Selling a House ‘As Is’ in San Diego

Looking to sell a house “as is” in San Diego? Whether you’ve got a fixer-upper or recently inherited a relative’s home, sometimes the goal is to skip repairs, get a fair offer, and move on.

Glen Henderson, a San Diego-based HomeLight Elite Agent with 22 years of experience, says there are several reasons homeowners opt to sell their homes “as-is,” as sellers usually want the time and convenience that kind of transaction affords.

“They want to sell “as is,”  and they want to get it done quickly. Secondly, they want simplicity. They want to be able to get it done easily, with minimal work and effort put into it,” Henderson says.

Henderson also says that sometimes, sellers don’t have the money or resources needed to repair a home, leaving an as-is home sale as their only option.

Henderson adds that the landscape of as-is home sales has shifted somewhat in recent years as home prices have skyrocketed.

“Now, people have so much equity in their home, they’re willing to forego some of it in order to have that simple sale. A few years before, there wasn’t nearly the same amount of equity, so people were more concerned with doing everything they could to increase the value,” he says.

However, selling a house “as is” usually means accepting a lower offer, and it doesn’t always prevent buyers from trying to negotiate savings. Let’s take a closer look at how to sell a house in San Diego, your options for getting an offer, and what to expect from the process.

Fast facts about selling a house ‘as is’ in San Diego

What is ‘as is’ condition in real estate?

“As is” is a type of home sale in which it’s understood that no improvements will be made to the property. When selling a house “as is,” the seller chooses not to entertain buyers’ requests to complete repairs or provide a credit for fixes.

An as-is sale may also indicate that the functionality and longevity of certain home components, such as a stove on its last legs or an older roof, are not guaranteed.

When selling a house “as is,” the general condition of the property should already be accounted for in the purchase price of the home to the best of the seller’s knowledge.

Which types of homes are sold ‘as is’?

Homes sold “as is” often need some work or could be cosmetically outdated. It’s not a label you’re likely to put on a listing in pristine, move-in-ready condition.

“As is” sales often attract investors searching for their next flip or buyers seeking a bargain, perhaps on a home in a great location with lots of potential.

“We see all ranges of homes. There are the homes that were built 10 or 15 years ago that haven’t been maintained that need a lot of work,” Henderson says.

“There’ve been a lot of times [when a home] is inherited and passed down through the family, and it hasn’t had anything done for decades, and there is a lot of work needed. There are just the families who don’t want to do that. So, those homes are sold as is,” Henderson adds.

What problems do you have to disclose in California?

Selling a house “as is” in San Diego doesn’t mean sweeping known problems about the house under the rug.

A good time to fill out a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement is before listing your home or requesting an offer so that you know it’s taken care of.

According to the document, disclosure of the property’s condition is “in compliance with Section 1102 of the civil code.” The seller also certifies by the close of escrow the property will comply with the State Fire Marshal’s standards for operable smoke detectors and the Health & Safety Codes requiring water heaters to be strapped in place.The form will walk you through documenting what you know about the features of the home, from the TV antenna to the number of remote controls for the garage door and the quick-release mechanisms on bedroom windows.

You’ll also be prompted to fill out information about malfunctioning electrical systems, plumbing systems, or other structural components. The form specifically asks the seller to disclose the presence of the following:

• Hazardous materials such as asbestos
• Features shared with neighbors, such as common driveways
• Encroachments/easements
• Rooms or construction completed without a permit or non-compliant with building codes
• Flooding or drainage problems
• Compacted or other fill
• Settling issues such as slippage or sliding
• Damage from fire, floods, earthquake, or landslide
• Zoning violations or nonconforming uses
• Neighborhood noise problems
• Deed restrictions
• Homeowner’s association authority over the property
• Any lawsuits by or against the seller that may affect the property

California sellers must also complete an additional disclosure form, the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, which shows whether the home is in zones predisposed to earthquakes, flooding, fire, or wildland risks.

The Golden State also requires sellers to let a buyer know that information about the location of registered sex offenders is available from local law enforcement agencies and on the state-operated website.

California’s disclosure rules are complex. So, the California Association of Realtors created a comprehensive sales disclosure chart. No matter what method you choose to sell your home, it’s required to make these disclosures to the best of your ability.

Henderson says that one of the most important aspects of disclosures is to be thorough.

“[Sellers] should make sure that the disclosures are done and everything about the property is disclosed so that nothing comes back against them,” he says.

Henderson adds that the main intention is to limit any potential liability or blowback from failing to disclose a known issue.

“If somebody sells off market to an investor, the investor may not ask for disclosures, but if the investor gets sued for an issue with the home, then the sellers could end up getting sued also, and if they hadn’t disclosed the problems, then there could be a liability. So, they want to make sure they properly disclose everything, even if the investor doesn’t ask for it,” Henderson tells HomeLight.

No matter what method you choose to sell your home, it’s required to make these disclosures to the best of your ability.

However, California does allow certain exceptions from additional buyer requests for disclosure about certain items. Sellers are exempt from responding to some disclosures if they haven’t lived in the home and/or if they are “transfers by a fiduciary in the administration of a decedent’s estate, a guardianship, conservatorship, or trust except where the trustee is a former owner of the property.”

Review your options to sell ‘as is’ in San Diego

The main options to sell a house ‘as is’ include:

List ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

A great real estate agent will provide assistance throughout the process of listing and selling a home “as is.” An agent gives simple presentation tips to improve marketing, helps to set an appropriate price that reflects the home’s condition, and works to find a buyer willing and eager to buy your home in its current state.

“If somebody wants to sell as is, my biggest piece of advice would be to engage a Realtor and put it on the market instead of just selling to an investor, but if they are going to sell to an investor, get at least three offers,” Henderson says.

“That way, it’s a competitive bidding situation because a lot of times, if somebody only talks to one investor, they will try to get as low a price as possible, but that’s the biggest piece is to get multiple offers,” he adds.

Sell directly to a cash buyer

Someone needing to sell their home “as is” can also work directly with a property investor or house-buying company rather than list, where it may be difficult to get an offer from a limited buyer pool.

We Buy Houses operations buy “as is” at a discounted rate and generally seek out homes in need of significant repairs. These companies can help sellers cash out quickly, and many will cover a seller’s closing costs.

Steps to list ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

Find an agent willing to list the home ‘as is’

Your choice of real estate agent always matters, but even more so when selling a property “as is.” It’s important to find the right match. You’re looking for an agent who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and maybe has a strong network of investor connections.

Your agent should also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. Considering a recent survey by Bright MLS, where 56% of respondents said they would prefer to buy a move-in ready home, an “as is” sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start.

Consider a pre-listing inspection

A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard home inspection except that the seller pays for it before listing their home on the market. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can illuminate any issues that could impact the value of the home and inform an accurate pricing strategy. If a buyer requests further deductions to the price based on their own inspection, you may be able to point to how the estimated cost of certain repairs was already baked into the list price.

Henderson says that a pre-listing inspection ultimately gives the seller more tools when the buyer wants to talk price.

“With the pre-listing inspection, we know everything about the property, all the issues, work needed, etc., and then that way, the buyers know everything upfront going into it. Most buyers try to renegotiate the price after they do their inspection. So, if it’s provided upfront, it takes away their ability to try and renegotiate,” Henderson says.

Price to reflect ‘as is’ condition

In January 2025, the median sale price for homes in San Diego hit $1,220,000, a 4.6% increase over the previous year.

“If we put the house on the market, I always recommend pricing it low and having it on the market for a minimum of seven days before we start to review offers. That way, we create a bidding war and then see how high we can drive the price. But the main thing would be is at least seven days on the market before reviewing any offers,” says Henderson.

You can start with a free estimate from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE).

Our HVE combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and described condition. Input your address, and we’ll give you a preliminary home value estimate in under two minutes.

What’s Your San Diego Home Worth?

Get a near-instant real estate house price estimate from HomeLight for free. Our tool analyzes the records of recently sold homes near you, your home’s last sale price, and other market trends to provide a preliminary range of value in under two minutes.

Get Estimate

Do ever-so-light preparations

Even for as-is home listings in San Diego, Henderson typically recommends at least decluttering and cleaning the home.

“Removing as much personal property and junk from the house, if it’s cluttered, and then if the yard is overgrown with weeds or has a lot of junk or like debris or trash in it, cleaning up, and then for the out of this tail. That would be the biggest thing to keep costs minimal but make helping the home present better,” he adds.

Photograph to show potential

Your home listing warrants professional photography regardless of its condition. A professional photographer will take steps to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the ideal brightness and exposure.

A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens is also essential to showcasing entire rooms rather than half or three-quarters of what’s there. For these reasons and more, professionally photographed homes can help earn homeowners up to a 47% higher asking price per square foot compared to houses marketed without professional photos.

Your real estate agent will almost always arrange for professional photos as part of the listing process.

Highlight the surrounding area

A home’s location will be important to buyers seeking out a home with potential. Mention in your as-is listing if your home is close to any of the following:

• Downtown areas
• Major employers
• Parks and green spaces
• Sports venues and entertainment districts
• Waterfront views or access (ocean or a lake)
• Highly rated schools
• Access to outdoor activities
• Public transportation

Include ‘as is’ in the listing

Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold “as is,” buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Other common descriptors mentioned in as-is listings in San Diego include priced to sell, fixer-upper, handyman special, or a “call for investors.”

To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the best features of the home,

Understand buyers may still negotiate

Listing “as is” provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to reflect the home’s condition. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller.

Be aware of minimum property standards for certain loans

When you place your home on the market, it’s hard to predict if your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer pre-qualified for a home loan.

But if you do end up working with a financed buyer, be aware that different mortgage types (such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans) have different minimum property standards. These are standards related to the overall condition of a property which will play a role in the willingness and/or ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan.

Before properties can be financed, their value and condition is typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.

If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with FHA, then it complies with most other lenders’ requirements.

Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one

On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold “as is,” and it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house “as is” — especially one that needs heftier repairs — you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal as well as the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and clearer path to settlement.]

Pros of listing a home ‘as is’: 

• Save time and money on prepwork
• Possibility of reducing negotiations from the inspection
• Solution for out-of-state owners and inherited homes

Cons of listing a home ‘as is’:

• Limited buyer pool
• Expect lower offers
• Negotiations and repairs aren’t always off the table

Steps to sell directly to a cash buyer

Now that we’ve covered the general process of listing a home “as is,” let’s discuss the alternative of working with an investor. While the process varies from business to business, the steps to selling your home to a house-buying company typically go something like this:

1. Decision: A homeowner decides a traditional listing isn’t for them. Perhaps their house needs a lot of work, or they do not want to host any showings or open houses. They’re concerned about finding a buyer willing to purchase their home “as is” in its current state.

2. Contact: A seller contacts a company that buys homes in their area and provides some basic information about their home.

3. Preliminary offer: At this stage, some house-buying companies will provide a preliminary offer that is subject to change after a house assessment.

4. Assessment: The company schedules a walkthrough of the property to evaluate its condition, usually within 24 to 48 hours.

5. Firm offer: The company makes a firm offer (usually within 24 hours, sometimes on-site after the walkthrough) which you can accept or decline. Most of these companies will not negotiate on price, so the offer is a take-it-or-leave-it scenario.

6. Closing: If you accept the offer, you and the company will each sign the contract, and closing will begin. Some companies offer a large deposit or moving cost assistance, and a few may even pay for the home upfront.

7. Payment: The seller receives payment quickly, typically within seven days to a few weeks. This can vary by company, and sellers who work with a house-buying company often enjoy flexibility in selecting a move-out date that works for them.

If you aren’t sure where to get a cash offer, consider Simple Sale, a solution from HomeLight. With Simple Sale, you tell us a bit about your home, such as whether it’s a single-family or condo and how much work it needs. From there, we’ll provide you with a full cash offer to buy your home in as little as a week.

Skip repairs

No need to call the roof inspector or drain your savings to replace the HVAC. HomeLight will provide an offer for homes in almost any condition.

Sell when it’s convenient

Want to get out right away? Or need a little more time to pack? Either way, we’re flexible. Pick a move date that works for your schedule within 30 days of closing.

Close with certainty

Cash buyers don’t need a lender’s involvement to purchase a home, meaning they can move nimbly and quickly compared to someone who needs financing. With Simple Sale, you can close in as little as 10 days, compared to the 30-60 days or longer it typically takes to close with a financed buyer.

Curious to know more about the Simple Sale experience? Hear it firsthand from one of our valued clients in the video below.

Additional We Buy Houses companies in San Diego

Below we’ve compiled a list of some of the leading companies that purchase homes “as is” for cash in San Diego and information about each.