Inside Los Altos

Here's something nobody tells you about buying a home in Silicon Valley: the down payment is the easy part. Homes in Santa Clara and San Mateo County go under contract in 7 to 14 days. They close at 105 to 107% of list price. And the offers that actually win? They're waiving inspection, appraisal, and loan contingencies — just gone. Buyers wire $45,000 in earnest money, waive every protection they have, and three weeks later find out the foundation needs another $180,000. So let me walk you through the whole process — and how to avoid that. Including one federal rule that controls how fast you're even allowed to close. I'm Jessica Heredia, a realtor right here in Silicon Valley. I work with buyers from start to finish across Redwood City, Menlo Park, Atherton, and the broader Bay Area. And as a proud animal lover, every transaction I close supports my Homes for Paws Initiative , helping pets in need. Let's get into it. Step 1: Pre-Approval — Not Pre-Qual In Silicon Valley, a pre-qualification letter might as well be a blank sheet of paper. Listing agents see it and move on. Here's the difference: Pre-qualification is rough. You give a lender some numbers, they do a soft credit check, and that's it. Pre-approval is the real deal. The lender thoroughly reviews your credit, income, savings, and debts — with full documentation. An underwriter signs off with a conditional loan commitment. That's what listing agents here take seriously. To get fully pre-approved, expect to hand over: 2 years of W-2s or 1099s Recent pay stubs Tax returns Bank statements Most lenders want your debt-to-income ratio at or below 43%. The Jumbo Loan Reality With Silicon Valley prices, most buyers end up in jumbo territory. For 2026, the high-cost conforming loan limit in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties is $1,249,125 . Anything above that is a jumbo loan — and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won't touch it. Jumbo loans come with tighter rules: 700+ credit score minimum (best pricing at 740+) 20% down payment or more 6 to 12 months of mortgage payments in reserves — sitting in your account after you've already paid your down payment and closing costs That last one catches almost every buyer off guard. On a $1.5 million home with 20% down, you're putting $300,000 toward the down payment. Then add closing costs, prepaid taxes and insurance, and 6 to 12 months of reserves. We're talking total cash in the half-million-dollar range before you ever get the keys. Pre-approval is just the price of entry. The bigger mistake most buyers make shows up in the next step. Step 2: Picking the Right Agent Under the New Rules Buyers often assume every agent is basically the same. In Silicon Valley, that assumption can cost you the house. Your buyer's agent isn't a door opener. They're your strategist, your contract translator, and your first line of defense in a fast, high-stakes market. The California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) is a deadline trap if you don't know it cold — and an agent who writes only a handful of these per year is far more likely to miss a deadline that puts your deposit or your deal at risk. What's Changed Since August 2024 After the National Association of Realtors settlement, new rules took effect on August 17, 2024 . For agents who are MLS participants — which includes virtually every major Silicon Valley brokerage — you now must sign a written buyer representation agreement before touring any home. That agreement spells out exactly how your agent gets paid and creates transparency from the start. Before you commit, interview your agent like you'd interview anyone else you're hiring. Ask: How often do you work with buyers, and how do you demonstrate you're working in their best interest? How well do you know the California RPA? What access do you have to off-market and "coming soon" inventory? That last question matters more than most people realize. A solid chunk of the best homes in Silicon Valley — especially fixers — never hit Zillow or Redfin. They trade through agent networks, investor lists, and direct outreach. The agent you pick determines whether you compete with strategy or with hope. And hope doesn't win in Silicon Valley. Step 3: Touring — Move-In Ready vs. Fixer-Upper Once you start touring, the real shock isn't just the prices. It's how tight the inventory feels. Silicon Valley splits into two buckets: Move-In Ready These homes cost more because they offer speed and certainty. Recent Santa Clara and San Mateo County data shows single-family homes going under contract in 7 to 14 days, with sale-to-list ratios at 105 to 107%. Well-presented homes pull multiple offers and regularly sell over asking. Fixer-Uppers These look like a way to grab the neighborhood at a discount. But here's the pattern I see constantly: buyers who think they're getting the neighborhood cheap through a fixer end up spending more — not less — 8 times out of 10. Why? Renovation in this region is expensive. Labor costs are high. Building codes are strict. Permits move slowly. The price gap between a fixer and a turnkey home often doesn't fully cover the real cost of doing the work. And here's the kicker: the fixer that hits the public sites? That's usually the leftover. The good ones get snapped up off-market before you ever see them. If you genuinely want a project, that's a real plan — but you need three things: An agent with off-market relationships A contractor on speed dial The cash to carry both the mortgage and the renovation simultaneously If you don't have all three, the fixer trap is real. What to Look for When Walking Homes Even though sellers here usually provide inspection reports upfront, walk each home with your own eyes. Watch for: Foundation cracks or uneven floors Sticky doors and windows Age of the roof and electrical panel Any signs of water intrusion Unpermitted additions or garage conversions Earthquake, flood, landslide, or high fire severity zone designations (these show up in the Natural Hazard Disclosure, but they matter now) Step 4: Contingencies and the "Silicon Valley Flip" Here's the number I promised you at the top — and it flips the national average upside down. Nationally, as of late 2025: Only 18% of buyers waived the inspection contingency Only 19% waived the appraisal contingency In Silicon Valley's hottest bidding wars? Those numbers get flipped. The offers that win are often the ones waiving some — if not all — of those protections. Your Three Big Contingencies Under the California RPA, you have three major contingencies: Inspection — gives you time to investigate the property Appraisal — protects you if the home appraises below the purchase price Loan — protects you if your financing falls through (critical in condos, where HOA finances or lawsuits can blow up a deal at the last minute) Each one is a legal escape hatch for your earnest money deposit. When you waive them, that money is at risk. Standard earnest money in Silicon Valley is 3% of the purchase price — on a $1.5 million home, that's $45,000 , typically wired to escrow within one business day of acceptance. Waiving Isn't One Decision — It's Three Risk Profiles Strong cash buyer with reserves beyond your down payment? Waiving the appraisal is manageable. Worst case, you bring extra cash to closing. Stretching to qualify with your loan sized right at appraised value? Waiving the appraisal can blow up your deal. Your lender won't fund above the appraised value, and you'd need to cover the gap in cash you may not have. Relocating buyer who hasn't walked the property in person? Waiving the inspection is the riskiest move you can make. The pre-listing reports are useful — but they weren't ordered by your inspector, working for you. Before you sign anything that says "all contingencies waived," your lender and your agent should stress-test your offer together. Before you sign. Step 5: Inspections — The Silicon Valley Custom Here's a twist that surprises almost every out-of-area buyer: sellers here usually pay for inspections before they even list. Instead of buyers ordering inspections after going under contract (as is typical elsewhere), the listing agent here usually orders a home inspection, roof inspection, and pest/termite inspection upfront. Those reports get bundled into the disclosure packet so buyers can review them before writing an offer. This isn't required by law — but it's a deeply rooted local custom. A seller who lists without inspections typically gets side-eyed by experienced buyers and agents. If early reports flag issues, sellers will often go further: foundation evaluations, sewer scopes, HVAC or chimney inspections, structural engineers for trickier properties. In other words, you're getting more information on Day 1 than buyers in almost any other market in the country. In exchange, you're giving up more legal protection than buyers in almost any other market in the country. That's the Silicon Valley trade-off you need to understand. My honest take: If you're a first-time buyer with no construction experience, do not waive the inspection contingency just because the seller handed you reports. Pay for your own inspector during the offer review window. A $600 inspection is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. If you're a seasoned buyer with a contractor in your back pocket and experience reviewing similar packets? You can take the trade more comfortably. But inspections are only half the story. Step 6: Disclosures — Your Legal X-Ray California requires sellers of 1-to-4 unit residential properties to deliver the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) — a standard form where the seller must disclose known issues with systems, structures, and the surrounding area. Even in an "as-is" sale, this obligation doesn't go away. Your Silicon Valley disclosure packet typically includes: TDS — seller's known disclosures Seller Property Questionnaire — digs deeper into permits, improvements, and neighbor issues Natural Hazard Disclosure — earthquake, flood, fire, and other hazard zones Lead-based paint disclosure (if built before 1978) HOA and Mello-Roos disclosures (where applicable) Preliminary Title Report How to Read It Without Losing Your Mind Start with the TDS and Seller Property Questionnaire. Read every line. Pay close attention to anything marked "unknown," "repaired," or anything vague. Then compare those disclosures against the inspections from Step 5. If an inspection mentions a foundation crack and the TDS says "no known issues" — that's a red flag you cannot ignore. Schedule a Zoom or in-person meeting with your agent and walk through the packet line by line. Don't sign until you understand exactly what you're buying. One More Thing Most Agents Won't Mention California's homeowners' insurance market is in serious trouble in 2026. Carriers are dropping coverage in fire severity zones. Some Peninsula homes are seeing premiums double — or coverage cut entirely. Before you remove your loan contingency, get a binding insurance quote in writing . Not an estimate. A quote. Deals are falling apart at the closing table over this more and more often. Step 7: Escrow, TRID, and Closing Once you're in contract, the file moves into escrow. A neutral escrow or title company holds your deposit, coordinates with your lender and the seller, and handles recording. Wire fraud warning: This is the #1 closing-stage scam in real estate. Always verify wire instructions by phone — using a number you find on your own, not one from an email. Six-figure wires can disappear because a buyer trusted a forwarded email. The Federal Rule That Runs Your Closing Date Here's the federal timing rule I promised in the intro. Under the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule , your lender must ensure you receive the Closing Disclosure at least 3 business days before you sign and close. That waiting period is a hard federal requirement — it doesn't bend. If your seller wants to close in 14 days and your Closing Disclosure goes out late? You can't make that up. Talk to your lender about TRID before you make an offer — not after. What Closing Actually Costs Plan on $8,000–$10,000+ in closing costs, plus the reserves your lender still requires. And don't underestimate property taxes. Under California's Prop 13, your home gets reassessed at the new purchase price when you buy. If you're paying $2 million for a home that last sold for $800,000, your taxes are calculated on the $2 million — roughly 1.25% per year in most Peninsula cities. That's $25,000 a year . Build it into your monthly numbers from Day 1. In the final 24–72 hours before closing, you'll do a walkthrough to confirm the property's condition and that any agreed-upon repairs are complete. Once your loan funds and the county records the deed — you get the keys. The Bottom Line Every step we just covered — pre-approval, agent selection, contingencies, disclosures, escrow — is really the same kind of decision underneath: trade-offs between speed and protection. The buyers who win in Silicon Valley aren't the ones who waive the most. They're the ones who know exactly which protections they're trading away, and why. The buyers who lose money? They waived because their agent said to. They didn't read the disclosure packet. They signed the buyer agreement without vetting their agent first. Speed without strategy is how you lose your deposit. Ready to Buy in Silicon Valley? If you're planning to buy in the next 6 to 12 months, don't start with a portal. Start with a conversation. Even a 10-minute call can give you clarity on your numbers, your neighborhoods, and your real timeline. 📞 Call or text: 650.436.4768 🌐 Schedule a discovery call at jesssoldrealty.com  And remember — every transaction I close supports the Homes for Paws Initiative , donating a portion to local no-kill animal shelters. Because finding your forever home should help other families find theirs too. 🐾