For buyers
The guide to buying a home in the East Bay
How buying a home in the East Bay actually works, from your first conversation to the day you get the keys. Plain steps, a checklist, and what to ask along the way.
Start with a conversation, not a house tour
It's tempting to start by booking showings. Don't. Start by getting clear on what you're actually trying to do.
Why are you moving? What does your timeline hang on? A lease ending, a new job, a house you need to sell first? What does the money really look like once you add it all up?
Those answers shape everything that comes after. They decide which towns make sense, which homes are worth your Saturday, and how hard you can push when you find the right one.
That's why we begin every buyer relationship with a sit-down talk. No tour, no pressure. If the honest answer is that you should wait, we'll tell you that too. You can see how we run it on our buying process page.
Ready to talk through your home search?
Prefer to talk? Call (925) 325-4663Book a call with JaynlinSee how we do it, step by step
Get ready before you need to be
Good homes don't wait while you get organized. When the right one shows up, you may need to move quickly. Everything you can do in advance should already be done.
Get pre-approved, not just pre-qualified. A pre-qualification is a quick estimate. A pre-approval means a lender has actually reviewed your income, credit and assets. It tells you what's possible, and it makes your offer credible to a seller. Your lender will tell you which loan programs fit you and what down payment each one needs.
Know your real monthly number. The amount a lender approves is not the same as the amount you can live with. Add property taxes, insurance, any HOA dues, and a cushion for the things that break. Ask your lender to walk you through the full payment, not just the loan.
Put representation in writing. Before we tour homes together, we sign a written buyer agreement. It spells out what we do for you and how we're paid. Compensation is set by that written agreement and it's negotiable. We go through it line by line before you sign anything.
Buying your first home? Our First-Time Buyer's Guide goes deeper on this stage.
Decide where before you decide which house
On a map, East Bay towns can blur together. They're genuinely different places to live, and picking the wrong town is a harder mistake to fix than paying a little too much for the right house.
Think about what a normal week looks like for you. Your commute and the hours you drive it. Whether you want newer construction or an established street. Lot size, HOA or no HOA, and how much upkeep you want to take on. In Discovery Bay, whether a home has water access changes what it's worth.
What a budget buys in Brentwood isn't what it buys in Antioch, Oakley, Concord or Walnut Creek. We'll walk you through the trade-offs before you start touring, so you're not learning them one weekend at a time. Our area pages are a good place to start.
Moving here from somewhere else? Read our Relocation Guide first.
Tour fewer homes, and better ones
The goal isn't to see everything in your price range. It's to see the right handful.
We set up your search on your real criteria so you see new homes when they list. Then we look before you do. We'll tell you when a listing looks better online than it deserves to.
When you're inside a house, look past the staging. Notice the noise, the light at the time you'd actually be home, the layout, and what backs onto the yard. Paint and fixtures are easy to change. Location, layout and light aren't.
And we'll tell you when to walk away. Including from a house you love. That's a big part of what you're hiring us for.
You can start browsing on our listings page any time.
Writing an offer that gets taken seriously
An offer is a set of terms, and price is only one of them. How the rest is built often decides which offer a seller picks.
- Price. We look at recent comparable sales with you so your number is grounded in what similar homes actually sold for.
- Your deposit. Your contract sets the amount, who holds it, and the point where it stops being refundable. You'll know that date before you sign.
- Contingencies. These are the protections you keep, such as inspection, appraisal and loan. Your contract sets how long each one lasts. Keeping or shortening them is a real decision, and we'll talk it through with you.
- Timing. The closing date, and whether the seller needs time to stay after closing, can matter as much as price to a seller.
There's often a way to be the strongest offer without being the highest one.
From accepted offer to keys
California is an escrow state. Once your offer is accepted, a neutral escrow holder manages the deposit, the documents and the money, and a title company handles the title to the property. There's no closing attorney or settlement table in the usual sense.
Here's what happens in this stretch, in general terms:
- Escrow opens and your deposit goes in.
- You review the seller's disclosures and reports. Read them closely and ask about anything you don't understand.
- Inspections. Every house has a list. Some findings are worth reopening the conversation. Others are just a house being a house.
- Appraisal and loan approval. Your lender orders the appraisal and works through your loan conditions.
- Removing contingencies on the dates your contract sets.
- Final walkthrough, signing, funding and recording. Then you get the keys.
A word of caution. Don't change jobs, open new credit or move large sums of money without talking to your loan officer first. Any of those can hold up your loan.
Your home buying checklist
- Write down why you're moving and what your timeline depends on.
- Talk to a lender and get pre-approved.
- Work out your full monthly cost, including taxes, insurance and any HOA.
- Set aside money for your down payment, closing costs and moving.
- Read and sign a written buyer agreement before touring.
- Narrow down the towns that fit your week, not just your budget.
- List your must-haves and the things you'd trade away.
- Keep your pre-approval letter and proof of funds ready to send.
- Read every disclosure and report on a home you're serious about.
- Put contingency dates and your deposit deadline on your calendar.
- Line up homeowner's insurance before closing.
- Hold off on new credit, big purchases and job changes until you close.
Where to go from here
Every buyer's situation is a little different, so we've written guides for a few of the common ones. If you're selling a home to buy the next one, read our Trading Up Guide. If you're a veteran or on active duty, our VA and Military Guide covers the VA loan side.
When you're ready to talk about your own move, reach out. The first conversation costs you nothing, and there's no obligation attached to it.
This guide describes our general process. It is not legal, tax or lending advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be pre-approved before I start looking?
Before you make an offer, yes. A pre-approval tells you what's realistic and makes your offer credible to a seller. Before we start talking, no. We're happy to have the first conversation and point you to a lender if you don't have one yet.
How much do I need for a down payment?
It depends on your loan program, your credit and your income, and programs differ a lot. Your lender is the right person to tell you which ones you qualify for and what each one needs.
How does closing work in California?
California closings run through escrow. A neutral escrow holder manages the deposit, the documents and the money, and a title company handles the title. Once the loan funds and the sale records, you get the keys.
Does it cost me anything to work with you as a buyer?
We put buyer representation in a written agreement before we tour homes together. It sets out what we do for you and how we're paid. Compensation is set by that agreement and it's negotiable, and we go through it with you line by line before you sign.
Will you tell me if a house is a bad idea?
Yes. We'd rather you walk away from a house than buy one with a problem you couldn't see from the driveway.
What should I avoid doing between offer and closing?
Don't change jobs, open new credit, make big purchases or move large sums of money without talking to your loan officer first. Any of those can hold up your loan.