Buying a home in Placer County and the Sacramento area: from pre-approval to keys

Step 1: Pre-approval and a real budget

Start with a lender, not a listing. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) suggests comparing lender rates and fees and getting pre-approved to make the buying process smoother. A pre-approval also gives you and your agent a loan amount to plan your price range around.

Budget for more than the monthly loan payment. The DRE's First Home California guide reminds buyers of ongoing costs such as utilities, taxes, homeowner association dues and maintenance. Special taxes and HOA dues vary from home to home, so ask about them before you commit to a home.

Step 2: The written buyer agreement

Before an agent tours homes with you, expect to sign a written buyer representation agreement. The DRE explains that, under the NAR settlement, the agent must have the signed agreement prior to touring a property, and the agreement must address the buyer's agent's compensation. According to the National Association of REALTORS, this applies whether you tour in person or virtually, but not to visiting an open house on your own or asking an agent about their services.

California law adds its own rule. If a broker represents you, Civil Code section 1670.50 requires a written buyer-broker representation agreement with that broker as soon as practicable, and no later than when you sign an offer. It must cover the broker's compensation, the services to be provided, when compensation is due, and how the contract ends. Compensation is negotiable and not set by law, so read the agreement and ask questions before you sign.

Step 3: Search and touring

Write down your must-haves and nice-to-haves, then tour with those in hand. As you look, have your agent explain any HOA dues, special taxes and assessments, and any solar system, all of which the DRE's guide specifically mentions. Our neighborhood guides cover Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay, Loomis, Auburn, Folsom and Fair Oaks.

Step 4: Offer and contingencies

Your agent helps you decide on price and terms, and puts them in a written offer. Contingencies are conditions in the offer that let you cancel on agreed terms. Common ones cover the home inspection, the appraisal and your loan. The DRE notes that any contingency you want must be part of the offer, and that once the contract is binding, you may lose your deposit if you want to cancel the deal. Contingencies are how you set the terms on which you can cancel.

Inspection: hire professionals to check the home's systems and structure, and consider a pest inspection. Appraisal: a licensed appraiser hired by your lender estimates the home's value from comparable homes. Loan: the contingency ties your purchase to final loan approval. Your contract sets the timing for each, and your agent tracks those dates with you.

Step 5: Escrow, title and disclosures

After an offer is accepted, escrow is opened with a neutral escrow holder. The escrow holder keeps the documents and funds during the transaction. The DRE notes that in Northern California, escrow is most often handled by a title insurance company. The title company searches the ownership history and any liens, and issues a preliminary title report.

The seller gives you disclosures, including the Transfer Disclosure Statement on the home's condition and, where it applies, the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, which covers mapped hazard zones, including High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Read every page and ask about anything unclear. During escrow, confirm any wiring instructions by calling your escrow officer at a phone number you verified yourself, not one from an email, since the DRE warns buyers to be cautious about electronic transfers of funds.

Step 6: Final walkthrough, closing and keys

Shortly before closing, you and your agent do a final walkthrough to check the home's condition and any agreed repairs. Ask your lender and escrow officer when you will sign loan documents and how to pay closing costs. When escrow closes, the deed is recorded at the county recorder's office. Keys and possession pass to you on the terms your purchase agreement sets.

First-time buyer programs in Placer County

Placer County First-Time Homebuyer Loan Program. The county's program page says it offers flexible second mortgages to help eligible households buy their first home in the unincorporated areas of Placer County. The county stopped accepting new applications on June 6, 2025, and invites anyone interested in future funding to fill out its housing interest form. Minimum requirements on that page include meeting the program's first-time homebuyer definition, the property being in unincorporated Placer County, pre-approval for a first mortgage, and the county's income limits.

Housing Trust Placer says Placer County selected it to administer the county's First-Time Homebuyer and Workforce Housing Preservation Down Payment Assistance Programs. Housing Trust Placer's first-time homebuyer program page lists the eligibility rules; check there for current status. One point matters for many buyers in our area: homes within city limits are not eligible, and the page says most areas in Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Auburn do not qualify. Homes inside the Town of Loomis are within an incorporated town, so they do not meet the county program's requirement for a property in unincorporated Placer County. Some homes with a Loomis mailing address are in unincorporated Placer County, so check any Loomis address with the program before you make an offer.

Statewide help. The DRE's First Home California guide points buyers to the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), which offers loan and down payment help through approved lenders rather than taking applications directly. Placer County's program page also lists CalHFA as a resource. Ask a CalHFA-approved lender which programs are open when you apply. For a longer walk-through, read our first-time home buyer guide for Placer County.

New construction and bringing your own agent

If you are considering a new home from a builder, ask the builder directly before your first visit to its sales office: does it work with buyer's agents, does your agent need to be registered or present at your first visit, and does it pay anything toward a buyer's agent. Policies vary, so get the answer in writing.

Your own agent works for you, not the builder. When a subdivider must provide a DRE public report, the subdivider must give you a copy before you are obligated to buy. It covers items such as the covenants, conditions and restrictions and HOA costs. Your agent can go through it with you, along with the purchase contract, upgrade pricing and any special taxes.

Choosing a buyer's agent

Check any agent's license on the DRE website, interview more than one, and ask for past client references. Useful questions, several drawn from the DRE's own list:

• What experience do you have in the area where I want to buy, and with buyers in my price range?
• Who will I actually work with day to day, and who attends the inspection?
• What is in your buyer agreement: compensation, services, how long it lasts and how I can end it?
• Have you worked with lenders and title companies in this area?
• Which parts of the transaction are negotiable, and which are not?
• How do you keep me updated on contract deadlines?

What buyer representation looks like at TPR

TPR Properties is an independent, broker-led brokerage founded in 2014. You work with the broker: Ken Patterson, Broker and Owner, or Charlotte Mason, Broker Associate. Our buyer work covers search strategy, offer strategy, inspection and escrow, and we pull custom comparable sales on request. Start a buyer conversation.

• Strategy first. Before we tour a single home, we talk through your budget, your timeline, the trade-offs you are willing to make, and what the right home looks like for you.
• Real search, not just automated MLS emails. We build a search strategy around the areas you care about and set up a custom property search on request.
• Offers built on more than price. A strong offer covers terms, contingencies, timing and how the package is presented. We work through each one with you before you sign.
• Inspection and escrow advocacy. When the inspection turns something up, we help you decide what to ask for, negotiate it on your behalf, and stay with you through closing.

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