Buying without an agent on both sides in California

[Matthew Martin]

My neighbor knows that I am a young investor, and I asked him to contact me first if he decided to sell. Well he's selling, and it's a pretty good deal. Anyway, I think I can make it even sweeter for both of us by saving a commission since we found each other without an agent. From my quick research I found articles stating that in California you do not need an agent, however, an agent must be present during the appraisal. Is this true? If anyone has bought and sold a home in California without an agent in the past please give me some advice. 

Quick summary of the deal. He wants 360K and will pay half the escrow costs. I am going to propose to him that we agree on 345K. This will save me 15K as the buyer, and will give him a total of about 7K more than if he sold it with a commission. Any help will be greatly appreciated.