How Our San Diego City Cash-Offer Process Works

Our San Diego overview page walks through the basic steps of selling to us. This page goes deeper into the San Diego-specific mechanics behind each one — how we actually price a property, who handles the closing, and what it means for what you walk away with.

Step 1: A Property Evaluation Built on Your Actual Neighborhood

San Diego doesn’t have one housing market even within city limits — it has dozens of distinct pockets, and values can shift meaningfully from the coast inland. Rather than applying a citywide formula, we pull recent comparable sales specific to your neighborhood — whether that’s La Jolla, Point Loma, North Park, Mission Valley, Clairemont, City Heights, or Southeastern San Diego — adjust for the property’s condition, size, lot, and any repair needs, and build the offer from those real, local numbers.

Step 2: A Written Offer and a Licensed Escrow Company

Once we agree on a price, the purchase agreement goes into escrow with a licensed San Diego title and escrow company — a neutral third party, not us and not you. The title company runs a full title search, clears any liens, judgments, or unpaid taxes against the property, and holds the funds until every condition of the sale is met.

Step 3: Signing — Remote or In-Person

California allows remote online notarization (RON) for real estate closings, so if you’ve relocated out of state or simply prefer not to drive to a title office, you can sign the closing documents remotely with a live online notary. If you’d rather sign in person, that’s available too, either at the title company’s office or with a mobile notary who comes to you.

Step 4: Recording at the County Recorder

Once signing is complete and funds are ready, the deed is recorded with the San Diego County Recorder, located at 1600 Pacific Highway in downtown San Diego — the office that makes the transfer official and public for property anywhere in the city, from Ocean Beach to Southeastern San Diego. Recording usually happens the same day funds are confirmed, which is the moment the sale is actually complete.

What You Net: Transfer Tax Still Applies, Commission Doesn’t

One cost that doesn’t go away no matter who you sell to is the documentary transfer tax. California’s standard county-level documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price (equivalent to $0.55 per $500), and the City of San Diego does not currently layer an additional city-level transfer tax on top of that county rate the way a few other California cities do — but rates and any local surcharges can change, so it’s worth confirming the exact figure with your title company before closing. The important thing to understand is that this is a transfer tax owed on the sale itself, not a commission tied to using an agent, so it applies the same way whether you sell to us or to a retail buyer. What you do avoid selling to us is the 5-6% agent commission and any repair credits, which is where most of the actual savings comes from.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my offer actually calculated?
From recent comparable sales in your specific San Diego neighborhood, adjusted for the property’s condition and any repairs it needs.

Do I have to sign in person?
No. California permits remote online notarization for real estate closings, so signing remotely is an option.

Will I owe a city transfer tax on my sale?
The City of San Diego does not currently add a separate city transfer tax on top of the standard county rate, but confirm current figures with your title company, since some California cities do add their own.

Do I pay any commission if I sell to you?
No. There’s no agent commission on a direct sale, though standard transfer taxes still apply as they would on any sale.

Transfer tax rates are set at the state and county level and can be adjusted by local ordinance; confirm current figures with your title company or a tax professional before closing.

Get a free, no-obligation cash offer from Cash Home Buyers CA today.