Use a proper residential purchase agreement and have a professional review it; do not buy off a lender's summary letter or a homemade contract. Standard California contracts run 40 to 50 pages of disclosures for a reason. Each piece exists because something went wrong for somebody historically, and the length is what protects both buyer and seller. FSBO deals often skip that protection, and many FSBO sellers are focused on avoiding a commission rather than on the contract risk they are taking on. At minimum, your core contingencies need to be written in: - Inspection - Appraisal - Title and HOA review Those contingencies are what protect your earnest money if something surfaces. A California contract generally favors the buyer once you are in escrow, but only if the protections are actually in there. The loan side works the same way: of the 70 to 80 pages you sign on a mortgage, only a handful truly matter, and most of the package satisfies state and federal requirements. Buying without an agent, the smart spend is a real estate attorney or a qualified agent reviewing the agreement before you sign.