Buying a Desert Vacation Home From Los Angeles: What to Check Before You Make an Offer

Buying a vacation home in the desert from Los Angeles is very doable, and it works best when you treat it as a real purchase with a real plan, not a weekend impulse. I just closed on one with a first-time buyer, a house in Yucca Valley near Joshua Tree National Park, and the deal taught me where it differs from buying in LA and where it does not.

I’m Nicole Strober, a Los Angeles real estate advisor with Compass. This post is for the Angeleno who is renting, or owns here, and is eyeing a getaway in the high desert. Here is what I would check before you make an offer.

Most of the process looked familiar. We did inspections, we had an appraisal, and we went through a normal escrow. The differences showed up in the details.

Most homes in Yucca Valley are on a septic system, and I had never had a transaction where the home had a septic tank and wasn’t connected to the city sewer. On this purchase, the sellers paid to inspect the septic tank, and they paid for the termite inspection as well, which is not how we typically write purchase agreements in Los Angeles.

If you are purchasing a property outside of LA, make sure to ask your agent which party pays for what before you write the offer. This is something I learned by speaking with another Compass agent in Palm Springs.

If the property you love has a septic system, a well, or propane, make sure to ask, or just remember that the seller may pay for those inspections.

My client’s house was a short-term rental, which made it difficult to show. Guests were in it on and off, and the booking calendar decided when showings could happen. That worked in our favor, because we were able to go out on a random weekday to see it, whereas most buyers from out of town would need a weekend. The longer days on market worked to our advantage too.

We made ourselves available the moment it wasn’t booked. We made one trip to see it right after we wrote the offer, and a second trip for the inspections. Flexibility really mattered in this case.

My buyer asked the sellers for a credit toward buying down her interest rate and covering part of her closing costs, which let her keep more cash in her pocket. The house had been on the market for a while, and we got into escrow easily with one round of counteroffers. A property that has been listed for some time often gives you room to ask for this kind of help, and you can make that request without being aggressive. Your agent and lender can tell you what a credit like this does to your monthly payment before you decide how much to ask for.

Ours did. It came in very, very low, and this is the part I want every buyer to understand. Before I even asked, my buyer’s lender and her whole team were already working on it. They went back to the appraiser three times and got the value up by $30,000. They also prepared a detailed explanation of the comparable sales they used and why the value landed where it did.

I took that to the listing agent, and ultimately the seller, as factual evidence behind a price reduction we needed so my client’s loan could go through at the appraised value. The seller agreed. A calm, documented request is much easier to say yes to than an argument.

Because there are fewer comparable properties out there to use for appraisals, the way appraisers do their inspections is different. If you are going to help a client purchase a property outside of Los Angeles, familiarize yourself with how things are done there. The lesson I was reminded of in this deal is that the team really makes it all happen: your agent, your lender, and the listing agent.

Your team decides how this goes. That means your agent, your lender, and the listing agent on the other side, who in this case worked with us collaboratively. I was in touch with the listing agent for a couple of weeks before we wrote the offer, telling her our plan at every step, and I kept her updated when we submitted it. That is how I work on any deal, and it matters most when you are buying in an area you do not know well.

Be available, be communicative, and choose a lender who fights for your appraisal. I would rather you pick the right team before you fall for a house than after.

If you are thinking about a getaway outside Los Angeles, talk to me before you make an offer, and we will map out what you need to check and who should be on your team. See how I work with buyers or get in touch.

Can a first-time buyer buy a vacation home?

Yes. Lenders look at the loan type, your down payment, and how you plan to use the property, so talk to a lender early about what applies to a second home or a home you will rent out.

What should I check on a desert home that I would not check in Los Angeles?

Ask about the septic system, the water source, the heating and cooling for extreme temperatures, and whether the house is a rental with a booking calendar. Your inspectors will tell you what each report means.

What if my appraisal comes in below the price?

Ask your lender whether a reconsideration of value is possible, and give them the comparable sales that support a higher number. If the value still falls short, your agent can use the lender’s explanation to request a price reduction from the seller.

Should I buy a vacation home before I buy a home in Los Angeles?

It depends on your plan and your finances. I would sit down with you and look at the order of the moves before you commit to either.