You don't have to live in LA, or even be in the country, to buy a home here. I've worked with buyers who found, offered on and closed on their LA home entirely over FaceTime and WhatsApp, including buyers overseas, and some who first saw the house in person on the day they got the keys.
Almost every step of a California purchase can happen remotely now, so where you live matters a lot less than it used to. What matters more is the relationship. Buying from far away means a lot of video calls and WhatsApp messages, and we get to know each other along the way. That's one of my favorite parts of this work.
On tours, you direct the camera and I show you what you want to see. I'll get you the information I can, point you to trusted resources for the rest, and keep things moving while you're in another time zone. It's your home and your decision, and I'm in your corner the whole way.
The process, step by step
- A first call, on your time zone. We start with a video call about the house you want, your budget, your timing and how you'll use the home. I work around your schedule, whether that's early morning LA time for Europe or late evening for Asia. After that, most day-to-day conversation happens on WhatsApp or text, whichever you prefer.
- Get your financing lined up. If you're financing, get pre-approved with a lender who regularly closes LA purchases. Buyers who live abroad or aren't US citizens can often still get a mortgage, though programs for non-residents typically ask for a larger down payment and more documentation. Cash buyers need proof of funds, and if your money is coming from overseas, start the transfer planning early because international wires and currency exchange take time.
- Narrow the map. Using the neighborhood guides and what you tell me you want, I put together a short list of areas and homes. You get listing links and the key facts on each, like the disclosures available, days on market and anything the listing leaves out.
- Live video tours. I tour homes with you live on FaceTime or WhatsApp video, and you direct the camera. Open a closet, look under a sink, run a faucet, check the view from a window, look at the house next door, listen to the street: whatever you want to see, I show you. If you can't join live, I record a full video tour and send it along. If you want my opinion on anything, just ask.
- See the neighborhood, not just the house. If you'd like, I drive the surrounding blocks with you on the same call, so you can see the nearest shops and parks, the traffic on the street, anything being built nearby, and the drive to wherever you'll go most.
- Make an offer, signed on your phone. When you're ready, we talk through price, terms and strategy on a call, and you sign the offer electronically. Counteroffers and disclosures are signed the same way. You can do all of it from anywhere with a phone.
- Inspections, attended by video. During your contingency period, I'm at the property for the inspections and bring you in by video so you can ask the inspector questions directly. In LA, that often means a general inspection plus sewer line, roof and chimney inspections, and sometimes foundation, pool or a geology review for hillside homes. You'll get every report, and we go through them together.
- Disclosures and insurance, reviewed together. California sellers provide detailed disclosures, including a Natural Hazard Disclosure report covering fire, flood and earthquake zones. We read them together on a call. I'll share insurance brokers from my vendor list so you can start early, because getting a homeowners policy quoted on the specific house before your contingencies end matters a lot in California right now.
- Escrow and wiring funds. Escrow holds the money and documents until closing. When it's time to wire your deposit and down payment, always confirm the wiring instructions by phone with your escrow officer at a number you already know. Wire fraud targets real estate deals, and email instructions should never be trusted on their own.
- Signing your closing documents. Some final documents need to be signed in front of a notary. In the US, a mobile notary can come to you. Outside the US, buyers commonly use a US embassy or consulate, or a local notary with additional certification, depending on the country. Your escrow and title officers will tell you exactly which options they accept, so we sort this out early in escrow, not the week before closing.
- A final look before closing. Shortly before closing, I take you through the home on video so you can confirm it's in the condition agreed and see any repairs that were promised, along with the receipts and paperwork for them.
- Your move, and everything after. Once the sale records, I'm happy to help coordinate and make introductions to property managers and other vendors to help with your move.
What makes remote buying work
- You see everything, not a highlight reel. The camera goes wherever you ask: the water stain, the street outside, the construction next door, not just the kitchen. You make the calls; I make sure you have what you need to make them.
- Speed when it counts. Good LA homes can move quickly. Having your financing, proof of funds and e-signing set up before you find the house means you can act the same day.
- A clear plan for signing and wiring. The two steps that trip up remote buyers are notarized documents and international wires. We plan both at the start.
- A trusted vendor list. I have a reference book and vendor list that my clients and my team's clients have used, and I'll share it to help guide you.
Questions to ask your own advisors
If you live outside the US, owning US property can come with tax and legal questions that are specific to your country and situation, such as how the purchase should be titled, US tax filing when you rent or later sell the home, and estate planning. Those are questions for a cross-border CPA and a real estate attorney, ideally before you make an offer. My vendor list is a good place to start your search for one.
Ready to start?
Tell me where you are, what you're looking for and when you'd like to be here. I'd love to hear about the move. We'll set up a first call on your time zone, no pressure and no obligation.