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Home Buyer Guides
Everything I get asked in the first phone call, written down and given away. Nothing is gated behind an email form. If this helps you decide not to buy right now, that's a good outcome too.
Start here
The four loan programs, side by side.
The biggest myth in this business is that you need 20% down. For most buyers in this region, you don't. Here's what actually exists.
- Eligible veterans, active-duty members and qualifying surviving spouses
- No monthly mortgage insurance
- A one-time funding fee usually applies and can often be financed
- Common here — Beale AFB is right next door
- Property must sit in a USDA-eligible area — a surprising amount of Yuba-Sutter does
- Household income limits apply
- The program most people have never heard of, and often the best fit here
- 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score
- 10% down for scores between 500 and 579
- Gift funds from family are allowed
- Mortgage insurance applies
- Some first-time-buyer programs start near 3% down
- Mortgage insurance can usually be removed once you build equity
- Often the cheapest long-term option if you qualify
Help with the down payment
You may not need to save the whole thing yourself.
California runs down-payment and closing-cost assistance programs — CalHFA MyHome and GSFA Platinum are two of the better-known ones — which can sit on top of an FHA, VA or USDA loan.
Two things people get wrong. First, funding for these programs opens and closes, so what existed last year may not exist today. Second, "first-time buyer" usually means you haven't owned a home in the past three years — so plenty of previous owners requalify without realising it.
The path
From "maybe someday" to keys in hand.
Eight steps. Most people are further along than they think by the time they finally ask.
Free conversation
Your income, savings and timeline — and an honest answer about whether now is your moment.
Talk to a lender
Where guessing becomes knowing. You learn your real budget and which programs fit you.
Get pre-approved
The letter that makes your offer credible. Without it, most sellers here won't take you seriously.
Search & tour
MLS alerts matched to what you actually want — and someone pointing out the roof, not just the paint.
Write the offer
Price is one term. Contingencies, timelines and credits are where deals are really won.
Inspections
Inspection, appraisal and disclosures, read together — and renegotiated if something real turns up.
Loan & escrow
Someone chasing lender, escrow and title so deadlines hold and nothing surprises you at the end.
Close & move in
Final walkthrough, signing, funding, recording. Then the keys are yours.
Asked constantly
The 10 questions buyers ask me most.
Straight answers — including the ones that aren't in my interest.
1. Can I really buy with zero down?
Sometimes, yes. VA loans allow zero down for eligible veterans, active-duty members and qualifying surviving spouses. USDA rural loans allow zero down for qualifying buyers in eligible areas — and much of Yuba-Sutter qualifies, which most people don't realise. Both have eligibility rules a lender confirms.
2. How much do I need for an FHA loan?
Generally 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score, or 10% for scores between 500 and 579. FHA also allows gift funds from family, which many first-time buyers rely on.
3. What credit score do I need?
It depends on the program, and lenders add their own requirements on top. FHA reaches lower than conventional. VA and USDA have no single federal minimum, but individual lenders set their own. Rather than guessing from something you read online — pull your credit with a lender and find out in one conversation.
4. Do I have to be a first-time buyer to get assistance?
Often not. Most programs define it as not having owned a home in the last three years, so plenty of past owners requalify. California programs like CalHFA MyHome and GSFA Platinum can help with down payment or closing costs — but funding opens and closes, so current availability has to be checked.
5. What are closing costs, and who pays them?
The fees required to complete the sale: lender fees, appraisal, title, escrow, recording, and prepaid taxes and insurance. For a buyer they commonly run about 2–5% of the price. Depending on market conditions, a negotiated seller credit can cover part or all of them — that's a negotiation I run for you.
6. What is earnest money — can I lose it?
A good-faith deposit into escrow when your offer is accepted, credited toward your purchase at closing. Cancel within your contract's contingencies (inspection, appraisal, loan) and it's generally refundable. Walk away outside them and it can be at risk. This is one of the most important things to understand before you sign anything.
7. How long does the whole thing take?
Once an offer is accepted, a financed purchase typically closes in about 30–45 days. Cash can be faster. Finding the right home is the unpredictable part — weeks or months, depending on what you're after.
8. Do I need pre-approval before looking?
Practically, yes. It tells you your real budget and makes your offer credible. Touring homes without it usually wastes your time and sets you up for disappointment.
9. What does it cost me to work with an agent?
Compensation is negotiable and agreed in writing before representation begins. I walk you through exactly how it works in your transaction before you commit to anything.
10. Is buying an investment property different?
Yes. Investment purchases generally need a larger down payment and carry different loan terms. The analysis changes too — rent potential, expenses, vacancy and cash flow, rather than whether you love the kitchen. If you're selling an investment property, a 1031 exchange may let you defer taxes.
By Antonio Rubio · CalDRE #01472558 · licensed since September 2005 · Yuba City, CA
How to read the market
Three numbers that tell you what's really happening.
You'll see headlines about "the housing market" constantly. Almost none of them are about your market. These are the three measures that actually matter locally — and what each one means for you.
How long homes sit before going under contract. The clearest single read on urgency.
- Falling
- Buyers are competing. Expect less negotiating room, and be ready to move quickly.
- Rising
- Sellers are waiting. More room to negotiate price, repairs and credits.
How long it would take to sell every listed home at the current pace. The standard balance measure.
- Under ~4 months
- Generally favours sellers.
- Around 4–6
- Roughly balanced.
- Above ~6
- Generally favours buyers.
Price gets the headlines, but the monthly payment is what you actually live with — and rates move it more than most people expect.
- The real question
- Not "is it a good time to buy" in the abstract, but what a specific house costs you per month against what you're paying in rent right now.
This is a framework for reading the market, not a forecast. Anyone who tells you confidently where prices go next is guessing. For current Yuba-Sutter figures, ask Antonio — he pulls them from the MLS rather than a national headline.
See what's for sale
Where Antonio's live inventory actually is.
A property search is coming to this site. Until it updates in real time, here are the places his current listings genuinely appear — no stale snapshots, no out-of-date prices.
In progress
Coming soon to this site.
Being straight with you: these aren't built yet, so there's nothing to click. They're listed so you know what's coming — rather than finding dead links and empty pages.
Property Search
A live MLS search on this site, updating in real time through a MetroList IDX feed.
Client Reviews
Real, permissioned testimonials from past clients. Nothing invented, nothing bought.
Monthly Market Reports
Yuba-Sutter numbers with Antonio's read on them — the local report nobody else here publishes.
Neighborhood Guides
Yuba City, Marysville, Plumas Lake and Live Oak — schools, commutes and what each area is really like.
Still have a question?
Ask it directly. Free, no obligation, and no question is too basic — English o español.