They Thought They Had to Wait Until Spring to Buy
When my clients first came to me, they were renting in Rancho Peñasquitos and already had a pretty good idea of where they wanted to end up: University City, San Diego.
They had two young children, including a newborn, and needed more space.
One spouse is a neurologist at Rady Children’s Hospital, while the other works from home. They also had family living in Carlsbad with children around the same ages, so being conveniently positioned between work and family mattered.
They needed a four- or five-bedroom home with enough space for their children, a dedicated home office, and a guest room for their parents when they visited from the East Coast.
But there was a problem.
They also owned a property in Tennessee that was occupied by tenants.
Their plan was to wait for the tenants to move out, prepare the Tennessee home for sale during the spring market, sell it, and then use the proceeds to purchase their San Diego home.
They assumed they couldn't buy until that happened.
Meanwhile, their San Diego lease was coming due.
Before accepting that timeline, I suggested we find out whether selling first was actually necessary.
We Started With Financing, Not Houses
I connected my clients with several lending partners, including a lender who specializes in physician financing.
Because of their strong credit, income and assets, the lender was able to show them an alternative strategy.
They didn't necessarily have to sell Tennessee first.
They could potentially purchase their San Diego home now and deal with the Tennessee property afterward.
That changed everything.
Instead of renewing their lease and waiting months to begin house hunting, they could start looking for the right University City home immediately.
And when they found it, their offer wouldn't need to depend on the sale of another property.
Why University City, San Diego Made Sense
My clients had already done quite a bit of thinking about where they wanted to live.
We considered other possibilities, but University City continued to make the most sense for their day-to-day life.
One spouse needed convenient access to Rady Children’s Hospital.
The other worked from home.
Her sister and family lived in Carlsbad, and the cousins spent a lot of time together.
They also wanted enough house to accommodate two children, a home office and visiting family without pushing themselves unnecessarily far from central San Diego.
University City sits near I-805 and SR-52, with primarily single-family neighborhoods in its southern portion, which made it a particularly practical location for the life they were trying to create.
They weren't simply choosing a house.
They were trying to make their everyday logistics easier.
The First House Looked Like a Major Project
They had been watching the University City market and attending open houses while waiting for the right property.
One house initially caught their attention.
I went back through it with them.
Even before an inspection, I could see signs that several major systems appeared to be original to the older home.
The HVAC, electrical panel and other components raised concerns for me. If those systems hadn't been updated, there was a reasonable possibility that other expensive items would eventually need attention too.
I strongly advised them to think carefully about what they would be taking on.
We also considered a renovated home nearby.
That property was more appealing, but it wasn't large enough for their family. To make it work long term, they would eventually need to add square footage, and the house was already near the top of their budget.
We had started negotiating on that property, but we didn't rush into a decision.
Over the weekend, another house hit the market.
And everything changed.
The Better House Was Worth Waiting For
The new listing wasn't a trendy flip.
It was a home that had been owned and meticulously maintained by the same couple for roughly 30 years.
It sat on a cul-de-sac in an established University City neighborhood and had the space my clients needed.
The house had good bones, had been cared for extremely well, and didn't present the same obvious deferred-maintenance concerns I had seen in the first property.
We pivoted.
The home was listed at $1,685,000.
It was the first open-house weekend, and we knew we weren't going to be the only interested buyers.
Winning Wasn't Just About Price
Before writing the offer, I went to the open house and spent time talking with the listing agent.
I told her about my clients and learned more about the sellers.
The sellers were retired and moving out of state.
What they wanted wasn't complicated:
They wanted a strong offer, but they also wanted a clean, simple transaction with a quick close.
Because we'd already done the financing work before finding the house, we could give them exactly that.
We structured an offer that allowed us to close quickly and remove contingencies on an accelerated timeline.
The home received another strong offer, and there was back-and-forth between the parties.
Our final purchase price was $1,770,000.
The sellers ultimately chose my clients.
Price mattered, but so did the confidence that we could perform and make their move as straightforward as possible.
Why Preparation Before the Offer Mattered
We were able to close in approximately three weeks because the financing wasn't being figured out after the offer was accepted.
It had already been addressed.
Escrow opened April 29.
We closed May 18.
That gave my clients enough time after closing to fumigate the property, complete termite work, paint, update the flooring and get the home ready for their family.
They moved in before their rental lease expired at the end of May.
No temporary housing.
No additional lease.
No waiting for the Tennessee property to sell.
The Inspection Confirmed We Had Chosen the Better House
The inspection on the University City home went very well.
After considering a property where several major systems appeared to be approaching the end of their useful lives, this was reassuring.
The primary issue that needed attention was termite-related.
We negotiated approximately $5,000 toward the termite work.
My clients were then able to fumigate, complete the termite work, paint and update the floors before moving in.
The house didn't need to become a construction project before their family could enjoy it.
That was exactly what they had wanted.
Then They Sold Tennessee on Their Own Timeline
Once my clients had purchased their University City home and moved in, they could turn their attention to the Tennessee property.
When the tenants moved out, they prepared that home for market and sold it.
Instead of trying to coordinate an occupied out-of-state property sale, a San Diego lease expiration and a competitive home purchase simultaneously, they handled the transactions in stages.
First, secure the right San Diego home.
Then, sell the out-of-state property.
That sequence worked because we figured out the financing strategy before we started making offers.
The Lifestyle Payoff Was Bigger Than the House
Today, my clients are very happy in their University City home.
But one of the biggest changes isn't something you'd see in the listing photos.
It's time.
The commute from Rancho Peñasquitos to Rady Children’s Hospital during rush hour could approach an hour each way.
From their University City home, the commute is now approximately 10 minutes under typical conditions.
She's even close enough to occasionally come home during a lunch break.
That's potentially hours every week that aren't being spent sitting in San Diego traffic.
Their move wasn't simply about getting another bedroom or a bigger house.
It was about creating a home base that worked better for their family.
What I'd Tell Another Physician or Professional Who Owns a Home Somewhere Else
Don't assume you have to sell your existing property before you can buy in San Diego.
And don't start by scrolling through homes.
Start with financing.
If you're a physician, there may be lending programs specifically designed around physician income, assets and career structure.
For other professionals, there may be different financing strategies worth exploring.
The important thing is understanding your options before deciding what your timeline has to be.
Can you buy first?
Do you need to sell first?
Can you qualify while carrying both properties temporarily?
Would selling your existing home vacant later potentially make that transaction easier?
Once we know the financial strategy and your comfortable budget, then we can identify the San Diego neighborhoods that actually fit your life.
From there, I want you to experience those neighborhoods before becoming obsessed with a particular house.
Drive them.
Understand the commute.
Look at the homes.
Figure out where your everyday life makes sense.
Fall in love with the neighborhood first. Then we'll find the house.
What My Clients Said After the Purchase
One client wrote:
“She was proactive in reaching out to sellers agents to get more information for us, and helped us navigate back and forth negotiations with confidence.”
She also appreciated that there was:
“No sense of pushing properties that clients may not be excited about.”
Her husband described the experience similarly:
“She helped walk us through the whole process and made it as simple as it could be.”
Those comments mean a lot to me because buying the first available house was never the goal.
Finding the right house and having a strategy to secure it was.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a home in San Diego before selling my current house?
Possibly. Your options depend on income, assets, equity, debt and the financing programs available to you. In this case, my clients originally assumed they had to sell their Tennessee property before purchasing in San Diego. After reviewing their finances with a lender, they discovered they could purchase first and sell the Tennessee property later.
Are there special home loans for physicians buying in San Diego?
Physician mortgage programs are available from some lenders and can have different underwriting, down-payment or financing structures than conventional loans. The right program depends on the individual borrower, so I recommend speaking with a lender experienced with physician clients before deciding how much you need to sell, save or put down.
Is University City a neighborhood in San Diego?
Yes. University City is an official San Diego community. It includes residential neighborhoods as well as major employment, shopping and research areas, and is bordered roughly by La Jolla to the west, SR-52 to the south and I-805 to the east.
Why consider University City when moving within San Diego?
Location can be one of University City's biggest advantages. For my clients, it significantly shortened the commute to work while keeping them conveniently positioned for family farther north. The right neighborhood depends on each buyer's work locations, budget, housing needs and priorities.
Should I buy a renovated home or an older well-maintained home?
Neither is automatically better. I look at the condition of the property, major systems, quality of renovations, potential future expenses and how much work the buyer is realistically willing to take on. In this case, my clients chose a meticulously maintained older home over alternatives that either appeared to need substantial system upgrades or didn't offer enough space.
Own a home somewhere else and wondering whether you need to sell before buying in San Diego? Let's look at the financing, timing and neighborhoods first so you know your options before making a move. Book a 30-minute consultation.
