Printable Checklists

Free San Diego Home Checklists (PDF)

Download and print three San Diego checklists: one for buyers, one for sellers and one for anyone moving to the area.

Talk to a lender. Rates, loan programs and approvals come from lenders, not from websites or real estate agents. Talk to your own mortgage broker, or use our preferred lender, Point Mortgage Corporation (NMLS #231073), at (619) 475-4095. You are always free to choose any lender you like, and you can verify any lender’s license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Point Mortgage is a San Diego–based lender offering Conventional, FHA, VA and Jumbo loan programs, with local loan officers who coordinate directly with Coldwell Banker West and escrow to keep your financing on track from pre-approval through closing. Learn more or start an application at pointmtg.com.

Updated October 2026 · Rudy Flores · Coldwell Banker West

A checklist works best when it is in your hand. These are ours, one for each part of the job, ready to download and print. They follow the same order the steps come in, and each one leaves room for your own notes.

Download the checklists

Each checklist is a one- or two-page PDF that prints cleanly. The same lists appear below, so you can read them here first.

San Diego Home Buyer Checklist (PDF) — From pre-approval to your first month: what to do, in order.
Documents to Gather for Your Lender (PDF) — The papers most lenders ask for, so you are ready when the request arrives.
Moving to San Diego: A Checklist (PDF) — Practical steps for a move, from three to six months out to your first 30 days.

San Diego Home Buyer Checklist

From pre-approval to your first month: what to do, in order. Download the PDF.

Before you shop

Get a pre-approval letter from a lender.
Decide the monthly payment you are comfortable with, including property tax, insurance and any HOA dues.
List what you cannot live without and what you would trade.
Read the market reports for each area you are considering.

Touring homes

Visit at different times of day and note noise, traffic and parking.
Ask how old the roof, water heater, heating and cooling and windows are.
Ask about HOA dues, special taxes and any planned assessments.
Note stains, cracks or sloping floors and raise them with the inspector.
Confirm what stays with the home.

Making an offer

Compare sold homes nearby before you decide what to offer.
Agree with your agent on the deposit, contingencies and timeline.
Attach your pre-approval letter and proof of funds to the offer.

Under contract

Deliver your earnest money deposit to escrow on time.
Book the home inspection and the pest inspection right away.
Read the seller’s disclosures and the preliminary title report and ask about anything unclear.
Get homeowners insurance quotes before your contingencies end.
Answer lender requests fast, and do not open new credit or make big purchases.

Closing and after

Do the final walk-through and confirm agreed repairs.
Sign the loan documents and the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report at escrow.
After you get the keys: change the locks, set up utilities and test the alarms.
Claim the homeowners’ exemption and expect a supplemental tax bill in the months after closing.

Documents to Gather for Your Lender

The papers most lenders ask for, so you are ready when the request arrives. Download the PDF.

Income

Two years of tax returns and the W-2s or 1099s that go with them.
Pay stubs for the last 30 days.
If you are self-employed: two years of business returns and a year-to-date profit and loss statement.
Letters that show pension, Social Security or disability income.

Assets

Complete statements, all pages, for the last two months from each bank account.
Statements for retirement and investment accounts.
For a gift toward the down payment, a signed gift letter and proof of the transfer.
A written explanation for any large deposit.

Identity and history

Your driver’s license or passport.
Two years of addresses, and your landlord’s contact information.
If it applies: the divorce decree, support orders and any bankruptcy papers.
Once you have a contract: the purchase agreement and your homeowners insurance quote.

Moving to San Diego: A Checklist

Practical steps for a move, from three to six months out to your first 30 days. Download the PDF.

Three to six months out

Talk with a lender and get pre-approved so your budget is real.
Do not stop at the mortgage payment; add tax, insurance, HOA dues and any special assessments to see the real monthly figure.
Coming from another state: Ask a CPA how a move to California changes your income taxes, especially if you are coming from a state without an income tax.
Coming from another country: Ask a lender what income and bank records they need, and how long it takes to document money coming from another country.
If you are selling; Coming from elsewhere in California: If you own a home now, ask what it would net with the seller net proceeds tool, and whether your move date depends on the sale.
If you are selling; Coming from elsewhere in California: Homeowners 55 and older, and some others, should ask the assessor about carrying their tax base to a new California home (Proposition 19) before selling.
If you are renting: Set a rent budget and a date to look at buying again; the rent-versus-buy tool compares the two.
Visit at different times of day and in different seasons, and test the commute at rush hour.
Coming from another state: Ask whether the home has air conditioning and how it stays comfortable; some coastal homes do not have it.

One to three months out

Plan for closing costs on top of your down payment, and use the closing cost tool for an estimate.
Request written quotes from a few movers, try the moving cost planner and confirm what their insurance covers.
If you are selling: Request the property’s permit history and collect the HOA paperwork before you list.
If you are selling: Ask for a personal market report, then plan repairs, staging and photos.
Explore the shops, parks and services near the streets you like; the local guide on this site is a start.

Once you are under contract

Read the seller’s disclosures (the Transfer Disclosure Statement and the Natural Hazard Disclosure) and ask your agent about anything unclear.
For a home in an association, get the rules, budget, reserve study and meeting minutes and read them within your contingency period.
Ask an independent broker for homeowners quotes on the exact address, and price earthquake or flood cover if you want it, before contingencies end.
Expect to sign a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report at escrow; it is filed with the county assessor.
Book a general home inspection and a wood-destroying pest inspection; both are customary in California.
Ask about smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms and water-heater bracing, which California requires to be in place at a sale.

Move week

File a change of address with USPS and tell banks, insurers, your employer and any subscriptions.
Do a final walk-through before you sign, and confirm any agreed repairs are done.
Measure doorways and rooms for large furniture, and check parking and loading rules with your association or building.
Pack a first-night box with chargers, medications, documents, bedding and a few tools.

Your first 30 days

Expect a supplemental property tax bill a few months after closing, and set money aside for it.
Coming from another state: Check the DMV: new residents are generally expected to get a California driver’s license within 10 days and register vehicles within 20.
Update your voter registration with your new address.
Coming from another country: Open a U.S. bank account and ask a lender how to start building a U.S. credit history.
If you are renting: Keep a copy of your lease and note the notice period, deposit terms and renewal dates.
Re-key the locks, test the alarms and learn where the shut-offs and the panel are.
Schedule electric, gas, water, trash and internet before you move in, and ask the seller for a year of utility bills.
Choose a doctor, dentist and vet and have records and prescriptions sent over.
Coming from elsewhere in California: License your pet with the city or county and learn the local trash, recycling and street-sweeping schedule.

How to use them

Print, or keep on your phone. The checkboxes work on paper; on a phone, the PDF opens in your reader.
Skip what does not apply. Not every item fits every home or every move.
Ask for the personal version. Rudy can add the dates, the addresses and the local details for your own plan.

Common questions

Are the checklists free?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like.

Are they legal or tax advice?

No. They are general orientation from a real estate agent. Your lender, an attorney and a tax professional advise on those questions.

How current are they?

They are redrawn when the wording changes, and each PDF shows the month it was prepared.

Keep exploring

The guide — The whole process, step by step.

General information for orientation, not legal, tax, financial or appraisal advice. Details change; confirm anything that matters with the official source, your lender and your agent.