How to buy without a RE agent

[Mark Mathews]

I know a person who wants to sell his house, and I want to buy it. What is the best way to buy his house without an agent and still be sure that all the important legal stuff is taken care of?

[Sean Walton]

Look up a CAR-RPA that is the standard California form. There is a different one in the SF Bay Area. This one is pretty standard. You can take it to a title company and have them start escrow with it. You don't need an agent. If you are worried about someone trying to muscle you out of your deal or out bid you after your seller signs it you can have them sign it with a notary and have that purchase agreement recorded at the county recorders which would cloud title. I don't think it is ethical to use that to force someone to sell their house but you can keep them from selling it to someone else for a while

Most real estate investors write their own contracts that have more outs or contingencies so you may want to look into that.

(I'm not an attorney and you may want to consult one)