International California Homebuyer Checklist
By JC Pacific Corp Published 2026-09-01 Last professionally reviewed: September 2026
International buyers should complete financial, legal, tax, identity, property, signing, and management planning before making an offer.
Build the professional team
Build the professional team:
- California real estate agent
- Qualified lender
- Title and escrow professionals
- U.S. international tax adviser
- California attorney
- Home-country advisers
- Insurance professional
- Qualified interpreter
- Property manager when applicable
Confirm buyer and ownership details
Confirm buyer and ownership details:
- Verify legal names
- Confirm passport and identification
- Separate ownership from immigration status
- Review SSN, ITIN, or EIN needs
- Select ownership structure
- Identify beneficial owners
- Review trust or entity documents
- Screen CFIUS issues when relevant
- Review sanctions and reporting requirements
- Plan inheritance and estate exposure
Prepare financing and funds
Prepare financing and funds:
- Obtain lender review
- Establish budget
- Document income and assets
- Prepare proof of funds
- Document source of funds
- Review gift funds
- Confirm down payment and reserves
- Plan currency conversion
- Confirm international wire timing
- Never structure transfers to avoid reporting
Investigate the property
Investigate the property:
- Attend or arrange live video tours
- Review disclosures
- Order inspections
- Review title
- Research permits
- Verify HOA information
- Obtain insurance quotes
- Review wildfire, earthquake, and flood risk
- Verify schools and utilities independently
- Obtain appraisal or valuation when appropriate
Prepare for closing
Prepare for closing:
- Confirm deposit procedure
- Verify all wire instructions independently
- Complete identity verification
- Arrange translation
- Approve remote-signing procedure
- Plan notarization and originals
- Review final closing figures
- Confirm vesting
- Confirm possession
- Save every final document
Prepare for ownership
Prepare for ownership:
- Establish payment systems
- Arrange utilities
- Maintain insurance
- Enroll in recorder alerts
- Create a maintenance plan
- Hire lawful property management when needed
- Calendar property-tax and income-tax obligations
- Preserve basis and improvement records
- Plan for rental compliance
- Understand FIRPTA before a future sale
Frequently Asked Questions
What should happen first?
Confirm the lawful funding plan, buyer identity, property purpose, ownership structure, and professional team.
What should never be left until closing week?
International wires, tax identification, notarization, powers of attorney, entity documents, insurance, and translation.
Can the brokerage replace these professionals?
No. The brokerage coordinates the real estate transaction while legal, tax, lending, title, escrow, banking, and immigration professionals handle their respective areas.
Educational information
This checklist provides general education and does not guarantee legal eligibility, financing, fund transfer, tax treatment, reporting compliance, or closing.
Use this checklist during a multilingual pre-purchase meeting before making a California offer.
Wire-fraud warning
Always verify wire instructions by telephone using a known, independently confirmed number. Never rely on email instructions alone. If you suspect fraud, contact your bank, escrow, your agent and law enforcement immediately.
Read our wire-fraud protection guideRelated guides
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The next step is a conversation with a local agent.
JC Pacific Corp is an Irvine-based Southern California brokerage helping buyers navigate offers, escrow, and financing. Tell us what you are looking for and we will point you to current options across the region.
A note on legal advice: These guides provide general, educational information about California real estate practice. They are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Mortgage information is general education, not individualized lending, tax or legal guidance. For advice about your specific offer, contract, closing or financing, consult a qualified California real estate attorney and a qualified mortgage professional.
A note on these international-buyer guides: These articles provide general, educational information about buying California real estate as an international buyer. They are not legal, immigration, tax, lending, banking, currency, or financial advice. Property ownership, citizenship, immigration status, tax residency, financing, and physical occupancy are separate concepts and should be planned with the appropriate professionals. No article guarantees financing, an ITIN, a bank account, a funds transfer, a closing, tax treatment, or reporting compliance, and none should be read as advice to divide, disguise, or structure transactions to avoid lawful reporting or review. Verify current IRS, California Franchise Tax Board, FinCEN, OFAC, and CFIUS rules with qualified advisers for the transaction date. Buyers purchasing remotely or from outside the United States can request brokerage assistance in English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.