This guide is California centric; the process you experiance in other areas may vary.

In January 2024 I purchased my first home after discovering that there were few options to rent that didn't cost me an arm and a leg. November 15, 2023 I reached out to the realtor, got pre-approved, and looked around at five or so homes, then jumped into making an offer on December 12th, and closed on January 5th!

During this time I felt I was signing papers left and right while not really having the foggiest idea what I was doing. This is a short guide containing the key points of the home buying proces: most of which were not immediately obvious to me at the time. For you, the new homebuyer, it is in your best interest to get a realtor that you can trust in advising you through this process.

Lender

Pre-Approval letter

Realtor

Making an offer

Contingencies

Counter Offer

Loan Approval Process

Title Insurance

Homeowners Insurance

Signing Day and Closing

Gotchas

Other things