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Guides

Buying a Home

Guides for buyers, from your first home to buying with an ADU.

A hand holding the keys to a new home

How Do I Buy My First Home

The California first-time home buyer guide for 2026: down payment assistance by county, FHA limits, and step-by-step help from a licensed California brokerage. Choose your area.

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How Do I Buy a Home

How to buy a home in California when self-employed in 2026: bank statement loans, how lenders calculate qualifying income, Non-QM options, and step-by-step help. Choose your area.

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How Do I Buy a Home With an ADU

How to buy a home with an ADU in California in 2026: using rental income to help you qualify, confirming the ADU is permitted, house-hacking and multigenerational living, and financing a two-unit...

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Can I Buy a Home in a California Fire Zone

Buying a home in a California fire zone in 2026: Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the insurance ladder (admitted, surplus lines, FAIR Plan + DIC), mitigation that unlocks coverage, and lender rules....

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Other guide categories

Selling a HomeGuides for sellers, including as-is sales, inherited homes, and relisting.Life TransitionsGuidance for the harder moments: divorce, probate, foreclosure, and downsizing.InvestingGuides for investors buying, holding, and exiting California property.Building & Adding ValueAdding units, splitting lots, building new, and buying land.Commercial PropertyIncome property from apartments and retail to storage and RV parks.