Bibi Carrington
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Buyer’s Guide

Your Orange County Homebuyer Guide.

The whole process, start to finish, written for this market — so you know what happens next, what it costs you, and where the pitfalls usually are.

Buying a home involves a lot of moving parts, and most of the stress comes from not knowing what is coming. This guide walks through all eight stages in order, in plain language, with no jargon and nothing dressed up.

You will notice I have not put specific timelines or fees in here. Those are negotiable, they vary by property, and some of them changed recently. I would rather tell you the real numbers for your situation than print something that goes out of date.

01

Initial Consultation

We sit down — in person, on the phone, or over a video call — and talk about what you are actually looking for. Your timeline, your budget, the areas you are drawn to, and anything that is worrying you. I will explain how the process works from here and answer whatever you want to ask. Nothing needs deciding on the day.

What to expect

  • An honest conversation about your goals
  • A plain-English walkthrough of the process
  • A realistic view of your timeline
  • My thoughts on what to prepare first
02

Pre-Approval

Before we look seriously, it helps to know exactly what you can borrow. A lender reviews your income, credit and assets and issues a pre-approval — which carries far more weight than a pre-qualification, because someone has actually checked. I can introduce you to lenders I trust, and you are welcome to use your own.

What to expect

  • A clear number to work with
  • A pre-approval letter to accompany offers
  • An understanding of the monthly cost, not just the price
  • Time to sort anything that needs sorting
03

Home Search

Now the enjoyable part. We narrow down neighborhoods, see homes together, and I tell you what I notice — good and bad. After twenty-three years here I will point out the things photographs never show: the road noise, the awkward flow, the roof that is older than it looks.

What to expect

  • A search built around what actually matters to you
  • Honest feedback on every home we see
  • Context on neighborhoods, commutes and schools
  • No pressure to like something
04

Making an Offer

When you find the right one, we write an offer. Price is only part of it — terms, timing, contingencies and how the offer is presented can matter more than the number. I will explain every piece, tell you honestly what I would do, and then write what you decide.

What to expect

  • A strategy shaped by the property and the seller
  • Every term explained before you sign anything
  • My honest read on what it will take
  • Negotiation handled on your behalf
05

Escrow & Inspections

Once your offer is accepted, escrow opens and the clock starts. This is where the work really is. Inspections are scheduled, disclosures are reviewed, and deadlines matter. If an inspection turns up something serious, we talk about it properly — repairs, credits, or walking away.

What to expect

  • Inspections arranged and attended
  • Every disclosure reviewed and explained
  • Deadlines tracked so nothing slips
  • Straight talk if something concerns me
06

Appraisal

Your lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home is worth what you have agreed to pay. Most of the time it passes without comment. When it comes in below the purchase price, there are several ways forward — renegotiating, making up the difference, or walking — and we work out which one suits you.

What to expect

  • Regular updates rather than silence
  • Help if the appraisal comes in low
  • Someone chasing on your behalf
  • Early warning if anything looks likely to slip
07

Loan & Final Walkthrough

Underwriting finishes and your loan is cleared to close, which is where a late document request can still stall things — so I stay in contact with your lender rather than waiting. Around the same days we walk the property one last time, checking that agreed repairs were carried out and that what is meant to stay is still there.

What to expect

  • A proper look, not a formality
  • A checklist of what was agreed
  • Time to raise anything before you sign
  • Issues settled before closing, not after
08

Closing Day & Beyond

You sign, the loan funds, the sale records — and I hand you the keys. After that I am still here: for the contractor recommendation, the property tax question, the neighbor who is thinking of selling. A great deal of my work comes from people I helped years ago.

What to expect

  • A clear picture of what you sign and what you pay
  • Keys in hand
  • My number afterwards
  • Someone to call, however long it has been

What it actually costs.

Purchase price is the number everyone talks about. These are the ones that catch people out, grouped by when you will feel them.

Before you close

Out of pocket, early
Earnest money deposit
Typically one to three percent of the purchase price, paid into escrow shortly after your offer is accepted. It is not an extra cost — it credits toward your down payment — but you need it available quickly.
Home inspection
Paid by you, at the time. Specialist follow-ups — roof, sewer line, foundation, pool — are separate and worth it when the general inspector flags something.
Appraisal
Ordered by your lender, charged to you, usually early in escrow.

At closing

Rolled into escrow
Down payment
Your deposit is credited against it. The balance is wired to escrow before closing — which is exactly when wire fraud attempts arrive.
Lender and escrow fees
Origination, underwriting, escrow and recording fees. Your lender must give you a Loan Estimate up front and a Closing Disclosure before signing; I read both with you.
Title insurance
Protects your ownership against claims that predate you. In Orange County the county transfer tax — $1.10 per $1,000 of value — is customarily paid by the seller.

Every year after

The ongoing part
Property tax
Start at one percent of the purchase price — that is the base rate. What you actually pay depends on the voter-approved bonds and assessments attached to that particular property, and newer communities usually carry more of them than older ones.
Insurance
Homeowners insurance always. Fire risk affects both price and availability in some areas, and earthquake cover is separate and optional.
HOA and special taxes
Monthly HOA dues in most planned communities here, and in newer ones a Mello-Roos special tax on top of your property tax.

What is different about buying in California.

Advice written for other states does not always travel. These are the pieces that are genuinely local — and the first one surprises almost every buyer.

The supplemental tax bill nobody mentions.

Under Proposition 13 your property is reassessed when you buy it. The seller was probably taxed on a much older value, so months after closing the county sends a one-off supplemental bill for the difference, prorated from your purchase date. It is legitimate, it is not in your monthly payment, and it catches people who thought they were done. I will tell you roughly what to expect before you close.

Proposition 13 works in your favor afterwards.

Once your value is set, the assessed amount can rise no more than two percent a year for as long as you own the home — regardless of what the market does. It is why a neighbor who bought in 1998 pays a fraction of what you will, and why staying put in California is rewarded more than in most states.

Mello-Roos, and why two similar homes differ.

Many newer Orange County communities sit in a Community Facilities District, where a special tax repays the bonds that funded roads, schools and parks. It appears on your tax bill, it can be substantial, and it has an end date. Two comparable homes a mile apart can carry very different annual costs because of it, and I check before you fall in love.

The Natural Hazard Disclosure is worth reading.

California sellers must tell you whether the property sits in a flood zone, an earthquake fault or seismic hazard zone, or a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. In this county that last one matters — it affects insurance availability and premiums, not just peace of mind. We go through the report together.

If you are 55 or over, Proposition 19 may follow you.

Homeowners aged 55 or older, severely disabled homeowners, and victims of wildfire or declared disasters can carry their existing property tax base to a replacement primary residence anywhere in California — and those over 55 can do it up to three times. For anyone moving down or moving closer to family, it can change the math entirely.

Whose agent is whose.

The agent at the open house works for the seller. In California one agent or brokerage may represent both sides, but only with written disclosure and your consent — and it means nobody is advising you alone. Having your own representation costs you nothing to discuss, and it is the difference between someone answering your questions and someone advocating for your position.

A few things worth knowing.

Never trust wiring instructions from an email.

Wire fraud is the single most expensive thing that can happen to a buyer, and the fake emails are convincing. Before sending any money, telephone the escrow officer on a number you already have — never one from the email itself — and confirm the details out loud.

Representation is agreed in writing first.

Before we tour homes together we sign a buyer representation agreement setting out what I do for you and how I am paid. I will walk you through it line by line, and you will not be asked to sign anything you do not understand.

Pre-approval is not pre-qualification.

A pre-qualification is an estimate based on what you tell a lender. A pre-approval means they verified it. Sellers know the difference, and in a competitive situation it can matter as much as the price.

An inspection finding is not the end.

Almost every home turns something up. What matters is whether it is cosmetic, expensive, or a reason to walk. That is a judgment call, and it is one of the places where having done this for twenty-three years genuinely helps.

A taxi will get you from A to B. A limo makes the journey memorable. Buying a home is one of the bigger journeys you will take — it may as well be a good one.

Let’s Have a Cuppa

Questions about any of this?

Fifteen minutes on the phone, no cost and no obligation. I will listen first, and then tell you honestly what I would suggest — whether or not that involves me.

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Bibi Carrington · California Real Estate Broker · Serving South Orange County