Buying a Home
Decide what you can carry, learn how to read the property file and compare relevant sales. The county guides cover local differences. This guide connects them to your purchase decision.
The number on the listing is not the point
Bay Area pricing is not what most people think. The list price is often a strategy rather than a value. Sometimes it is deliberately low to create competition. Sometimes it is aspirational and far too high.
Anyone taking those numbers at face value will either overpay or miss real opportunities, and that is the single biggest reason good buyers keep losing.
What I actually do for a buyer
On anything you are serious about, I pull what genuinely sold nearby and tell you where I think this one trades. Then we talk about terms, because in a competitive situation the deposit, the contingency lengths and the closing date frequently matter more than the final number on the price.
Every disclosure package gets translated into plain language. What is normal for a house of that age, what is a real problem, and what merely sounds expensive. In English or Russian.
And I will tell you when a house is wrong for you, even when saying so costs me the deal.
How it runs
Seven steps, written out in full on the How I Buy page. It starts with the difference between what a lender approved you for and what you can actually carry, and ends with a warning about wire fraud that you should genuinely read.
Before showings we sign a California Buyer Representation Agreement. It sets out what I do, how long it runs, and how I am compensated. That compensation is negotiable and agreed between us.
Where I can help
Explore the buyer guides for Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Marin.
The county changes the buying question
The county guides answer different property questions. Use this comparison to choose a starting point, then follow the county links below for the full review. These are questions to investigate, not rankings or claims that every home in a county has the same conditions.
Choose the local question to investigate
| County | A useful starting comparison |
|---|---|
| Alameda | Inner East Bay, 880 corridor or Tri-Valley, with the full trip from each property. |
| Contra Costa | BART access and road connections alongside cooling, site conditions and assessments. |
| San Francisco | Condo, TIC or detached ownership, then the building and the block. |
| San Mateo | Bay-side station and road access versus coast-side routes and weather. |
| Santa Clara | Actual office location, housing type and verified address requirements. |
| Marin | Bridge or ferry connections alongside driveway, slope and maintenance obligations. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I need for a down payment?
It depends on the loan and the property type, and anyone quoting you a single figure without knowing your situation is guessing. What matters more is the monthly number you can carry comfortably, which we work out first.
Do you charge buyers a fee?
Compensation is set out in the Buyer Representation Agreement we sign before showings, and it is negotiable and agreed between us. It is not standard or fixed, and I will walk you through it before you sign anything.
The method
The R.E.A.L. Home Buying Process
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Kate Fomina?