Buying a Home Shouldn’t Feel Like Guesswork.
Finding a home you love is exciting.
Figuring out what to offer, whether you're paying too much, what the disclosures mean, which inspections matter and how to protect yourself through escrow can feel a lot less exciting.
You don't have to figure it all out on your own.
Clarkson Santoro helps San Ramon and Tri-Valley home buyers understand their options, make informed decisions and move through the buying process with confidence.
There's a Lot to Get Right When Buying a Home
How much should we actually spend?
Which neighborhoods should we consider?
How much should we offer?
Are we paying too much?
Should we remove contingencies to compete?
What should we be looking for in the disclosures?
Which inspections do we need?
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
How do we know if this is really the right house?
Buying a home involves a lot more than finding something you like online.
Our job is to help you slow the process down when it needs to be slowed down, move quickly when the situation requires it, and understand the trade-offs before you make important decisions.
Buying a Home Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
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We Meet And Listen
Before we start looking at houses, we want to understand what you're actually trying to accomplish.
We'll talk about your budget, timing, neighborhoods, commute, schools, lifestyle and the things that matter most to you.
Just as importantly, we'll talk about the things you don't want.
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We Build a Plan Together
We'll help you understand the market, connect the financing side of the purchase with your goals, identify the homes and neighborhoods that make sense, and establish a strategy before the right house appears.
That way, when it does, you're prepared to make a decision instead of scrambling to figure everything out.
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We Guide You From Search to Keys
Once you find the right home, we'll help you evaluate the property, analyze the price, structure your offer, review disclosures, coordinate inspections, navigate negotiations and stay on top of the details through closing.
You make the decisions. We make sure you understand what you're deciding.
Start With a Budget That Actually Makes Sense
One of the easiest ways to make buying a home frustrating is to fall in love with houses before you understand what you're comfortable spending.
That's why we recommend speaking with a lender early in the process.
A good pre-approval helps you understand more than simply the maximum amount a lender may be willing to lend you.
You should also understand:
Your estimated monthly payment
Down payment and cash needed to close
Current interest rate and loan options
Property taxes
Homeowners insurance
HOA dues
Special assessments or Mello-Roos, when applicable
And most importantly:
What monthly payment are you actually comfortable with?
Just because you can qualify for a certain price doesn't necessarily mean you should spend that much.
We want you to feel good about the house after you own it, too.
Know What You Need — and What You Can Change
Before we seriously start shopping, we like to divide what you're looking for into two categories.
What Do You Need?
These are the things that can genuinely determine whether a home works for you:
Number of bedrooms
Number of bathrooms
School or neighborhood requirements
Commute
Lot size
Single-story vs. two-story
Home office
Accessibility needs
Garage or parking
Overall budget
What Would Be Nice to Have?
These are the things that may make one house more appealing than another but probably shouldn't eliminate an otherwise great home.
Flooring can change.
Paint can change.
Countertops can change.
Light fixtures can change.
A home's location, lot and fundamental floor plan are considerably harder to change.
We'll help you separate the things that really matter from the things that may simply be distracting you from a good opportunity.
Know Who Is Representing You
Before we begin touring homes together, we'll clearly explain our role, the services we're providing and how buyer representation works.
You'll receive a written buyer representation agreement that explains the scope of our relationship and how our compensation is structured.
Broker compensation is negotiable.
Depending on the transaction, some or all of a buyer agent's compensation may be requested from or paid by the seller, while other situations may be structured differently.
We'll explain those options before you commit to anything.
There shouldn't be surprises about who represents you, what we're responsible for or how we're paid.
Finding the House Is Only the Beginning
It's easy to think that the hard part is finding the home.
Often, that's when our most important work begins.
Once you identify a property you're seriously considering, we'll help you look beyond the beautiful kitchen and backyard and evaluate the entire purchase.
That can include reviewing:
Seller disclosures
Previous inspections
Property condition
Comparable sales
Title information
HOA documents
Special taxes and assessments
Solar agreements
Insurance considerations
Neighborhood factors
Future resale considerations
No house is perfect.
The goal isn't necessarily to find a property with nothing wrong with it.
The goal is to understand what you're buying before you buy it.
How Much Should You Offer?
The list price tells us what the seller is asking.
It doesn't necessarily tell us what the home is worth—or what you'll need to offer to buy it.
Before writing an offer, we'll look at:
Recent comparable sales
Current competing homes
How long the property has been on the market
Condition and improvements
Buyer activity
Current San Ramon market conditions
The seller's situation when we can reasonably determine it
Then we'll discuss the available strategies.
Sometimes that means negotiating below asking.
Sometimes asking price is appropriate.
And sometimes a particularly desirable property requires a more competitive approach.
We don't just tell you what we think you should offer. We show you why.
A Strong Offer Is More Than a Price
The highest offer doesn't automatically win every home.
Sellers may also consider:
Financing
Down payment
Deposit
Inspection contingency
Loan contingency
Appraisal contingency
Closing timeline
Possession
Rent-back
Other terms
Our job is to help you understand where an offer can be strengthened without exposing you to unnecessary risk.
Sometimes price matters most.
Sometimes changing a timeline or another term can make an offer more attractive without increasing the purchase price.
Every property and every negotiation is different.
Competitive Doesn't Have to Mean Reckless
When buyers really want a home, it's easy for emotion to take over.
That's especially true when there are multiple offers.
Our job isn't to talk you into buying a house.
And it isn't to scare you out of one.
Our job is to give you the information you need to decide how much the opportunity is worth to you.
We'll talk through the comparable sales, competition, risks and different ways to structure an offer.
Then you decide where your limit is.
If you get the house, we want you to be excited about it.
If someone else is willing to go beyond the number or terms that make sense for you, we want you to understand why walking away can sometimes be the right decision too.
Inspections and Due Diligence Matter
Once you're in contract, there may still be a lot to learn about the property.
Depending on the home and the terms of your purchase, that may include inspections of:
The general property
Roof
Foundation
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Pest or wood-destroying organisms
Sewer lateral
Pool or spa
Other property-specific systems
We'll help you review the information already available, discuss what additional inspections may make sense and help you understand your options if something unexpected is discovered.
The goal isn't to make you afraid of every imperfection.
It's to help you make an informed decision about what you're comfortable owning.
We'll Help You Make Sense of the Disclosures
Disclosure packages can contain hundreds of pages.
They're also easy to skim when you're excited about a house.
We help you work through the information so you know what deserves your attention.
That can include:
Seller disclosures
Inspection reports
Natural hazard information
Preliminary title reports
HOA documents
Permit information when available
Solar agreements
Special assessments
Previous work or repairs
And other property-specific documentation
We aren't there to replace inspectors, attorneys, contractors, lenders or other specialists when their expertise is needed.
We're there to help you identify questions, understand the real-estate implications and bring in the appropriate professionals when necessary.
What Happens During Escrow?
Once your offer is accepted, we help manage the process from contract to closing.
That generally involves coordinating with your lender, escrow, title, inspectors, the listing agent and any other professionals involved in the transaction.
We'll track important dates and help you work through things such as:
Your deposit
Inspections
Disclosures
Loan approval
Appraisal
Contingencies
Final walkthrough
Closing
There's a lot happening behind the scenes.
You shouldn't have to spend every day wondering:
“What am I supposed to be doing now?”
We'll help keep the process moving and make sure you know what comes next.
Local Knowledge Makes a Difference
We've both lived in the Tri-Valley for more than 30 years, and Clarkson Santoro has decades of experience helping people buy and sell homes throughout the area.
That means we don't simply help you compare houses.
We can help you think through the differences between neighborhoods, locations, housing styles and the things that may affect how you'll actually experience living there.
Sometimes two homes that look very similar online can offer completely different lifestyles.
Understanding those differences is an important part of making a good purchase.
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We have helped over 650 happy homeowners.
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We have over 60 years of combined experience.
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We have managed sales totaling over $500,000,000.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buying a Home in San Ramon and the Tri-Valley
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You don't have to obtain a mortgage pre-approval simply to browse homes or attend open houses, but we strongly recommend speaking with a lender before you begin seriously shopping.
A pre-approval helps establish a realistic budget and puts you in a much better position to act quickly when the right home appears.
For financed purchases, sellers will also commonly want evidence that you have the ability to complete the purchase when evaluating an offer.
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When we're working together as your buyer representatives, we'll review a written buyer representation agreement with you before we begin touring properties together.
The agreement explains the services we're providing, the scope of the relationship and our compensation.
We'll go through it with you so you understand what you're signing and can ask questions before moving forward.
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Buyer-agent compensation is negotiable, and how it is ultimately paid can vary by transaction.
In some situations the seller may agree to pay some or all of the buyer-agent compensation. In other situations the structure may be different.
We'll explain the compensation arrangement and your options clearly before you commit to a purchase.
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There isn't one perfect formula.
Before you write an offer, we'll look at recent comparable sales, competing inventory, condition, location and current buyer activity.
Then we'll show you how the property compares so you can decide what it's worth to you.
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In most situations, understanding the physical condition of the property is an important part of making an informed purchase.
Exactly which inspections are appropriate depends on the property and the information already available.
We'll help you identify which inspections may make sense and connect you with qualified professionals when needed.
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Removing or shortening contingencies can make an offer more attractive to a seller, but doing so can also increase your risk.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
Before changing or removing a protection in your offer, we'll explain what that contingency does, what you may be giving up and what alternatives may be available.
Competitive doesn't have to mean careless.
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That depends on both the search and the transaction.
Some buyers find the right home quickly. Others may search for months before the right combination of home, location and price appears.
Once you're in contract, your timeline will depend on the terms of the purchase, financing and other transaction details.
Rather than promising an arbitrary timeline, we'll build the process around your situation.
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That depends on your finances, your timing, how long you expect to own the home and the opportunities available in the market.
There are times when buyers have more negotiating leverage and times when competition is much stronger.
Instead of trying to perfectly time the entire housing market, we'll help you evaluate whether a particular purchase makes sense for you.
You Don't Have to Find the Perfect House Before Talking to Us
You may be ready to buy tomorrow.
You may be six months away.
You may simply be trying to understand whether buying makes sense at all.
That's okay.
The first step is just a conversation.
We'll talk about what you're looking for, answer your questions and help you understand what the path forward might look like.
Buying a home can be stressful and confusing, but it doesn't have to be.