Your Complete Roadmap to Buying a Home in Los Angeles
Buying a home in Los Angeles is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. It’s also one of the most complicated—especially in California. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, relocating from out of state, or upgrading to your next home, I’ll guide you through every step of the process with transparency, market expertise, and a focus on protecting your investment.
The Buying Process: Step by Step
1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
The first step is getting pre-approved for a mortgage—unless you’re paying cash. You want to work with a lender who has a strong reputation, delivers on time, and offers competitive rates. A pre-approval (not just a pre-qualification) shows sellers you’re a serious buyer and gives you clarity on your actual budget. If you need a referral to a trusted lender, I’m happy to connect you with professionals I’ve worked with and trust.
2. Interview and Choose Your Agent
I recommend interviewing the agents you’re considering. You’re going to spend a lot of time with this person, so you want to make sure you like them—and that they have the experience and knowledge to make your transaction as smooth as possible. I’ve been in the industry for over 22 years, I’ve closed over 415 transactions, and I have a strong network of professionals I can bring in to support your deal.
3. Sign a Buyer Representation Agreement
After August 2024, a lawsuit settlement with the National Association of Realtors requires anyone working with a buyer’s agent to sign a buyer brokerage agreement. This agreement outlines everything your agent owes you and how they get paid. In my experience, sellers have continued paying the buyer’s agent commission in the majority of my transactions since the rule change—but if they don’t, you always have the right to pass on that property. I’m flexible on my commission because my priority is making sure you get the right home.
4. Buyer Consultation
Before we start touring homes, I like to do a detailed buyer consultation—either in person or over Zoom. We’ll go over your goals in depth: the type of home you want, the areas you’re interested in, your must-haves, and your wish list. I also like to talk about long-term goals and resale value, because most buyers hold a property for five to seven years before selling. Additionally, I’ll review sold statistics with you so we’re on the same page about what’s happening in the market—are homes selling above asking? Are there price reductions? This sets the foundation for our offer strategy later.
5. Search and Tour Properties
I’ll set up a custom MLS search based on your criteria and give you access to properties as soon as they hit the market—plus off-market opportunities through my network. We’ll tour homes together and I’ll point out both the potential and the red flags most buyers miss.
6. Make an Offer
When you find a property you want, I’ll research the comparable sales to make sure what we’re offering aligns with the market—you’re not overpaying, and you’re not offering so little that you get outbid. Your offer package will include the purchase agreement, your proof of funds (bank statements showing your down payment), and your pre-approval letter. The seller will either accept, reject, or counter our offer.
7. Open Escrow and Wire Earnest Money
Once we have an accepted offer, we open escrow. You’ll wire in your earnest money deposit—typically 3% of the purchase price here in California—directly to a neutral third-party escrow company. Escrow handles all the finances, coordinates with the title company, and pro-rates taxes and other costs based on the date of ownership. Important: always verify your wiring instructions before sending any funds. Wire fraud is real and happens more often than people think.
8. Inspections
There are five inspections I recommend for every buyer. First, the general home inspection, which covers the entire property and identifies any issues. Second, a sewer inspection—many LA homes are 100 years old, and those sewer lines can be just as old. Third, a termite inspection, which is an absolute must in California. Fourth, a foundation inspection, especially critical given our earthquake risk. Fifth, a chimney inspection if the property has a fireplace. For hillside homes, I also recommend a structural engineer or geotechnical report to make sure the home and the land are stable.
9. Request for Repairs and Negotiation
Once inspections come back, we submit a request for repairs. This is where I negotiate on your behalf for credits, repairs, or price reductions based on what the inspections revealed. On my last four buyer transactions, I negotiated $20,000 in closing costs on one, $25,000 off on another, $30,000 off on a third, and $220,000 on a fourth. Not every seller will agree to everything, but your contingencies protect you—if they refuse repairs and you’re within your inspection period, you can cancel and get your full earnest money back.
10. Review Disclosures
During this period you’ll also review the seller’s property-specific disclosures—everything from past leaks to renovations to known issues. If you’re buying a condo, you’ll review the HOA rules, restrictions, and budget. If the HOA has no reserves for repairs, that’s a red flag. Read everything. I know it’s a lot of paperwork, but it’s important.
11. Appraisal
While you’re reviewing disclosures, your lender orders an appraisal to confirm the property’s value. If the appraisal comes in at or above the contract price, you’re good. If it comes in low, you have five options: cancel and get your earnest money back; ask the seller to lower the price to the appraised value; pay the difference out of pocket on top of your down payment; meet in the middle with the seller; or rebuttal the appraisal. The appraisal contingency is one of the most important protections in your contract.
12. Loan Contingency and Final Approval
Your loan contingency states that you need to obtain financing to complete the purchase. If your loan falls through for any reason, you can cancel and get your earnest money back. This is why it’s critical to work with a lender you trust—you don’t want to spend money on inspections and get your hopes up only to find out your financing didn’t come through.
13. Closing Disclosure and Loan Documents
Once all contingencies are cleared, your lender sends a closing disclosure that matches what they originally quoted you. After you sign the closing disclosure, there is a legally required 3-day waiting period before you can sign your final loan documents. Your loan documents cover everything related to your mortgage: the rate, the payment schedule, late fees, and the full amortization over the life of the loan.
14. Final Walkthrough
Before closing, we do a final walkthrough of the property to confirm it’s in the same condition as when you first saw it—and that the seller has completed any agreed-upon repairs.
15. Wire Final Funds and Record
You’ll wire in the balance of your down payment and closing costs. Once the escrow officer receives your funds and the lender funds the loan, the deed is released for recording at the county. Recording typically takes about 48 hours, and once it’s recorded, you are the official owner of your new home.
The Unlock LA Buyer Advantage
Off-market access: My two-sided network connects you with properties before they hit the MLS. Early access means less competition and better negotiating leverage.
NELA expertise: I specialize in Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Atwater Village, Glassell Park, Mount Washington, and Cypress Park. I know these neighborhoods block by block—pricing patterns, school zones, architectural styles, flood and fire zones, and everything in between.
Concession strategy: In the current market, I’ve successfully negotiated seller concessions on the majority of my buyer transactions. That money can go toward closing costs, rate buy-downs, or repairs.
NAR settlement experience: The 2024 rule changes haven’t slowed me down. In my transactions since August 2024, sellers have continued paying the buyer’s agent commission. I handle the negotiation so you don’t have to worry about it.