What is the best way to sell your house in San Diego?
There is more than one way to sell your San Diego house. So what is the best option today, and what factors should Southern California property owners be considering before making a decision?
Understanding the Current San Diego Real Estate Market
There is a lot of confusion over the current state of the housing market. Those selling houses in San Diego may not be aware of the direction things are heading. Constantly conflicting media reports have many SoCal property owners wondering if the market is well beyond a recovery and could be too hot, or if ongoing foreclosures mean that there is still a long way to go before the market gets back on track.
The confusion is completely understandable. The media can publish completely opposing opinions of the market in the same day. A big part of this is not only publishers and sources pursuing their own agendas through the headlines, but also the incredible diversity in how statistics are gathered and calculated, and what they are based on.
More than anything, San Diego, CA home owners need to remember that all real estate is local. This not only means looking at San Diego County housing statistics, or even citywide data, but down to individual zip codes and neighborhoods. Some may still be in the depths of the foreclosure crisis. Others may be pushing new record highs. Regardless of where properties are located, and what the local stats and trends appear to be, selling houses fast and for optimal price comes down to asking price, presentation, and method of selling.
The First Step in Selling Your San Diego Home
The first step in selling any property in San Diego County is to take a moment to take stock of the situation and define goals. Everyone is in a unique situation and has different needs. So begin with identifying the real needs, wants, and nice-to haves. Decide where you can negotiate and can’t. List out priorities. Include factors such as how little you can afford to walk away with, whether price or net proceeds are most important, your moving timeline, what terms you are willing to accept ,or not. Use this as your guide for evaluating the best method of selling your California home.
You Have Options
Next, recognize the various options at your disposal. Some may not realize that there are more choices than just listing with a San Diego County Realtor, or sticking a for sale by owner sign in their front yard. Others may have been paralyzed by all of the options they have heard about. It doesn’t have to be that difficult though.
Listing Your Home with a San Diego Real Estate Agent
Listing homes for sale with local real estate agents used to be the most common way of selling houses in San Diego, CA. It may not be anymore, but it can be a great option for some property owners. It really depends on the individual circumstances. Realtors can offer visibility for home listings through the MLS, and can help with managing the transaction. This can be especially useful for those that would rather not deal with any of it themselves, and have the luxury of time and paying for the service.
On the downside, there are really no guarantees a property will be sold, or within a certain time frame. It can also be cost prohibitive for many SoCal homeowners. Flat fee MLS services are sometimes available. These provide some of the best benefits of listing with a San Diego County Realtor, but without the service. End costs may not be much different.
Selling Your San Diego Home By Owner
While not so popular today, there have been various ‘FSBO’ or For Sale By Owner websites and services in the past. These offer several types of assistance or marketing materials for owners to promote their own properties. It is essential that owners do the math on these services very, very carefully. In the past, they have sometimes been more expensive than full service Realtor assistance. They also became very controversial when the owner of one of the largest by owner platforms sold his own home, using a Realtor and paid full commission.
Going it alone can work. It is a matter of resources, time and being comfortable with representing yourself or having a California real estate attorney help you out with the process. Again, if you are under no time pressure to sell, it could work for you, and potentially might save a couple of dollars.
The Third Option
There is a third option. For those strapped for time, or that just desire to sell their San Diego properties as fast as possible, and eliminate commissions and any guesswork, it may be better to simply sell directly to a cash paying investor. Qualified real estate investors that can pay cash and close in just a few days can provide simplicity, remove stress, and deliver the desired results. They can often be the easiest buyers to work with, and quite likely won’t sweat you about repairs, cosmetic issues, and mean not having to worry about the buyer coming through with financing.
Which option will you choose?
