Straight answers about buying and selling in California.

• Pinned · The Proof · 2026-09-18

  Are Home Buyer Rebates Legal in California? What Buyers Should Know

  Yes — California allows licensed brokers to rebate part of their commission to their own buyer client. Here's how it works, what can reduce it, and how to estimate yours.

• The Shift · 2026-09-18

  Can Higher Interest Rates Create a Holiday Home Buying Opportunity?

  A recent interest rate increase can reduce your approved buying power, but a holiday slowdown may create room to negotiate price, seller credits, repairs, or timing when the seller has limited competing options.

• The Shift · 2026-09-11

  Buying a Home During the Holidays: How Buyers Can Use the Timing

  Buying a home during the holidays can give a buyer more negotiating room when competition thins, but lender limits, inspection availability, and closing deadlines determine whether that advantage produces real savings.

• The Shift · 2026-09-11

  What the last three months of closed sales say heading into Q4

  Houses and condos in Long Beach moved in opposite directions this summer. What the closed-sale data shows, what it means mechanically for a buyer or seller in Q4, and why nobody should be telling you what prices will do next.

• The Proof · 2026-09-08

  Buying a condo in Long Beach: what to check before you write the offer

  Long Beach has more condo inventory than most Southern California markets, and condos sit longer than houses do. That's leverage — if the building checks out. The five documents that decide whether a unit is financeable.

• The Proof · 2026-09-08

  How a Buyer Rebate Works With Lender Credits and Seller Concessions

  A buyer rebate can work alongside lender credits and seller concessions, but it may have to be reduced if lender-approved credits exceed the closing costs they are permitted to pay.

• The Door · 2026-09-04

  Stacking a buyer rebate with the Ladder Up grant: what actually combines

  City National's Ladder Up grant runs $7,500 to $20,000 depending on the property's location, and a buyer rebate can go on top. How the two interact on the closing disclosure, who qualifies, and the lender limit that decides how much you actually keep.

• The Machine · 2026-09-02

  Seller financing a paid-off rental: turning one property into monthly income

  If you own a rental free and clear, seller financing can convert it into a monthly note instead of a one-time payday. How the income works, the tax rule that surprises landlords, and the federal limits on how often you can do it.

• The Proof · 2026-09-01

  Who pays the buyer agent now? The three ways it works after the NAR settlement

  Buyer-broker compensation moved out of the MLS and onto the negotiating table. The three ways it gets paid, the lender cap that trips up the third one, and the questions to ask before you sign.

• The Proof · 2026-08-31

  What a buyer rebate is actually worth, and when you can't use one

  California allows buyer rebates. What they are, where the money comes from, the three situations where a lender limits how you can use one, and the questions to ask before you sign a buyer agreement.

Looking for market numbers?

Monthly closed-sale reports by city — median price, days on market, list-to-sale ratio — are published separately on the market reports page.