Put together a competitive offer.

Many Bay Area homes are listed with a set offer date. The listing agent shares a disclosure packet, buyers tour and review it, and all offers are due by the deadline.

The seller then accepts one, counters one or more, or asks for best and final offers. Once you're in contract, your deposit goes into escrow within 3 business days and your contingency periods start running.

Homes here are often listed below what the seller expects to get, to draw more buyers in. The list price is a starting point, not an estimate of value.

The seller's disclosures about the property's condition and history, a natural hazard report, and for condos the HOA documents: budget, minutes and CC&Rs.

Many sellers also include pre-inspection reports: a general property inspection and a pest report split into Section 1 (active problems) and Section 2 (conditions likely to cause problems).

So buyers can make offers without an inspection contingency. Read every report closely: if you waive your own inspection, you're buying based on what they say.

You can still hire your own inspector before the offer deadline if the seller allows access.

The best early signal is how many disclosure packets have been requested and how busy the open houses are. I can ask the listing agent.

Also compare the list price with recent sales nearby. A price well below comparable sales usually means the seller is expecting multiple offers.

A pre-qualification is a quick estimate. A pre-approval means a lender has checked your credit, income and assets, and listing agents expect one with every financed offer.

Some lenders will fully underwrite your loan before you find a home. That's even stronger and makes waiving the loan contingency much less risky.

Your down payment plus closing costs, which run about 2% of the price for lender fees, title insurance and escrow. Some lenders also want cash left over in reserve.

If you waive the appraisal contingency, add enough to cover a low appraisal. The next steps show that number for your offer.

A recent bank or brokerage statement showing enough for your down payment and closing costs. You can black out account numbers. Gift funds need a gift letter from the giver.

Fewer or shorter contingencies, a quick and certain close, a solid pre-approval, a standard 3% deposit, and terms that help the seller, like a free rent-back while they move.

A slightly lower price with clean terms can beat a higher price with lots of conditions.

Without contingencies, you can't cancel and get your deposit back if the inspection, appraisal or loan goes wrong. It's common in competitive San Francisco sales, but only safe when you've read the reports, have cash for an appraisal gap and have a lender you trust to close.

Money you put into escrow within 3 business days of acceptance. It counts toward your down payment. 3% of the price is standard in California.

If you back out for a reason your remaining contingencies don't cover, the seller can keep it. For an owner-occupied home, the amount they can keep is generally capped at 3% of the price.

Conditions that let you cancel and keep your deposit. The three main ones are investigation (inspections), appraisal and loan. The standard period is 17 days after acceptance.

When a period ends, you sign a form removing that contingency. After that, backing out for that reason puts your deposit at risk.

Your lender lends based on the lower of your price and the appraised value. If you offer more than the home appraises for, you cover the difference in cash, unless your appraisal contingency lets you renegotiate or cancel.

The seller stays in the home for a short time after closing, often while they buy their next place. Offering it free is a popular way to stand out.

Under 30 days is usually handled with a short addendum; 30 days or more is set up as a lease. Plan for your insurance and moving timeline around it.

You're agreeing not to ask the seller for repairs. California sellers must still disclose known material problems, even when selling as-is.

I review your package and call you. Together we finalize the price and terms, then I prepare the California Residential Purchase Agreement and any addenda for your electronic signature.

I present your offer to the listing agent before the deadline. The seller may accept, counter or ask for best and final offers, and I'll walk you through each response.