the blueprint ยท cahbi https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/ Ten guides to buying a home in California, from broker and senior loan officer John Palmer. The money first, the people second, the process third. en Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Start With the Loan, Not the Listing https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/start-with-the-loan-not-the-listing/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/start-with-the-loan-not-the-listing/ The most common mistake I see California buyers make, and the order I'd use instead: financing first, then your agent, then the house. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT How Your Credit Score Is Actually Used to Buy a Home https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/how-credit-scores-get-used/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/how-credit-scores-get-used/ Lenders use a tri-merged credit report and your middle FICO score, not an app score and not an average. Here is what that number controls. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT What You Actually Need for a Down Payment in California https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/what-you-need-for-a-down-payment/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/what-you-need-for-a-down-payment/ FHA, conventional, high-balance, jumbo, and VA down payment minimums in California, and the mortgage insurance most buyers forget to plan for. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Closing Costs in California, Line by Line https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/closing-costs-line-by-line/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/closing-costs-line-by-line/ What each fee on a California closing statement actually pays for, and how to get your own numbers in writing before you write an offer. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Who Pays Your Agent Now, and Why It's a Conversation https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/who-pays-your-agent/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/who-pays-your-agent/ The rules changed in August 2024. Buyer agent compensation is negotiable, agreed in writing with your own agent, and no longer published in the MLS. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to Interview a Real Estate Agent and a Lender https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/interview-your-agent-and-lender/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/interview-your-agent-and-lender/ Both of them work for you, and neither one is interchangeable. The questions I would ask a California agent and a lender before hiring either. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT From Accepted Offer to Keys: What Happens in Escrow https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/from-offer-to-keys-escrow/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/from-offer-to-keys-escrow/ A step-by-step walk through California escrow, from the fully executed contract through recording, in the order it actually happens. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Never Skip the Home Inspection in California https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/never-skip-the-home-inspection/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/never-skip-the-home-inspection/ Why a California home inspection matters even when the seller is honest, and how to handle the report while you're still inside your contingency period. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The California Costs That Change Your Payment https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/california-costs-that-change-your-payment/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/california-costs-that-change-your-payment/ Property taxes, homeowners insurance, and HOA dues are property-specific in California. How to find out what a home really costs before you offer. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Title Insurance and Escrow: What You're Paying For https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/title-insurance-and-escrow/ https://cahbi.com/theblueprint/title-insurance-and-escrow/ What a cloud on title is, why title insurance looks backward instead of forward, and what a California escrow officer actually does for you. John Palmer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT