Buying in San Diego County
Search strategy, an honest assessment of each property's problems as well as its charm, and offer structuring that competes without overpaying.
Most buyers I meet have already spent months on listing portals and know the inventory better than they expect to. What they don't have is the part portals can't give them: what the house is actually like, what it will really cost to hold, and what to do when there are four offers on it.
That's the job.
What I actually do for a buyer
Narrow the search honestly
Which communities fit your commute, your budget and how you actually live — including telling you when the area you've fixed on is the wrong one. Carrying costs vary enormously between communities here, and that changes what you can afford before we look at a single house.
Tell you what's wrong with it
Every house has problems. I'll name them at the viewing rather than let you find them at inspection — the grade of the lot, the age of the roof, the road noise you can't hear on a Sunday, the layout that will annoy you in year two.
Pull the real numbers before you offer
The parcel's actual tax bill, including any Mello-Roos. The HOA's reserve study and special assessment history. Permit history where the work looks unpermitted. Before the offer, not during escrow.
Structure an offer that competes
Price is one lever and often not the decisive one. Contingency timelines, deposit size, closing date, rent-back — these win transactions and they cost less than overpaying. I'll tell you which levers are safe to pull and which ones are you taking on real risk.
Two things to do first
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Get pre-approved — properly, with a lender
Not pre-qualified. Pre-approved. It's free, it takes a few days, sellers require it, and if there's a problem in your credit or your documentation you want to find it now. Get two, from different lenders; the rate spread is real.
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Understand what carrying a house here actually costs
This is where San Diego differs from the national picture. Mello-Roos in the newer communities is a fixed annual charge that no standard mortgage calculator shows, and it can run to thousands a year. Buyers arrive at closing shocked, routinely.
What it costs you
Since the 2024 rule changes, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent covering compensation before touring homes. We'll have that conversation before you're committed to anything, the number is negotiable, and I'll explain what it buys.
Worth reading before you start
- How a San Diego transaction actually runs
Offer to keys with the real clock, and what usually slips.
- What California requires a seller to disclose
The disclosure package is where the house tells you the truth. Know what's in it.
- The ten communities, in detail
Housing stock, assessments, commute, and who each one suits.
- CFPB — Owning a Home
The federal consumer bureau's guide. Independent of anyone selling you anything, including me.