Michael Fielden | JournalMonthly notes on the Bay Area real estate market, in plain language.https://michaelfielden.com/en-usFrom renter to owner: a first-time buyer's month-by-month timelinehttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/renter-to-owner-month-by-month-timeline/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/renter-to-owner-month-by-month-timeline/A realistic, month-by-month timeline of buying your first home, from deciding to buy through getting the keys, written for first-time Bay Area buyers.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersprocessfirst-timemfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Property taxes, supplemental bills, and Mello-Roos in Californiahttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/property-taxes-supplemental-bills-mello-roos/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/property-taxes-supplemental-bills-mello-roos/How California reassesses property at purchase, why a supplemental tax bill arrives after closing, and how to find out if a home has Mello-Roos.Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersmoneybay-areamfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Negotiating repairs and credits after the inspectionhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/negotiating-repairs-and-credits/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/negotiating-repairs-and-credits/After inspections, you have a few good options for handling what they found. Here's how repairs, credits, and price reductions compare and how to stay reasonable.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersoffersinspectionsmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)What a home inspection does and does not coverhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/what-a-home-inspection-covers/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/what-a-home-inspection-covers/A clear look at what a general home inspection includes, what it leaves to specialists, and how to decide which extra inspections to order.Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersinspectionsprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Closing costs for Bay Area buyers, line by linehttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/closing-costs-line-by-line/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/closing-costs-line-by-line/A plain-language walk through the closing costs Bay Area buyers pay, the common line items, and how to budget for them before you ever write an offer.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersmoneyprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Reading an HOA package before you buy a condo or townhomehttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/reading-an-hoa-package/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/reading-an-hoa-package/What's inside an HOA package, why the reserve study and meeting minutes matter most, and what to discuss with your agent before you buy.Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersdisclosurescondosmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)The final walkthrough: your last look before the keyshttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-final-walkthrough/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-final-walkthrough/What the final walkthrough is, when it happens, and exactly what to check before you close on your new home.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)How earnest money works, and how to wire it safelyhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/how-earnest-money-works-and-wiring-it-safely/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/how-earnest-money-works-and-wiring-it-safely/A plain-language look at the earnest money deposit, when it goes into escrow, when it's at risk, and how to wire it safely.Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersprocessmoneymfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Natural Hazard Disclosure: flood, fire, and fault zoneshttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/natural-hazard-disclosure-flood-fire-fault-zones/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/natural-hazard-disclosure-flood-fire-fault-zones/What the Natural Hazard Disclosure report tells Bay Area buyers about flood, wildfire, and earthquake zones, and what to do with that information.Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersdisclosuresbay-areamfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)The preliminary title report, explainedhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-preliminary-title-report-explained/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-preliminary-title-report-explained/A plain-language guide to the preliminary title report: what it shows, why you read it, and how title insurance protects your purchase.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersdisclosuresprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)The Buyer Representation Agreement (BRBC), in plain languagehttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-brbc-in-plain-language/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-brbc-in-plain-language/Since August 2024, California buyers and their agents sign a written representation agreement before touring homes. It exists to protect both sides. Here's what it is and what to expect.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersprocesscontractsmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)Welcome to the journalhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/welcome-to-the-journal/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/welcome-to-the-journal/A new home for honest notes on Bay Area real estate: what I'm seeing, what I'm reading, and what I'd tell a friend.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTmetabay-areamfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)The inspection came back bad. Now what?https://michaelfielden.com/blog/inspection-came-back-bad-cancelling-in-the-contingency-window/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/inspection-came-back-bad-cancelling-in-the-contingency-window/An inspection during your contingency window turned up a serious issue. This is exactly what the contingency is for. Here's the simple process for cancelling, getting your earnest money back, and moving on.Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyerscontingenciesprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)What happens if you need to cancel after contingencies are releasedhttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/cancelling-after-removing-contingencies/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/cancelling-after-removing-contingencies/Once your contingencies are removed in writing, your earnest money deposit is at risk. Cancelling after that point is a real conversation, not a checkbox. Here's what to expect and how to think about it.Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyerscontingenciesprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)What a clean disclosure package actually looks likehttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/what-a-clean-disclosure-package-actually-looks-like/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/what-a-clean-disclosure-package-actually-looks-like/Most first-time buyers in California have never seen a disclosure package before they're handed a hundred and seventy pages and asked to make a million-dollar decision. Here's what's in one, what to read carefully, and what 'clean' actually means.Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersdisclosuresprocessmfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)The real math on waiving contingencieshttps://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-real-math-on-waiving-contingencies/https://michaelfielden.com/blog/the-real-math-on-waiving-contingencies/Bay Area buyers regularly waive inspection, loan, and appraisal contingencies to win competitive offers. Here's what each one actually protects you from, and what you're actually betting when you drop it.Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbuyersoffersstrategymfielden@luxuriantrealty.com (Michael Fielden)