Guides

Yes — California law never requires a homebuyer to have an agent. Here's what actually protects you in the transaction instead.

California's Transfer Disclosure Statement is a seller's sworn account of a property's known condition — what it covers, and what it doesn't.

The six statutory hazard zones a California seller must disclose — flood, fire, and earthquake.

Your deposit never goes to the seller directly — it sits in neutral escrow. Here's exactly how it's protected, and when you can lose it.

The standard contract behind almost every California home sale — what's actually in it, section by section.

The inspection contingency defaults to 17 days — but it's negotiable, not fixed. Here's how the deadline works.

Whether you can walk away — and keep your deposit — depends entirely on your contingencies.

A low appraisal doesn't have to kill your deal. The real options a California buyer has.

What an unrepresented buyer should budget for, and what escrow actually does between contract and keys.

Where buyer-agent commission savings actually go, and why capturing them isn't automatic.

The honest distinction between transaction coordination and legal advice — and why many buyers use both.

What the 2024 nationwide settlement actually changed for California buyers.

The added risk when neither side of a sale has an agent, and what still protects a buyer.