Buyers
Recommended Orange County home buyer agent
Comps before the tour.
If you want a recommended Orange County home buyer agent, I will show you how I shop a house: a free consultation, a lender, comps on every home, and compensation in writing before you tour. I have done this work since 1977. I am not a directory of other agents.
A recommendation is a person and a way of working, not a list of logos. I am Joe Homs, designated broker of Pellego, California DRE #00702131. I have represented buyers in Orange County since 1977, with 50+ years in this market, 600+ closed transactions, and 8 books. 348 people are licensed with Pellego. Google reviews on the Laguna Hills profile are 4.9 from 63 reviews. If you want the longer buying guide, it is on the buyers page.
What a buyer’s agent does here
I am on your side of the table. I do not tour you through houses and then hope the asking price is fair. We start with what you need, a lender, and a payment you can live with. Then the search, the offer, and escrow.
| Day 1 | Free consultation. We talk through what you need, where you want to live, and your timeline. No pressure, no obligation. |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Your buying plan. I connect you with a lender to get qualified and build a custom plan with a budget you’re comfortable with. |
| Weeks 1–6 | Concierge search. Your personalized MLS feed goes live, plus off-market leads. I tour with you and bring the data on every home. |
| Offer day | Win the offer. We price the offer from the comps, not the asking price, and structure it to beat multiple offers without overpaying. |
| ≈ 30 days | Escrow & keys. Inspections, appraisal, repairs and paperwork are handled. Many of my buyers close in under 30 days. |
What I will tell you before you tour
- The first consultation is free. Compensation is in writing before you tour. In many sales the seller covers some or all of it.
- FHA loans start at 3.5% down. Some conventional loans start at 3%. VA loans can be zero down. I connect you with lenders who can qualify you.
- Buyers have saved an average of $10,000 on purchase price. One buyer, Walton Leung in Rancho Santa Margarita, said he saved a few thousand he had not planned on.
- Many of my buyers close in under 30 days. Lee West in Lake Forest closed in under 30 days. Carlie in Rancho Santa Margarita found a property in two days and closed 15 days later. Your file can still take longer.
- A first home has its own page: first-time home buyer agent in Orange County. The standard does not change for a next home.
- Hablo español. I can handle the purchase in English or Spanish.
If you are also selling
A buyer’s agent and a listing agent are different jobs. I do both, and I will tell you in writing which side I am on. The comparison is on compare buyer and seller agents in Orange County. If the sale and the purchase are one move, The Real Number puts the payoff, the costs, and the next payment on one page. City notes are on the city guides.
The office is in Laguna Hills, at 23121 Verdugo Dr #100, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Most of the driving is South Orange County. I still shop houses across the county. If the brokerage itself is the question, start with how I would choose an Orange County brokerage.
Work Work: (949) 625-4533. Direct cell Direct cell: (949) 394-0149.
The record
- 50+ years in Orange County real estate. Licensed since 1977.
- 600+ closed transactions.
- 4.9 from 63 Google reviews.
- 348 Pellego team members, licensed with Pellego, Inc..
- Author of 8 real estate books.
- My license is DRE #00702131. Pellego, Inc. corporation license is DRE #02043232.
- Work (949) 625-4533. Direct cell (949) 394-0149.
- Office: 23121 Verdugo Dr #100, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Open daily, 9 AM to 8 PM.
Questions
Who is a recommended Orange County home buyer agent?
I am Joe Homs, designated broker of Pellego, and I represent Orange County buyers. The first consultation is free. I connect you with a lender, I put comps on every house, and we go over compensation in writing before you tour. California DRE #00702131. Google reviews on the Laguna Hills profile are 4.9 from 63 reviews.
Do you work with a first home and a next home?
Yes. A first home and a next home get the same standard: market data, an MLS alert, and an offer built from the comps instead of the asking price. The first-home notes are on their own page. This page is the recommendation for either one.
What does it cost to hire you as a buyer’s agent?
The first consultation is free. We go over compensation in writing before you tour homes, and in many sales the seller covers some or all of it. You will not be surprised at closing. I will not print a buyer-side percentage on this page.
How do you keep a buyer from overpaying in Orange County?
Every offer starts from comparable sales, price history, and days on market, not from the asking price. Buyers on my side have saved an average of $10,000 on purchase price. I will tell you when a house is not worth it.
How fast can an Orange County purchase close?
Many of my buyers close in under 30 days. That is not a promise for your file. The loan, the inspection, and the title still move the date. I will tell you which of those applies after I see the house.
How do I start with a buyer’s agent?
Call the work line at (949) 625-4533 or my direct cell at (949) 394-0149. Tell me the cities and the payment that fits. The office is at 23121 Verdugo Dr #100, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Hablo español.
Let's get started
Tell me the cities.
I will show you how I would shop them.
Budget, neighborhoods, and a payment that fits. The first consultation is free.