How Our Riverside County Cash-Offer Process Works

Our Riverside County overview page walks through the basic four steps of selling to us. This page goes deeper into the county-specific mechanics behind each one — how we actually price a property, who handles the closing, and what it means for what you walk away with.

Step 1: A Property Evaluation Built on Your Actual Sub-Market

Riverside County doesn’t have one housing market — it has several distinct ones, from Inland Empire suburbs like Corona, Eastvale, and Moreno Valley, to the Coachella Valley resort communities around Palm Springs and Palm Desert, to Temecula and Murrieta wine country. Values and typical buyer pools differ meaningfully between these areas. Rather than applying a countywide formula, we pull recent comparable sales specific to your neighborhood, adjust for the property’s condition, size, lot, and any repair needs, and build the offer from those real, local numbers.

Step 2: A Written Offer and a Licensed Escrow Company

Once we agree on a price, the purchase agreement goes into escrow with a licensed Riverside County title and escrow company — a neutral third party, not us and not you. The title company runs a full title search, clears any liens, judgments, or unpaid taxes against the property, and holds the funds until every condition of the sale is met.

Step 3: Signing — Remote or In-Person

California allows remote online notarization (RON) for real estate closings, so if you’ve relocated out of state or simply prefer not to drive to a title office — a real consideration given how spread out Riverside County is — you can sign the closing documents remotely with a live online notary. If you’d rather sign in person, that’s available too, either at the title company’s office or with a mobile notary who comes to you.

Step 4: Recording With the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

Once signing is complete and funds are ready, the deed is recorded with the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, whose main office is at 2724 Gateway Drive, Riverside — the office that makes the transfer official and public. Recording usually happens the same day funds are confirmed, which is the moment the sale is actually complete.

What You Net: Transfer Tax Still Applies, Commission Doesn’t

One cost that doesn’t go away no matter who you sell to is the documentary transfer tax. California counties charge a standard rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price (equivalent to $0.55 per $500, or about 0.11%), and Riverside County follows this standard countywide rate. Some cities layer an additional city transfer tax on top of the county rate, so confirm the exact figure that applies to your specific property with your title company before closing. This is a transfer tax owed on the sale itself, not a commission tied to using an agent, so it applies the same way whether you sell to us or to a retail buyer. What you do avoid selling to us is the 5-6% agent commission and any repair credits, which is where most of the actual savings comes from.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my offer actually calculated?
From recent comparable sales in your specific neighborhood or sub-market, adjusted for the property’s condition and any repairs it needs.

Do I have to sign in person?
No. California permits remote online notarization for real estate closings, so signing remotely is an option.

Will my city add its own transfer tax?
Some California cities do add a local transfer tax on top of the county rate. Confirm the exact combined rate for your property’s city with your title company.

Do I pay any commission if I sell to you?
No. There’s no agent commission on a direct sale, though standard transfer taxes still apply as they would on any sale.

Transfer tax rates are set by California counties and cities and can change; confirm current figures with your title company or a tax professional before closing.

Get a free, no-obligation cash offer from Cash Home Buyers CA today.