Straightforward answers to common questions San Diego County homeowners ask before, during, and after selling a home.
Topics cover the full selling process, including preparing the property, seller costs and net proceeds, listing agreements and MLS activity, showings, buyer offers, negotiations, contingencies, inspections, appraisal, escrow, disclosures, and closing.
Use the topic categories below to find answers by stage of the sale, from the earliest decision to sell through the final steps of closing.
If a buyer’s financing falls through, the sale does not necessarily end immediately. For a home seller, the first step is to identify what financing problem occurred, whether it can…
A seller can sometimes cancel an accepted purchase agreement, but not simply because they change their mind or receive a better offer. For a California homeowner asking can a seller…
Sometimes, but not automatically. For a California home seller asking can a seller keep the buyer’s deposit if the buyer cancels, the answer depends on why the transaction ended, what…
When a buyer attempts to cancel escrow, the seller first needs to identify what contractual provision or contingency the buyer says they are relying on and establish the status of…
Yes, a buyer may sometimes back out after a seller accepts their offer, but the buyer does not automatically have an unrestricted right to walk away. For a California home…
A common planning range for a residential escrow is about 30 to 45 days, but there is no single California escrow period that applies to every home sale. For sellers…
Escrow is the process that helps carry a home sale from an accepted purchase agreement through closing. For a homeowner asking what is escrow and how does it work for…
A longer escrow means the buyer and seller agree to allow more time between offer acceptance and the scheduled closing date. For a homeowner asking what does a longer escrow…
An inspection contingency gives a buyer time to investigate the property and retain contractual rights based on what those investigations reveal. For a home seller, the contingency matters because the…
An appraisal contingency is a provision in a purchase agreement that gives the buyer contractual protection if the property does not appraise at the value required by the agreement. For…
