call or text me at 408-438-7709.
