Sell your house for cash in California

How to sell a house for cash in California, step by step

1. Get your numbers first. Call your lender for a payoff statement and check your county tax bill. Run a quick estimate with our cash offer calculator so you know what a fair offer looks like.
2. Request several offers. One offer tells you nothing. Get at least two, from local investors, iBuyers that serve your area, or Cash Offer Desk where we buy, and check each one with the calculator.
3. Compare more than price. Look at the closing date, who pays closing costs and the transfer tax, the inspection period, earnest money, and whether the buyer will assign the contract.
4. Close with a professional. Escrow companies (or the escrow arm of a title company) handle closings, with title insurance from a title company. In Northern California, title companies often handle escrow; in Southern California, independent escrow companies are common.
5. Get paid at closing. Your mortgage and any liens are paid from the sale proceeds, and the rest is wired to you or paid by check.

Wholesalers in California

No wholesaling-specific statute was found as of October 2026. Assigning your own purchase contract is generally treated as a principal transaction, but marketing or negotiating the sale of real estate for someone else requires a license under the state's general brokerage law. A 2026 bill (AB 1850) was held in committee and is not law. Under Business and Professions Code 10131, marketing a property for others needs a DRE license.

Wherever you live, ask every buyer one question: “Are you buying this house yourself, or will you assign the contract?” A wholesaler can still be a fine option if they are upfront about it. Read our guide to wholesaling for sellers before you sign.

Closing costs and taxes

Counties charge a documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 (0.11%), and many cities add their own, such as San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Los Angeles's Measure ULA tax on high-priced sales. The seller usually pays the county tax; who pays city taxes varies by area.

Many cash buyers offer to pay closing costs. Get that in the contract, and ask which costs it covers. Capital gains rules are federal and state; a tax professional can tell you what you will owe.

Do you have to disclose problems?

Sellers must give the Transfer Disclosure Statement (Civil Code 1102) plus a Natural Hazard Disclosure and other statutory notices. Some sales by executors or administrators of an estate, trustees, and court-ordered sales are exempt from the TDS, but other disclosures may still apply.

If you are behind on payments

Most foreclosures are non-judicial trustee sales. The lender must wait at least three months after recording a notice of default, then give at least 20 days' notice of sale, so the minimum is about four months. There is no redemption after a non-judicial sale.

Selling before a foreclosure sale can protect your equity and your credit, but watch for foreclosure rescue scams. Never sign your deed over to anyone outside of a formal closing. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through every option. More in our foreclosure guide.