5 step plan to getting the perfect house in San Diego when moving from out of state
If you’re moving from out-of-state to San Diego, you’ve likely heard about the crazy red-hot market we’re experiencing right now. It’s a sellers-market if we’ve ever had one and properties are selling quickly with lots of offers on each one.
So, as an out-of-state buyer, trying to buy a property from potentially thousands of miles away, how are you going to navigate it all?
Well, that’s what this post is going to cover. I’m going to dig into a five-step plan to make sure that you can get the home of your dreams, even if you’re buying out-of-state.
The steps are:
- Finding the perfect home
- Stay in touch with your agent once you’ve had your initial conversation
- Come and visit
- Be open to and speak with your agent about making offers before you come to San Diego
- Assume you will not get a house on your first trip
Step One: Finding the Perfect Home
Now, when you’re moving from out of state into this market, the first step I suggest is to find a fantastic real estate agent and to have an initial phone call. This is critical, and it’s where it all starts.
There are a few important elements to make sure are included in this phone conversation.
- Explain what you’re looking for in a house. Include all the details and specifics of what you are interested in, that way your agent can start sending you properties as soon as possible that align with what you want.
- Ask how hot the market is on the day you’re speaking with them. You never know how quickly things can change and it’s important to have the most up to date information you possibly can.
- Let them know if you have any trips planned to San Diego, that way they can help schedule some visits in advance.
- Ask them what their plan is for helping you buy a property in whatever market you happen to be facing at that moment. And make sure you feel comfortable with what they are suggesting. If you don’t feel comfortable, it’s totally okay to move on from that agent and find one you’re more comfortable with.
Covering these with your real estate agent will help them find the right house for you and will arm you with some of the information required to make an informed decision when deciding what to purchase.
Step Two: Stay in Touch with Your Agent Once You’ve Had Your Initial Conversation
This is particularly important, especially as it gets closer to your visit to San Diego. This dialogue is important to have for several reasons. One is to discuss what you like and don’t like about any particular property. You need to be in communication about the houses they are sending you so they can adjust and shift the parameters as needed. The more you know, the better-informed decision you can make when purchasing a house. You should also do research into the local area, what sort of neighborhood, and part of San Diego are you interested in.
During this time, also stay aware of how responsive your agent is. Are they calling you back quickly? Are they prompt at replying to emails? When you two speak, are they helpful? Make sure they’re a good fit for you, and if you need to find someone else, find someone else.
Step Three: Come and Visit
Do it. Come here. Come to San Diego. See what you think of it. And be specific when you’re going to come and communicate that with your agent so they can make sure to schedule it in and take you to some homes. Let them know what part of town you’re staying in, how long you’re staying for, and how often you want to see homes. Don’t worry about going to all of them. Focus on the best house ahead of time so you have time to really spend on the properties and in the parts of town you’re actually interested in. Also, consider checking out some local attractions to get a sense of the place.
Step Four: Be Open to and Speak with Your Agent About Making Offers Before You Come to San Diego
We do this at the Glutch Group with some of our clients. If our clients can be in town or if we’ll be in town within ten days, let’s say, then we open up this possibility to them because the ten-day inspection period is what we generally have in our contracts.
What we’ll do in these cases is we’ll run out to that property and take a video to make sure you can see it from that perspective. It might look good in the pictures, but we want to make sure you know if there’s a power line you need to watch out for or if the property is on a particularly busy street. Also, sometimes we’ll be up against five other offers and we won’t be able to get the house, and we wouldn’t want you to come out to try and buy a property that is no longer on the market. If you like it, we can tie it up for you, get it under contract and you can come out and make your final decision during your inspection period, and if you don’t like it, you can cancel and go see some other properties.
Step Five: Assume You Will Not Get A House On Your First Trip
By making this assumption, you’re giving yourself some emotional distance from the situation should it occur where you’re not able to get the house you want. It also allows you to focus on what is really important, which is educating yourself. And a trip without a purchase isn’t a loss. You were still able to get to know the area. You had the opportunity to check out restaurants and other things you might be into. You’ll also be in a better situation to make an out-of-state offer because you then would have a better idea of what you’re looking for.
Wrapping It All Up
Buying a house from out of state does have its challenges, but it doesn’t have to be miserable and it won’t be as difficult as you might think. We’ve done this many a time and it’s a great experience if you do it right. Plus, we know you’re going to love San Diego!
I hope you’ve found this helpful in orienting yourself in this red-hot market. Go and make the most of it, whatever that means to you!
And if you need any help, if you want to know how you can get into that next property, how you can sell, what your home’s worth today, or any other questions, let me know. We’d be happy to help you out. You can shoot us a message at contact@gluchgroupsd.wpengine.com or give us a call at (480) 378-6700.
