Home › Learning › First-Time Buyer › Home Buying Checklist
First-Time Buyer · Checklist

The California Home Buying Checklist

Buying a home is a lot of steps — but they happen in a predictable order. Follow this checklist top to bottom and nothing will catch you off guard. The one rule that matters most: financing comes before house hunting, not after.

Start Step 2 Now← First-Time Buyer Hub
9 stepsIn order~30–60 daysNo surprises
MBReviewed by Mike Basti, Mortgage Broker & Founder · NMLS #377740
Quick Answer

The order: 1) check credit & budget → 2) get pre-approved → 3) line up assistance → 4) agent & shop → 5) make an offer → 6) open escrow → 7) inspection & appraisal → 8) underwriting → 9) walkthrough & close. Start with pre-approval.

On this page

  1. The 9-step checklist
  2. Before-you-start checklist
  3. FAQs

The 9-step home buying checklist

  1. 1. Check your credit & budget

    Know your credit score & DTI; set a comfortable payment.

  2. 2. Get pre-approved

    Confirm loan amount, rate & cash to close. Do this before shopping.

  3. 3. Line up assistance

    Check down payment help & reserve it.

  4. 4. Choose an agent & shop

    Tour homes within your pre-approval budget.

  5. 5. Make an offer

    Competitive terms — often with a seller credit toward closing.

  6. 6. Open escrow & deposit earnest money

    Hold the deal with your good-faith deposit.

  7. 7. Inspection & appraisal

    Inspect the home; lender orders the appraisal.

  8. 8. Underwriting & conditions

    Provide final items → clear-to-close.

  9. 9. Final walkthrough & close

    Walk through, sign, fund, get your keys.

The one step that determines everything downstream: pre-approval, before you look at a single home. It's tempting to start by browsing listings — it's the fun part — but doing it before you're pre-approved quietly sabotages the whole process. You fall for homes outside your real budget, you can't move fast when the right one appears, and in California's competitive market most sellers won't even consider an offer without a pre-approval letter attached. Getting pre-approved first flips all of that: you shop with a precise budget, you can write a same-day offer, and your bid is taken seriously. It's free, it doesn't obligate you, and it takes one conversation. Everything else on this checklist runs smoother once step 2 is done — so if you skip ahead anywhere, don't skip here. Knock out step 2 →

Before you start — quick checklist

Have readyWhy
Recent pay / income docsFor pre-approval
2 months bank statementsDown payment & reserves
ID & Social Security numberCredit & identity
A comfortable monthly budgetSets your price range
Down payment + closing fundsOr an assistance plan

Full list in the Mortgage Documents Checklist.

Home buying checklist FAQs

First step?

Check credit & budget, then get pre-approved — before house hunting.

Pre-approve before looking?

Yes — sets your budget; CA sellers often require it.

How long does it take?

~30–60 days once under contract; shopping varies.

What's earnest money?

Good-faith deposit held in escrow, applied at closing.

Need an agent?

For most first-timers, yes — works alongside your lender.

Reviewed by the licensing team at Save Financial, a California-licensed mortgage brokerage (NMLS #377740, DRE #01875766) founded in 2009 and serving all 58 counties.

Keep learning

First-Time Buyer HubStart here — every step. Mortgage TimelineWhat happens week by week. Documents ChecklistEverything you'll provide. Home InspectionStep 7 explained. Appraisal GuideStep 7 explained. Pre-ApprovalStep 2 — the big one.

You've got the checklist. Now knock out step 2 — it makes the other eight easy.

A free, no-obligation pre-approval sets your real budget, locks your terms, and makes your offers competitive. We'll walk you through every remaining step to the keys.

Get Pre-Approved FreeCall 949-379-5320