The Silicon Valley Home Buyers Guide
Buying a home in Silicon Valley, however, isn't like buying one anywhere else. Faster timelines. Heavier paperwork. Escrows, of course, sometimes compress a month-long process into roughly three weeks, and the disclosure package alone runs hundreds of pages.
Pre-inspections? Not standard practice elsewhere in the U.S., but table stakes here. This Silicon Valley home buyers guide walks through the entire process, from pre-approval through closing, with the regional specifics national guides skip.
Following the National Association of REALTORS settlement and California's AB 2992, buyer-broker representation agreements are currently required by law when a buyer engages an agent, although a buyer is not legally required to have one. Most do. Most Silicon Valley buyers, as a result, still choose to work with a dedicated buyer's agent. Here's what changes when your target market is Palo Alto, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Santa Clara rather than central San Jose.
The quick version. Escrows are quicker than the national average. You'll typically get the disclosure package before writing your offer, not after. Sellers usually pay for pre-inspections and then provide reports to all buyers.
The C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement is used in most offers. Transactions on the Peninsula generally use PRDS. Property tax issues under Prop 13 (1978) and Prop 19 (2020) are addressed under 'California Laws' below. See BOE property tax guidance.
Consult a licensed CPA and tax attorney before making any decisions based on tax implications.
How Does the Silicon Valley Buying Process Differ from Other U.S. Markets?
Faster, denser, more paperwork up front. Most U.S. markets let buyers order independent inspections after an offer is accepted, during the contingency window. Silicon Valley runs that backward. Sellers commission pre-inspection reports and share them before offers go out, and the disclosure package arrives before you write the first word of your offer, shifting the entire risk calculation earlier than most buyers from other states expect.
Escrow timelines tell the story. A typical Santa Clara County or San Mateo County close runs faster than the national norm, compressing what many U.S. markets stretch to a full month. Compare with national tracking published by the NAR Realtors Confidence Index.
But why does speed matter? Sellers often order pre-inspection reports prior to listing. Title companies open escrow the day an offer is accepted, and local banks and lenders can deliver clear-to-close letters faster than national call centers. Buyers who show up pre-underwritten with a loan commitment can get moving quicker than buyers who are uploading tax returns during week one.
Contract forms differ across Silicon Valley, too. Transactions, however, split between two standard purchase agreements: the statewide C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement, and the PRDS form used widely on the San Mateo County and Peninsula side. Same transaction. Different default timelines and clauses.
Same price point, different paperwork. Your Palo Alto offer package will not be identical to your San Jose offer package. The default contract form varies by submarket. Most of Santa Clara County uses C.A.R., but Peninsula deals might default to PRDS instead.
The two forms have different contingency defaults, different seller disclosure timelines, and even different addendum structures. Be sure to know which form applies to your target neighborhood before you write an offer.
How Do You Prepare Financially for a Silicon Valley Home Purchase?
For any buyer entering this market, financial prep is stricter than a generic pre-approval letter. In practice, listing agents distinguish "pre-approved" (soft credit and income review) from "pre-underwritten" (lender reviewed pay stubs, tax returns, statements, and employment verification). The second version accordingly carries real weight in multiple-offer situations. The first often does not.
The required down payment amount moves up with the price bracket, not a set percent. So, at the high end (think Cupertino single family or Santa Clara condo that's above the conforming loan limit) your down payment is higher because of the price bracket it falls into. Entry-level and mid-tier Silicon Valley real estate follows the same logic. Point being, it moves up with price tier.
Reserves matter as well. Most jumbo lenders in Silicon Valley particularly expect a meaningful reserve runway of post-close liquid assets. Reserves, in addition, means cash or near-cash assets remaining after down payment and closing costs.
Retirement accounts? They partially count, subject to lender haircuts. Equity in another property generally does not.
Local lender versus national lender matters more than buyers expect. In practice, a listing agent reviewing a stack of offers over a weekend will pick up the phone and call the buyer's lender. Local lenders typically answer on a Saturday. National call centers, likewise, do not.
According to the California Association of REALTORS, financing contingency issues are a common cause of failed escrows statewide. Working with a local lender who knows Silicon Valley and, in addition, takes the listing agent's weekend call meaningfully reduces that risk. Choose local.
Program fit is important, too. Conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans and jumbo loans all have unique down payment requirements, credit expectations and timelines for closing, and your local lenders can help match your profile to the appropriate program. Credit preparation is beneficial ahead of time as well: Clearing past-due accounts, leaving longtime accounts open, and not allowing any new credit pulls through escrow can each help you build a stronger profile for lenders.
How Do You Choose the Right Silicon Valley Buyer's Agent?
What should you look for in a Silicon Valley buyer's agent? Submarket experience, fluency with C.A.R. and PRDS forms, local lender and inspector relationships, and compensation transparency. The NAR settlement therefore changed how buyers negotiate and disclose commissions. In California, the framework took effect through written buyer representation agreements typically required before touring a home, per post-settlement NAR guidance.
A written buyer representation agreement specifically spells out the services your agent provides, the compensation you agree to pay (or that the seller's side may cover), and the duration of the agreement. Agreements can be exclusive or non-exclusive. Most experienced buyer's agents in Silicon Valley generally operate under exclusive agreements. The effort required to prepare a buyer for a competitive Santa Clara County or San Mateo County market is significant.
Questions to help you learn about agent fit might include: How many sales have you completed in my price range and cities during the last market cycle? Have you written offers on behalf of buyers using C.A.R. and PRDS forms? Describe your inspection company relationships. Tell me about a recent multiple offer situation where your buyer came out on top.
Make them answer specifically.
Agents who can answer each of these with specifics notably have the experience. Those who deflect or generalize typically do not.
Verify the California Department of Real Estate license at DRE license lookup before signing any representation agreement.
Step Three: Defining Your Search Criteria and Touring Homes
Begin with absolutes, then layer on tradeoffs. A Silicon Valley home buyers search list divides deal breakers (bedrooms, commute, school district, square footage) from deal enhancers (pool, ADU, style, view). Peninsula condos are generally smaller than South Bay SFRs but the price per square foot can make condos a better option for first-time buyers.
Touring pace is quicker in Silicon Valley than it is in slower markets. Typically, homes will list on Thursday, open on weekends, have a deadline Tuesday, and accept offers Wednesday. Keep in mind markets can change. Always check with your agent first.
Multiple Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Los Altos transactions close monthly where the winning buyer never physically toured before offering, relying on agent walk-throughs, pre-inspection reports, and video. Discuss these situations, in other words, with your agent.
If you're choosing a home partly based on school district, the zip code won't tell you what you need to know. Boundaries don't follow zip lines. California school assignment runs address by address, and one side of a street can feed a different school than the other. Verify the specific address at the district's enrollment portal before you write an offer, not after.
Regarding any deal-breaker school in particular, confirm your target property's assignment at that school district's website prior to writing an offer. Palo Alto Unified, Los Altos, Cupertino Union, Saratoga Union, and Campbell Union all have address lookup tools. Beware of third party boundary maps.
What's in a California Home Disclosure Package?
The California home buying disclosures package, detailed in this Silicon Valley home buyers guide, departs sharply from national norms. In most U.S. markets, inspections happen after offer acceptance. Here, in contrast, sellers order pre-inspection reports before listing, then share them with every buyer. Your job is to read the 150 to 300 page package before writing the offer.
Four disclosures apply to every transaction. No exceptions. The first is the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), which is the state-required seller disclosure of known material facts. Next is the Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ), which is a more detailed companion form with questions covering dozens of line items.
Included in your California seller's disclosure package? A lot more than you might expect. The Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID) form documents everything the listing agent observed while physically walking through the property. Separately provided (typically through a third-party service) is the Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD), which includes seismic zones, fire hazard severity zones, and flood plain designations for that property.
California AB-38 (2019) also requires the transfer disclosure statement to include additional wildfire disclosures and confirmations of defensible space clearing if the property is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone. Standard forms sponsored by the California Association of REALTORS are available at car.org. Every Silicon Valley purchase involves these four.
Pre-inspection reports, additionally, commonly include general home inspection, roof inspection, sewer lateral video scope, and chimney inspection when applicable. Pool/spa inspection, pest and termite inspection, and foundation inspection on older properties often appear too. That list grows on older homes.
100-500 pages. Welcome to the California HOA disclosure packet size for condos and townhomes. This packet sits on top of the preliminary title report which includes easements, CC&Rs, and any liens of record.
The HOA packet includes governing docs, meeting minutes, reserve studies, financials and pending litigation. Read every page before you waive a contingency.
Federal law triggers a lead-based paint disclosure requirement automatically for any home built before 1978. California adds its own layer on top. Water heater strapping compliance and smoke detector installation both require seller certification, and those certifications need to match what the pre-inspection report shows. A discrepancy between a seller's compliance disclosure and an inspector's finding isn't paperwork confusion, it's a red flag worth raising before you write an offer.
Not optional line items. These. Verify every compliance disclosure is signed, dated, and consistent with what the pre-inspection reports describe. An inspector note of "water heater not double-strapped," for instance, paired with a seller disclosure claiming compliance signals a problem worth raising before your offer goes in.
How Do You Write a Competitive Silicon Valley Offer?
Price rarely makes or breaks an offer. Terms do. The winning offer in practice often pairs a competitive price with what the seller actually cares about. Waived or shortened contingencies, larger deposit, quicker close, rent-back options, and clean proof of funds all help.
A higher-priced offer with weak terms often loses to a lower-priced offer that closes faster and clean.
Earnest money deposits are higher than the national average in Silicon Valley. A substantial deposit goes into escrow quickly after acceptance. Exact percentage? It varies, but goes up and down with the market and specifics of a deal.
The deposit goes toward your down payment at closing. It is forfeited if you back out outside of contingency periods.
Inspection, loan, and appraisal are the standard contingencies. Buyers have three separate rights to cancel, each with its own timeframe. Silicon Valley buyers often waive or shorten contingencies to make their offers more competitive.
Actual risk. By waiving the inspection contingency, you're taking the property 'as-is', with no option to back out due to issues found during an independent inspection. Drop the loan contingency and you risk losing your deposit should your financing fall through. Waiving the appraisal contingency (or having an appraisal gap clause) also means you'll have to make up the difference between contract price and appraised value with cash at closing.
Waiving contingencies isn't stupid. Each contingency waiver gives up one particular protection in exchange for a competitive edge. They are not equivalent.
Waiving the inspection contingency means you accept the property as disclosed, with no right to cancel based on what an independent inspector finds. Loan waivers leave your deposit at risk if financing falls through, and appraisal waivers mean you cover the gap between contract price and appraised value in cash at closing. Review all three contingencies with your agent before your offer is written.
Lease-back (also called rent-back) requests, of course, are common. Sellers who close on their next home a short window later often ask for a rent-back, sometimes free and sometimes at a per diem rate. Granting rent-back at a reasonable rate can swing a tight decision in your favor.
C.A.R. and PRDS Seller in Possession Addenda spell out responsibilities, insurance, and limits.
Step Six: Escrow, Inspections, and Final Walk-Through
Escrow in Silicon Valley typically runs on an accelerated timeline versus the national norm, with inspections and disclosures front-loaded before offer rather than stretched after acceptance. Once your offer is accepted, the earnest money wire releases on a tight window and escrow opens the same day. Day one means acceptance date, not contract receipt.
Silicon Valley inspection contingencies are often less than the default provided in the C.A.R. form and are occasionally waived in ultra-competitive offers. While a shortened contingency allows for another inspection if the seller's pre-inspection raises questions, it cuts the renegotiation window tight.
The loan contingency runs a tighter-than-default window, though pre-underwritten buyers can offer shorter. Same with the appraisal contingency. Each is a distinct right to cancel, and removing one does not remove the others.
Schedule the final walk-through within the last few days before close, not the morning of signing. Three things to confirm: the property is in the same condition as when you wrote the offer, negotiated repairs are complete, and personal property meant to convey is still there. This is not a re-inspection. New issues discovered here, absent a material change to the property's condition, don't give you new cancellation rights.
Negotiated repairs, meanwhile, must be complete. Personal property meant to convey (refrigerator, washer/dryer, patio furniture), as such, must be present.
This is not a re-inspection. Not an opportunity to raise new issues absent a material change. Arrive with the offer package, tape measure, and list, and verify utilities are on so you can test every switch, faucet, and appliance.
Binders for homeowners insurance are needed at closing by your lender. Homeowners insurance requirements have tightened up in California significantly in the last few years. If you live in certain Silicon Valley cities (the Saratoga foothills, Los Altos Hills, parts of Los Gatos) non-standard coverage may be your only option.
Initiate your insurance discussions during week one of escrow. There is a California FAIR Plan available for last resort in high fire areas; however, the coverage limits are significant limitations.
Step Seven: Closing Day and Beyond
After signing, the lender funds the loan, the county records the deed, and the keys transfer, typically the same day or next morning. Closing day itself is typically anticlimactic when the preceding three weeks have gone smoothly. The escrow officer coordinates final signing: at the escrow office, via mobile notary, or remotely. California allows online notarization for some deals.
Review the closing disclosure, importantly: your loan amount, rate, closing costs, and cash-to-close should match your lender's loan estimate.
Funding customarily happens the day before recording for loan transactions, same day for cash. Recording is the legal moment of ownership transfer.
After it's recorded at either the Santa Clara County or San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder's office, title has legally transferred. Keys are normally released then unless there is a lease-back. Your lender and escrow are anticipating a same-day cash-to-close wire. Cashier's checks are acceptable, but they take longer.
Expect a supplemental property tax bill after close. Under Proposition 13 (1978) as modified by Proposition 19 (2020), explained by the California Board of Equalization, the supplemental captures the difference between prior assessed value and your purchase price. It's prorated from your purchase date. Budget for it, in fact.
Mid-year purchases also throw a timing element into your taxes that most purchasers aren't expecting. You'll get two bills during your first year: One will be your standard annual bill, based on the previous year's assessed value. The other is a supplemental bill to make up the difference now that your purchase price has reset the baseline. The bills won't necessarily come at the same time, or in any order that makes the amounts obvious.
After closing day paperwork quickly accumulates. Allow time to update your driver's license and USPS mail forward address, transfer utilities (PG&E, water, trash), change your voter registration and payroll tax withholdings. Put calendar alerts on your phones for due dates of property tax installments and supplemental bill. Also review your homeowners insurance policy after closing to make sure your replacement cost coverage amount is not what you purchased your house for.
Step Eight: Buying in Special Situations (Foreclosures, Short Sales, Probate, Trust, ADUs)
Every deal in Silicon Valley is not going to be with a motivated seller who knows their property inside out and is ready to close clean. Some are the exact opposite. Bank owned foreclosures, short sales, probate sales, and trust sales each have a unique party representing them at the table and each come with their own set of requirements. Your contingency plan, your timeline expectations, and even your agent's individual experience will need to adjust depending on what you are pursuing.
Foreclosures (REO) happen when the prior owner's loan defaults and the lender takes ownership. The bank sells as-is, with limited or no seller disclosures because it lacks first-hand property knowledge. Banks favor cash offers or strong conventional financing, and some require specific addenda. Inspect anyway.
Inspection contingencies remain available. Repairs are typically not negotiable. The Silicon Valley foreclosure search shows active REO inventory.
When the sale price falls below the mortgage balance, the lender, not the seller, holds final approval over the terms, and that single fact changes everything about the timeline. Short sale timelines can stretch well beyond retail norms, and a lender can reject terms the listing agent already accepted, forcing renegotiation after weeks of waiting. This deal type requires both patience and a short-sale-experienced agent. Neither is optional.
Patience and a short-sale-experienced agent are both required. Submit proof of funds, pre-approval, and a clean offer upfront. Then wait.
Probate sales (estate properties without a living trust) may require court confirmation depending on California code authority granted to the executor. Independent Administration of Estates Act authority, however, allows the executor to accept offers without court confirmation, but many estates still go to a court overbid hearing. Timelines stretch.
Probate adds a wild card. Court confirmation may be required after acceptance. Trust sales skip that step entirely since the trustee sells directly, keeping timelines closer to standard retail. Get an agent who has closed a handful of estate transactions on either side.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) sales are heating up all throughout Silicon Valley. Incentives like California HCD ADU ordinances through AB-68 (2019) have increased interest and activity. Issues to research among others include verifying permits, final inspection approvals, zoning allowability as of the current day on any ADU that may already be on the property. If there is an ADU that does not have permits, the ADU could face removal orders, a legalization requirement, or financing and insurability complications.
By contrast, a legal Junior ADU or full ADU offers rental income potential that can offset payments for multigenerational households.
Step Nine: California Laws Every Silicon Valley Buyer Should Know
Two laws govern your California property taxes at purchase. Proposition 13 (1978) locks in your assessed value at purchase price and caps the annual increase rate; a 2020 change under Prop 19 separately affected parent-to-child transfer rules and age-55 portability. See the California Board of Equalization property tax guidance. Consult a licensed CPA and tax attorney before making any decisions based on tax implications.
How does the property tax reset work in practice? In much of Silicon Valley where purchase prices are often hundreds of thousands of dollars over the seller's previous assessed base, the difference between the old assessment and the new one can be quite high. It surprises many first-year buyers.
Your first-year tax bill will be based on your purchase price, not the previous owner's assessed base. Set aside funds for it independent of your mortgage and insurance estimate.
Prop 19 changed the rules. Before any family property transfer in California, that law narrowed the parent-to-child transfer provisions that existed under Proposition 13 (1978), reducing the situations where a child can inherit a parent's assessed tax base without a full reassessment at current market value. In Silicon Valley, where assessed base values and current market values often differ dramatically, the gap matters. Consult the BOE Proposition 19 guide.
In contrast, Proposition 8 (1978), understood alongside Proposition 13 (1978) and Proposition 19 (2020), provides a mechanism for temporary property tax reassessment when market value falls below assessed value. It's generally relevant in declining markets and less relevant during Silicon Valley appreciation cycles. File if values dropped. See the BOE property tax guidance and file with the county assessor if you believe your assessed value exceeds current market value.
Base property taxes are just one part of the tax burden on homes in newer master-planned communities. Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts add an extra special tax assessment to help pay for roads, schools, parks and other infrastructure that weren't already available when the community was developed. The annual charge is different for each district, and the bond has an expiration date that may be many years away, or could be rapidly approaching. Be sure to check both figures at the county record ahead of putting in an offer.
According to California law tied to Proposition 13 (1978) and Proposition 19 (2020), the California Board of Equalization confirms sellers must disclose Mello-Roos obligations in the Natural Hazard Disclosure.
Before writing any offer on a property within a Mello-Roos district, verify two numbers: the current annual payment and the bond expiration date. Both come from the county record, not the listing. Sellers are required to disclose Mello-Roos, but the disclosed amount isn't always current. Run it yourself at the county assessor's site or through the California Board of Equalization property tax guidance, and consult a licensed CPA and tax attorney before making any decisions based on tax implications.
Cooling off periods can also come into play when buying a condo or house with an HOA. Under California Civil Code you have a right to rescind within a certain number of days after receipt of the full HOA disclosure package whether or not you have included inspection and loan contingencies. Take those days. Read the CC&Rs, pet and rental policies, recent special assessments, and pending lawsuits in the governing documents before signing.
Start the lender conversation and the buyer's agent conversation at the same time, not six weeks apart, because both relationships drive every decision that follows.
- How long does buying a home in Silicon Valley take from start to close?
- Typically a few weeks from first serious search to recorded deed, with pre-approval in hand. Escrow itself runs faster than the national norm.
- Do I need a buyer's agent in California?
- No, you are not legally required to have a buyer's agent to purchase a home in California. You may buy directly from a seller, work with the listing agent under a disclosed dual agency, hire a real estate attorney, or represent yourself. That being said, if you do opt to work with a buyer's agent, California Legislation AB 2992 (effective January 1, 2025) states that your agent must have a written buyer representation agreement signed by you no later than at the time of execution of your offer. The majority of buyers in Silicon Valley opt to work with dedicated representation since the market is fast and deals are complex with lengthy disclosure packages and the listing agent has a fiduciary duty to the seller.
- What's the single biggest difference between Silicon Valley and other U.S. home markets?
- Disclosures and pre-inspections specifically hit your inbox before you write an offer, not after. You read a 200-page package to decide whether to bid, not to cancel.
Silicon Valley Home Buyers Guide, Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below cover the most common Silicon Valley home buyers guide follow-ups from clients preparing their first purchase in the region.
How long does it take to buy a home in Silicon Valley from initial search to closing?
A few weeks to a few months of searching, plus escrow that runs faster than the national norm. Well-prepared buyers find a home in the shorter range. Pre-underwritten financing helps.
So does a clear criteria list. According to MLSListings data, actively marketed Silicon Valley homes move quickly.
How much money do I need saved before buying a home in Silicon Valley?
Plan for the down payment plus closing costs typically larger than the national average, plus a meaningful liquid reserve. Your specific cash-to-close? It depends on loan program, down-payment tier, reserve requirements, and city-level transfer taxes. Talk to a local lender early for a realistic picture.
Do I need a buyer's agent to buy a home in California?
Signed buyer representation agreements are no longer optional. They are standard prior to touring. Here's why: Buying without representation in the Silicon Valley market puts you at a disadvantage. Literally.
You have no negotiator fighting for your best interests, you are solely responsible for understanding the 200+ pages of disclosures, and there is no fiduciary responsibility on the listing side to you. Please read before you sign.
In markets where buyer representation agreements are now standard before touring, finding the right agent before you're ready to make offers isn't premature. It's the setup. A dedicated buyer's agent who knows the specific submarket you're targeting, whether that's Mountain View tech corridors or Saratoga foothills estate properties, brings knowledge that's hard to replicate from search portals alone. The team at Silicon Valley Real Estate Team is available to answer questions before any formal agreement is in place.
What is the difference between a C.A.R. contract and a PRDS contract in Silicon Valley?
Both are standard residential purchase agreement forms used throughout California, but they default to different time frames and clause formats. The C.A.R. RPA is the standard form used statewide and is the more prevalent one used here in Santa Clara County. The PRDS is the form that sees much more use on the San Mateo County and Peninsula side.
Default inspection contingency lengths differ between the two. Your buyer's agent, importantly, should be fluent with both and explain which form applies in your transaction.
Why are Silicon Valley pre-inspections different from inspections elsewhere?
Pre-inspection reports arrive before offers go out, commissioned by the seller and shared with every interested buyer before a single offer is written. Reading that report before you bid changes the entire calculus. You're deciding whether to make an offer, not whether to cancel one. That's why waiving or shortening an inspection contingency shows up in competitive Silicon Valley offers in ways it wouldn't apply in other markets.
What disclosures should I expect when buying a Silicon Valley home?
You should anticipate receiving TDS, SPQ, AVID, NHD, the preliminary title report, pre-inspection reports, lead paint disclosure (if home built before 1978), water heater and smoke detector compliance information. Condos come with one additional item: the HOA packet which includes CC&Rs, bylaws, minutes, reserve study, pending litigation, etc. Read everything prior to writing your offer.
How does Proposition 13 affect my property taxes after buying?
Proposition 13 (1978) and Proposition 19 (2020) set your new assessed value at purchase price. Your purchase price becomes the baseline. See the BOE property tax guidance. The reset is real.
First, after close, you get a supplemental property tax bill. It makes up the difference between what the seller was assessed at and what your assessment is based on the purchase price, prorated from your closing date. Most first-time buyers aren't expecting this bill.
During year one you will usually receive both your normal yearly bill and this supplemental catch-up bill. They usually arrive according to different schedules. Speak with a licensed CPA and tax attorney prior to making any decisions involving taxes.
What's the minimum down payment for a Silicon Valley home?
Depends on loan program, loan amount, and credit profile. Conventional, FHA, VA, and jumbo programs each carry different down payment floors and credit requirements. Jumbo loans, common above the Silicon Valley conforming limit, typically require a more substantial deposit than conforming programs.
Numbers? A local lender can map them to your situation.
Can I buy a Silicon Valley home with standard contingencies in a competitive offer?
Yes, but you may lose to buyers who waive or shorten them. Real tradeoff. Keeping contingencies protects you legally while weakening your offer in bidding wars. Waiving them strengthens your offer but raises financial risk if inspection findings, loan issues, or appraisal gaps surface after acceptance.
A middle path is common: shorten contingency periods rather than waive them entirely. Discuss risk tolerance with your agent before signing.
How does Mello-Roos work in Silicon Valley?
Mello-Roos is a special tax assessment on top of base property taxes, funding infrastructure in specific Community Facilities Districts (CFDs). Most common in newer master-planned developments. According to California law tied to Proposition 13 (1978) and Proposition 19 (2020), the California Board of Equalization confirms sellers must disclose Mello-Roos obligations in the Natural Hazard Disclosure.
Annual amount and bond maturity date. Both numbers need county record verification before any offer goes out on a Mello-Roos property. The listing may quote the current year's payment correctly, but the bond maturity date tells you how many years of that assessment remain, and that changes the full cost picture. Find both at the county assessor or through the California Board of Equalization property tax guidance.
Should I buy a Silicon Valley home through a trust or probate sale?
Trust sales move like standard retail. The trustee has direct selling authority, so no court approval needed. Probate is different. Court confirmation may be required depending on the authority granted to the executor, and timelines can stretch when a court overbid hearing allows competing buyers to outbid an accepted offer.
Court confirmation after acceptance. That's the probate wild card, adding weeks of unpredictability that trust sales typically don't face. Neither path is casual. Get an agent who has closed a handful of these before you write an offer on either.
What closing costs should I expect when buying in Silicon Valley?
Buyer closing costs in Silicon Valley run a meaningful share of purchase price, often higher than the national average. Items include loan origination, appraisal, title insurance (buyer's portion), escrow fees, and recording fees. Transfer taxes add more.
There's also municipal transfer tax in addition to county tax for Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose. Prepaid tax and insurance, and HOA transfer fees if applicable, make up most closings. They add up quickly. Your lender will give you specific numbers in their Loan Estimate when you apply.
When should I start working with a buyer's agent before I'm actually ready to buy?
You can contact a buyer's agent earlier than feels necessary. Several months before you plan to start bidding is not too soon. Your agent can suggest lenders, review your pre-approval options, preview properties, clarify disclosures, and go over offer strategy before you write your first offer.
Starting early builds the relationship. When the right home appears, you're ready quickly. Schedule an initial conversation with the Silicon Valley Real Estate Team to discuss your purchase timeline.
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Property information is based on the most recent MLS data and sources deemed reliable. Timelines, figures, and procedural details in this Silicon Valley home buyers guide, notably, represent typical transactions and are not guaranteed for every property. Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice. Consult a qualified California attorney, CPA, or lender for your situation.