2nd follow-up comments:
- This is a tax community forum and the questions you are asking go beyond the scope of the forum as they are not really income tax related.
- To get a better understanding of the answers to your questions you need to speak / meet with a California professional that is more well-versed in real estate transfers.
*A reminder that posts in a forum such as this do not constitute tax advice.
Also keep in mind the date of replies, as tax law changes.