Ready to buy a home?
One agent stays with you from the first phone call to the day you get the keys.
Match me with an agent →How buying works, step by step.
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Match. Get matched
YouTell us the city you're looking in and what matters most to you. One phone call is enough to start.
Your agentAlready works that area. Calls you to talk through what you're after and what a realistic search looks like.
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Money. Get pre-approved
YouGather two pay stubs, two bank statements, and last year's taxes for the lender. Ask every question you have about the numbers.
Your agentIntroduces you to a lender who lays out your real budget. Walks you through the programs you qualify for, including FHA, VA, and down payment help.
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Search. Shop
YouAfter each tour, tell your agent what stood out, good or bad. That feedback sharpens the search.
Your agentSets up your search and flags the homes worth your Saturday. Tours them with you and points out the water heater you'd have walked past.
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Offer. Make the offer
YouDecide your price and your terms once you've seen what nearby homes sold for. Then sign the offer.
Your agentWrites the offer and calls the listing agent to make your case. Explains every term before you sign anything.
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Under contract. Inspect & appraise
YouWire your deposit to escrow once the seller accepts, and come to the inspection if you can. Read the report with your agent.
Your agentCoordinates the inspection and tracks the lender's appraisal. Reads both reports with you and goes back to the seller if something turns up.
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Keys. Close
YouDo the final walkthrough, sign your loan documents, and wire your closing funds. Then pick up the keys.
Your agentWalks the house with you one last time and checks the closing figures. Stays reachable after the keys are in your hand.
Talk to an agent when you're ready.
Buyer questions
How do I get matched with the right agent?
Tell us the city you're looking in and what matters most — first home, schools, investment, VA loan — and we connect you with a College Park agent who works that exact lane. The match is made on where you're looking and what you need.
VA loan
A loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, service members and some surviving spouses. Many can buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, though most pay a one-time VA funding fee.
What does it cost to work with a buyer's agent?
In most cases the seller's side covers the buyer-agent commission, so working with one of our agents typically costs you nothing out of pocket. Your agent will walk you through the specifics for your situation up front.
How much do I need for a down payment?
Less than most people think. There are FHA, VA, and down-payment-assistance programs that work across the Inland Empire. We'll connect you with a lender who'll lay out your real options before you fall in love with a house.
FHA loan
A loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration, with more flexible credit rules and a down payment as low as 3.5% for borrowers who qualify. It carries its own mortgage insurance, with an upfront charge and a monthly one, and its loan limits vary by county.
VA loan
A loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, service members and some surviving spouses. Many can buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, though most pay a one-time VA funding fee.
Down payment assistance
Help toward your down payment or closing costs from a state, county, city or nonprofit program. It's usually a grant or a second loan with low or deferred payments. Each program sets its own income and price limits, and its funds can run out.
How much should I set aside beyond the down payment?
Plan for closing costs: lender fees, title and escrow charges, and prepaid taxes and insurance. Your lender's Loan Estimate lists them early, so you can see the total before you're in contract. Many buyers also keep money aside for the months after closing, because the county sends a supplemental tax bill once it reassesses the home. If the house has HOA dues or Mello-Roos, those add to the monthly cost.
Closing costs
The fees and prepaid items due at closing on top of the down payment. They include lender charges, escrow and title fees, recording fees, and prepaid interest, taxes and insurance. Your lender's Loan Estimate lists them early, and the Closing Disclosure gives the final numbers at least three business days before closing.
Supplemental tax bill
An extra property tax bill the county sends after you buy. It covers the difference between the home's old assessed value and the new one, counted from the date you took ownership. It usually comes to you directly, separate from the regular bill your lender may pay from an impound account.
HOA
A homeowners association. It maintains a neighborhood's or complex's shared areas, charges regular dues and enforces the CC&Rs, the recorded rules for the property. You get its budget, rules and other documents to review during escrow.
Mello-Roos (CFD)
A special tax in many newer California neighborhoods that pays for things like roads, schools and parks. A Community Facilities District (CFD) collects it on your property tax bill. Some end once the district's bonds are paid off, and others keep going.
Will the house have Mello-Roos or HOA dues?
It depends on the neighborhood. Many newer master-planned neighborhoods have a Mello-Roos tax on the property tax bill, and many of them have an HOA as well. Older neighborhoods often have neither. Ask your agent for the tax bill and the HOA dues before you make an offer, and read the HOA's rules and budget during escrow.
Mello-Roos (CFD)
A special tax in many newer California neighborhoods that pays for things like roads, schools and parks. A Community Facilities District (CFD) collects it on your property tax bill. Some end once the district's bonds are paid off, and others keep going.
HOA
A homeowners association. It maintains a neighborhood's or complex's shared areas, charges regular dues and enforces the CC&Rs, the recorded rules for the property. You get its budget, rules and other documents to review during escrow.
How long does buying a home take?
Pre-approval can take a few days once the lender has your documents. Nobody can schedule the search. Some buyers find the house in two weekends and others look for months. Once your offer is accepted, a cash purchase can close sooner than a financed one. Your agent sets the timeline with you before you write the offer.
Pre-approval
A lender's written statement of how much it's willing to lend you, after it has checked your credit, income, savings and debts. It's still conditional. The loan isn't final until the lender also approves the specific home, appraisal included.
What happens after my offer is accepted?
You wire your earnest money deposit to escrow within a few days, by the deadline in the contract. Then the inspection period starts. Your agent schedules the home inspection, you read the seller disclosures as they arrive, and the lender orders the appraisal. Each contingency has its own deadline, and your agent tracks every one with you. After that it's mostly paperwork and the lender's checklist until you sign and the deed records.
Earnest money deposit
The deposit you send to escrow after the seller accepts your offer, to show you're serious about buying. At closing it's credited toward your down payment and costs. What happens to it if the purchase falls through depends on the contract and its contingencies.
Escrow
A neutral third party that holds the money and documents for a sale and follows written instructions from the buyer and the seller. In Southern California it's usually an independent escrow company or a title company's escrow department. It closes the sale once every condition has been met.
Home inspection
A visual check of the house's structure and systems, including the roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling and the foundation, by an inspector you hire. It usually happens in the first weeks of escrow, and it's separate from the lender's appraisal.
Seller disclosures (TDS and SPQ)
Forms where the seller tells you what they know about the property's condition and history. The Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) is required on most California resales of one to four units. The Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ) asks more detailed questions. Some sales, such as certain bank-owned and probate sales, are exempt from the TDS.
Appraisal
A licensed appraiser's estimate of the home's market value, ordered by your lender. The lender uses it to decide how much it will lend, so a low appraisal can change your numbers.
Contingency
A condition in the purchase contract, such as getting the loan, the appraisal or the inspection results, with a deadline attached. While a contingency is in place, the contract gives you a way to cancel if that condition isn't met. In California you usually remove each one in writing.
How do I send my deposit safely?
Before you wire your earnest money deposit, call your escrow officer at a number you already trust, from the escrow company's own website or from your agent, and confirm the wire instructions by phone. Scammers send emails that look like they come from escrow, a lender or an agent, with new bank details. If an email changes where your money goes, treat it as fraud until you've confirmed it by phone.
Earnest money deposit
The deposit you send to escrow after the seller accepts your offer, to show you're serious about buying. At closing it's credited toward your down payment and costs. What happens to it if the purchase falls through depends on the contract and its contingencies.
Escrow
A neutral third party that holds the money and documents for a sale and follows written instructions from the buyer and the seller. In Southern California it's usually an independent escrow company or a title company's escrow department. It closes the sale once every condition has been met.
Which cities does the office cover?
Upland and the cities around it: Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Montclair, Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Glendora, Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Eastvale, Corona, Riverside and San Bernardino. If you're looking somewhere else in the Inland Empire, ask us.