Relocating to Sacramento · Buying from out of town
Buying a Home in Sacramento Before You Move
See how video tours, the loan, the offer and closing work from out of town. Maggie lines up the loan. Rachel shows you the homes and neighborhoods.
Written by Maggie B. Hopkins, Broker-Owner · Real Estate & Mortgage Broker at Surroundings. Facts checked October 2026.
Can You Really Buy a Home Here Before You Move?
Yes. Live video tours, electronic signatures and a mobile notary where you live make most of a purchase work from a distance. We still suggest one visit before closing if you can, and we plan that trip so every hour goes to homes that made your list.
This page walks through how our team handles each step. It describes our general process and is not legal, tax or lending advice.
Start My Out-of-Town Purchase
Step 1: What Happens on the First Call?
It starts with a phone or video call to Maggie's cell, (916) 549-3131. We talk about where you'll spend your days, how you'll get there, the kind of home you want and what you'd like to spend. If you are selling a home somewhere else, that goes on the table too.
After the call you get a short list of areas and price ranges to look at. The city guides, like Roseville, Elk Grove and Sacramento, are good homework before the next conversation.
Step 2: Why Get the Loan Ready First?
It decides which homes are real options. Maggie B. Hopkins, a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, shops your loan across a network of approved lenders and works toward a pre-approval before you travel. Then your search, your tours and your offer all start from a number you can count on. You are free to bring your own lender, and Maggie reads any pre-approval letter the way an underwriter will.
Tell Maggie early about anything that is changing, such as a new job, a move date or a home you're selling. How those are documented can affect the loan. Approval always depends on underwriting. Call Maggie directly at (916) 549-3131 to start. Try a few prices on the mortgage calculator before the call.
Step 3: How Do Video Tours Work?
First comes the paperwork. Before an agent tours homes with you, you sign a written buyer agreement. The National Association of REALTORS® says that has applied since August 17, 2024, to in-person and live virtual tours alike. It sets out what we do for you and how we are paid, and that pay is negotiable. We go through every line with you before you sign.
Then Rachel Dee Minyard, our REALTOR® and Creative Director, walks the homes. On a live video call she shows you what photos leave out: the street, the traffic noise, the roof, the windows and the view from the back fence. She can also send a recorded walk-through for anyone else who needs to see it. Because neighborhoods are her lane, she'll tell you what is around the corner, not only inside the house.
Step 4: How Do You Make an Offer From Out of Town?
You make it the same way a local buyer does, mostly on screen. We write your offer on the California purchase agreement and sign electronically. The terms are built around the home and the seller: price, deposit, contingencies and closing date.
- The deposit. It goes to the escrow company, not the seller. The standard purchase agreement gives you three business days after acceptance to deliver it unless your offer says otherwise.
- Contingencies. Under the current California purchase agreement, the investigation, appraisal and loan contingencies each default to 17 days unless your offer sets different terms.
- Inspections. You hire the inspectors. You can join the inspection on video and go over the report with us afterward.
One warning matters more from a distance. Escrow will never change its wiring instructions by email. Before you send money, call your escrow officer at a number you already know.
Step 5: How Does Closing Work When You Aren't Here?
California purchases close through escrow, and no attorney is required at closing. You receive your Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you sign, so you can review the final numbers. Most documents sign electronically. For the ones that need a notary, escrow can arrange a mobile notary where you are.
The sale closes when the deed records with the County Recorder. Plan a final walk-through shortly before closing, in person or by video. After you move in, watch your mail for the county's homeowners' exemption form.
The full step-by-step is on our home buying process page.
What If You're Also Selling a Home?
Then the two closings need one plan. Maggie maps the order with you: sell first and rent briefly, buy first and cover the gap, or line up both closings close together. If your current home is in California and you are 55 or older, read the Prop 19 guide before you list.
Are you ready to start? Book a relocation consultation, get the free Moving to Sacramento guide, or read about relocating to Sacramento County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a house in Sacramento without seeing it in person?
Yes. Live video tours, an inspection you can join by video, electronic signing and a mobile notary make it possible. We still suggest one visit before closing if you can.
Do I need a buyer agreement for a virtual tour?
Yes. The National Association of REALTORS® says a written buyer agreement has been required before touring since August 17, 2024, for in-person and live virtual tours. The pay it sets out is negotiable.
When should I get pre-approved if I'm relocating?
Get pre-approved before you tour seriously or book a trip. A pre-approval sets your price range and lets you make an offer as soon as you find the right home. Approval depends on underwriting.
How long do I have to deliver my deposit in California?
The standard California purchase agreement gives three business days after acceptance unless your offer says otherwise. The deposit goes to escrow, not the seller.
Do I have to fly back to sign closing papers?
Usually not. Most documents sign electronically, and escrow can arrange a mobile notary where you are for the ones that need one.
Who does what on your team for an out-of-town purchase?
Maggie B. Hopkins handles the loan, and Rachel Dee Minyard is your buyer's agent: neighborhoods, video tours and the visit. Either one can list and sell any home you are leaving. Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 about the search, the neighborhoods or the loan.
More relocation guides
Moving from the Bay Area
See Bay Area and Sacramento prices side by side. Then plan the equity, the routes back and the sale there with the purchase here.
Read the guide →Moving from San Francisco
San Francisco's August 2026 median was more than three times Sacramento County's. See how many make the move, the train and BART route back, and how Maggie and Rachel plan it with you.
Read the guide →Moving from San Jose and Silicon Valley
Santa Clara County leads Bay Area moves to the Sacramento region. See where South Bay movers buy, what housing costs here and the train to San Jose Diridon.
Read the guide →Moving from the East Bay
Alameda County sends more people to Sacramento County than any other Bay Area county. See where East Bay movers settle, prices and three routes back.
Read the guide →Moving from Los Angeles and Southern California
Los Angeles County sends Sacramento County more people than it takes back in IRS data. See what the migration data really shows, prices county by county and the trip back south.
Read the guide →Moving from Nevada
Nevada is the top out-of-state source of newcomers to the Sacramento region. See what the data shows, the California rules that surprise movers and the route over the Sierra.
Read the guide →Cost of living vs the Bay Area
Compare Sacramento and the Bay Area with dated federal price indexes, August 2026 home prices, electric bills and California's property tax rules.
Read the guide →Best places for a Bay Area commute
Keeping a Bay Area job? See which towns sit on the Capitol Corridor and I-80, the Delta route, and what the data shows about how often newcomers still commute.
Read the guide →Property tax and Prop 19
Learn how a California base-year transfer works and who the law makes eligible. The deadlines decide whether it works for you.
Read the guide →Downsizing and single-level living
Sell a long-held home and move to one level. This guide covers single-story options, 55+ communities and timing.
Read the guide →Culture, food and wine
Sacramento pairs Farm-to-Fork dining with Broadway and repertory theatre. Museums, five wine regions and golf sit close by.
Read the guide →Healthcare and getting around
Meet the region's four health systems. Then see how the airport, the trains and the river trails connect it all.
Read the guide →
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS®, written buyer agreements 101, checked October 2026.
This page describes our general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Contract terms named here are the defaults in the current California purchase agreement; your offer can set different terms. Buyer agreement terms, including how we are paid, are negotiable.
Maggie B. Hopkins is a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker (CA DRE Broker #01750680, NMLS #349517). Rachel Dee Minyard is a REALTOR® (CA DRE #02213398).
Loans are arranged by Maggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517, at Surroundings, NMLS #2528307. All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting, and this page is not a commitment to lend.
Relocating to Sacramento: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?