They Had Outgrown Their North Park Home
When my clients first connected with me in July 2025, they owned a townhome in North Park, San Diego and had reached the point many homeowners eventually do: the home that had worked for one stage of life no longer worked for the next one.
They were busy professionals working from home with a one-year-old, and they were ready for the bigger family home.
Their wish list was specific.
They wanted at least four bedrooms and approximately 2,000 square feet, a turnkey home that didn't require projects, highly rated schools, and easy access to San Diego International Airport because one of them traveled frequently for work.
They also didn't want to move far outside the central San Diego lifestyle they had built. Their friends and daily life were centered around areas such as North Park, South Park, Point Loma and the beach communities.
Their budget was initially around $1.5 million.
The challenge was finding all of that in one house.
They Had Already Been House Hunting, But Their Offers Weren't Winning
Before working with me, my clients had been represented by another real estate agent and had already submitted offers on homes they wanted.
Those offers weren't getting accepted.
When we spoke, one of the biggest things missing for them was the feeling that they had an advisor helping them understand the market and strategically structure their offers.
I explained how I approach competitive purchases differently.
Before we write an offer, I want to understand the comparable sales, how the property is positioned, what matters to the seller, what our financing allows us to do, and where my clients' true walk-away number is.
My clients decided they wanted to make a change. After properly ending their previous representation, we began working together.
Narrowing Their San Diego Search
Based on their budget, space requirements, schools, commute needs, turnkey preference and airport access, we narrowed the search to a handful of neighborhoods.
But there was another problem: inventory.
Finding a four-bedroom, approximately 2,000-square-foot turnkey home in their budget wasn't something we could assume would appear every week.
So I didn't want to rely solely on active listings.
I started reaching out through my network of agents and people working in these neighborhoods to find out what might be coming to market.
That's when another agent told me about a Del Cerro home whose owners were finishing a major renovation.
As soon as it was available to preview, she got me inside.
The house wasn't yet on the market.
I took videos and sent them to my clients.
They loved it.
A Del Cerro Home That Was Different From a Typical Flip
This wasn't a traditional investor flip.
The home had been owned by the same family since 1979. The longtime owner had begun renovating it for herself with the intention of creating her own dream home.
Sadly, she became ill during the renovation and passed away.
Her adult children decided to complete the renovation before selling the property.
That history mattered because the renovation wasn't originally designed around an investor's profit margin. The finishes were custom, thoughtful and selected for a homeowner who planned to live there.
The property also checked so many of my clients' boxes.
It was beautifully renovated, located on a cul-de-sac in Del Cerro, had an incredible backyard and expansive views, and felt like the lifestyle upgrade they had been looking for.
The home was listed at $1,595,000.
We already knew it was going to attract attention.
Why We Offered More Than the Asking Price
Before the listing went live, we had already done our homework.
Based on the comparable sales and what we were seeing in the market, I believed the property had been intentionally positioned to attract multiple buyers rather than necessarily represent the price at which it would ultimately sell.
So we didn't build our offer around the $1.595 million asking price.
We built it around the property's value, the competition we expected, and the maximum amount my clients felt comfortable paying.
I have a conversation with buyers in competitive situations that essentially comes down to this:
If someone else buys this house for more than your maximum, will you be genuinely comfortable letting them have it?
I don't want my clients bidding simply for the sake of winning.
I want to find the number where they can confidently say, "We gave it our best shot. If someone pays more, we're okay walking away."
For this home, that led us to $1,651,000.
But price was only part of the offer.
Preparing the Financing Before We Needed It
I had introduced my clients to my lender, and we had their financing well prepared before we submitted the offer.
That allowed us to offer:
7-day inspection contingency
14-day appraisal contingency
21-day closing
Those timelines helped give the seller confidence that we were serious and capable of performing.
The result:
Our $1,651,000 offer was accepted in a multiple-offer situation.
After previously losing out on homes, they had secured the Del Cerro property they truly wanted.
But then came inspections.
The Renovation Was Beautiful. The Major Systems Were Not.
This is where the transaction changed.
The visible renovation had been completed beautifully. The kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and finishes reflected quality materials and workmanship.
But inspections revealed that some of the major systems behind and around those beautiful finishes were still original.
The roof dated back to approximately when the home was built in the late 1970s.
The electrical and plumbing were also older, and we discovered leaking, water intrusion and mold-related concerns, including issues in the attic.
For buyers whose number-one requirement had been turnkey, this was significant.
They had deliberately avoided fixer-uppers because they were two busy professionals working from home with a young child. They weren't looking to move into a house and immediately manage major construction projects.
So we gathered specialist opinions and contractor bids and went back to the seller.
Negotiating $95,000 in Seller Credits Plus Repairs
My clients still wanted the house.
That was important.
Instead of treating the inspection as a reason to immediately walk away, we needed to determine what it would realistically cost to bring the home's major systems up to the level of the renovation they thought they were purchasing.
I negotiated a combination of seller-completed work and a substantial closing credit.
The sellers completed approximately $5,000 to $10,000 in repairs, and my clients received an additional $95,000 seller credit toward the remaining work.
After closing, they were able to move forward with major updates, including the roof, electrical and plumbing work.
Within roughly two weeks, they were able to move into a home that was much closer to what they had wanted from the beginning: essentially a completely updated house without spending their first year living through a long renovation.
Why We Bought Before Selling Their North Park Home
There was another important piece to their strategy.
My clients already owned their North Park townhome.
But they did not need to sell it first in order to purchase the Del Cerro house.
After reviewing the numbers and financing options, we determined they could buy their next home first and sell North Park afterward.
That gave them several advantages.
Their Del Cerro offer wasn't contingent upon selling another property.
They didn't have to put their current home on the market and hope the right replacement house appeared at exactly the right time.
And once they moved, they could hand me the keys to an empty North Park property.
That's exactly what they did.
They Moved. Then They Handed Me the Keys.
Once my clients were settled in Del Cerro, I went to work preparing their North Park home for sale.
Instead of asking a working couple with a young child to live through staging, photography, showings and open houses, we were able to market the property vacant.
We prepared the home, professionally staged it, created the media and launched the listing.
There was one challenge we couldn't control:
Timing.
By then, we were entering October, when San Diego real estate activity typically begins slowing as we approach Halloween and the holiday season.
There were also other properties in their community that had already been sitting on the market.
My clients initially hoped to sell around $825,000.
After analyzing the comparable sales and competing inventory, I recommended pricing strategically rather than chasing an aspirational number and potentially sitting on the market.
We positioned the property just under $800,000.
A buyer came through one of our open houses, fell in love with the home and ultimately purchased it for $800,000.
We closed in a 21-day escrow.
Even though my clients had owned the property for only about two years, they were still able to walk away with a net gain after their selling expenses.
One Move Instead of Trying to Perfectly Time Two Transactions
The biggest win wasn't simply buying one house and selling another.
It was the order in which we did it.
My clients were able to focus first on finding a home they genuinely loved.
They bought it.
They moved.
Then they handed me the keys to North Park, and I took over preparing and marketing their previous home.
They didn't have to make their purchase contingent on a sale.
They didn't have to live through showings with a one-year-old.
And they didn't have to sell first and then feel pressured to choose whatever replacement property happened to be available.
Today, they're loving their Del Cerro home, hosting family gatherings there, and preparing to welcome their second baby.
The house they bought because they needed room for their growing family is already doing exactly what they hoped it would do.
What I'd Tell Another San Diego Homeowner Who Wants to Move Up
If you own a home and you're thinking about moving into something larger, I wouldn't automatically start by putting your current house on the market.
Start with the numbers.
Talk with a lender and determine what options you actually have.
Can you qualify to purchase before selling?
Would selling first make more financial sense?
How much equity do you have?
What monthly payment and purchase price are genuinely comfortable?
And, most importantly, does that budget give you access to homes and neighborhoods that would make moving worthwhile?
If buying first is financially appropriate, it can completely change the experience.
You can focus on finding the right next home without making your offer contingent upon a sale. Then, once you've moved, your previous home can be prepared, staged and marketed vacant without your family living through the listing process.
There isn't one strategy that's right for every homeowner.
The important part is figuring out your strategy before you need to make a move.
What My Client Said
After buying their Del Cerro home and while I was preparing their North Park property for sale, my client wrote:
“We had an amazing experience working with Emily! She did a fantastic job negotiating our offer and working seamlessly with the other agent to make the entire buying process smooth and stress-free.”
She also specifically mentioned the marketing of their previous home:
“The photos, listings, and open house strategy are all top-notch.”
For me, that's the goal of a move-up transaction: the purchase and sale shouldn't feel like two disconnected deals.
They should be one coordinated plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a new home in San Diego before selling my current home?
Possibly. It depends on your income, assets, equity, existing mortgage and financing options. I recommend starting with a lender before assuming you have to sell first. In this case, my clients qualified to purchase their Del Cerro home before selling their North Park property, which allowed them to move first and sell their previous home vacant and staged.
Is it better to buy first or sell first when moving up in San Diego?
There isn't one answer for everyone. Selling first can reduce financial exposure, while buying first can make your offer more competitive and remove the pressure of finding a replacement property immediately after selling. The right strategy depends on your finances, current home, desired neighborhood and available inventory.
How do you compete for a Del Cerro home with multiple offers?
A competitive offer isn't necessarily just the highest price. Before writing an offer, I look at comparable sales, likely market value, seller priorities, financing strength, contingency timelines and my buyer's personal walk-away number. In this transaction, preparation allowed us to offer a 7-day inspection, 14-day appraisal and 21-day closing while keeping the offer grounded in the property's value.
Can you still negotiate repairs after winning a multiple-offer situation?
Depending on the contract and contingencies, yes. A competitive purchase doesn't mean buyers should ignore legitimate inspection findings. In this transaction, inspections uncovered significant issues with major systems. We gathered specialist opinions and bids, and ultimately negotiated approximately $5,000 to $10,000 in seller-completed repairs plus a $95,000 seller credit.
Can a Realtor help find Del Cerro homes before they hit the market?
Sometimes. No agent can guarantee access to an off-market or pre-market property, but proactive networking can uncover homes that are being prepared for sale. I learned about this Del Cerro property through my agent network and was able to preview it for my clients before it officially hit the market.
Thinking about selling your current home and moving into something that fits your life better? Let's look at the numbers first and build a strategy around whether it makes more sense to buy first or sell first. Book a 30-minute consultation.
