Frequently asked questions

Most realtors hold only the state DRE license. Agustin holds his DRE salesperson license (#02242952) plus Series 7, Series 66, and a California Life Insurance License from his Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan years. That stack means he can walk you through the financial side of a transaction — loans, exchanges, equity moves, tax timing — at a level most agents simply can't. He'll still hand you off to a licensed lender for the actual mortgage, but the strategy conversation happens first.

Yes. Agustin is fully bilingual and runs the entire process in Spanish for Spanish-speaking clients — first call through inspection, lender intro, contract review, and close. Documents, lender hand-offs, and post-close follow-up all work in either language. For multi-generational households where elders prefer Spanish, this is a meaningful difference vs. handing translation off to a relative.

No. The first 30-minute strategy call is free, bilingual, and no-obligation. You walk away with 1-2 financing structures that actually fit your situation and a clear next step — whether that's a lender intro, a home valuation, or a list of properties to walk.

Start with a 30-minute call before you look at houses. You need to know what you can actually qualify for — and which loan structure fits your situation (FHA, conventional, VA, or DSCR for investment). From the call we line up a real pre-approval (not a soft pre-qualification) inside 24-48 hours from a vetted lender, then start walking properties that match.

Less than most buyers assume. FHA goes down to 3.5% with credit at 580+. VA is 0% down for eligible service members. Conventional starts at 3-5%. On top of that, California stacks down-payment-assistance programs (CalHFA MyHome, Forgivable Equity Builder, San Diego City First-Time, Chula Vista DPA) that can cover most of even that. See the Financing Options page for the full breakdown.

Depends on use, eligibility, and how long you'll hold. FHA = low down, owner-occupied, allows 1-4 units (best for house hackers). VA = 0% down for eligible service members, no PMI, assumable. Conventional = 5-20% down, drops PMI at 20% equity, fewer property restrictions. We map this in the first call — not generically, against your specific income, credit, and target property.

Usually yes — but the structure changes. Income-driven repayment plans count differently than standard repayment. 1099 / self-employed buyers need 2 years of tax returns and a clean profit-and-loss. Recent job change is fine if it's the same industry; switching fields can require seasoning. A vetted lender intro after the strategy call sorts this fast — we know which lenders are flexible on which scenarios.

Closing costs run 2-3% of purchase price for the buyer (lender fees, title, escrow, prepaid taxes and insurance). Seller pays the agent commission and a portion of title/escrow. Several items are negotiable in the offer — including asking the seller to credit closing costs in a buyer's market. We structure this into the offer based on what we're seeing on similar deals that week.

From accepted offer to keys in hand: typically 30-45 days. Cash deals can close in 10-14 days. FHA / VA loans average 35-45 days. The pre-approval workflow before you make offers takes 1-2 weeks if your docs are ready. Most buyers find the right property within 4-8 weeks of starting to show — varies a lot with price band and neighborhood.

Use the free 3-step home valuation on this site for a same-day estimate. For a precise number — what your home would actually list for given current comps, condition, and timing — Agustin runs a full comparative market analysis (CMA) at no cost. Bilingual, no obligation. Schedule from the sell page.

Agent commission (typically 5-6%, split between listing and buyer's agents) covers professional photography, MLS listing, marketing, open houses, offer review and negotiation, escrow management, inspection-and-appraisal coordination, and closing oversight. Post-NAR settlement (2024), buyer's-agent compensation is negotiable up-front. We walk through exactly what's included and what's negotiable in the listing consult.

Depends on why you're selling. Move-up sellers can lose more to next-purchase price appreciation than they gain in better rates. Downsizers in a high-equity primary residence often want to lock in the Section 121 exclusion before timing forces a different play. Investment sales are usually driven by 1031 timing or refi opportunity. We frame this against your actual situation — not market headlines.

Section 121 = the $250K (single) / $500K (married) capital gains exclusion when you sell your primary residence (2-out-of-5 years ownership + use test). 1031 = defer capital gains by rolling proceeds into a like-kind investment property (45-day identification, 180-day close). You can sometimes stack them on a converted rental. Major timing implications. See Investor Tax Strategies for the full framework.

Big systems (roof, HVAC, foundation) usually pay back in higher offers and faster close. Cosmetic work (paint, landscaping, deep clean, decluttering) almost always pays back. Major remodels usually don't — buyers want to make those choices. Pre-listing inspection plus targeted fixes is the South Bay norm. We walk every room before we list and flag what moves the needle vs. what wastes money.

Properly priced San Diego listings typically go under contract within 7-21 days, then close 30-45 days after that. Total: roughly 6-9 weeks from listing to keys. Overpriced listings sit 60+ days, require a price drop, and often sell below where they should have started. Pricing strategy is the single biggest lever — we tune it against weekly comp updates.

Yes. FHA allows owner-occupied purchases on 1-4 unit properties at 3.5% down. You live in one unit, rent the others — your tenants pay most of the mortgage while you build equity. This is the workhorse strategy for first-time investors in South Bay. See the House Hacking deep-dive.

Debt-Service-Coverage-Ratio loans qualify off the property's rent rather than your personal income. They're built for investors scaling past their first few properties where conventional financing gets tight. Typically 20-25% down, rates ~1.5-2.5% higher than conventional, prepayment penalties common. Right call when you have strong rental income but messy personal tax returns.

Often, yes — but the math matters. Build cost typically runs $200K-$400K. Rent comp determines payoff timeline. Renovation loan or HELOC funds the build. South Bay California ADU rules are favorable, and the rental income usually covers the mortgage uplift plus operating. The ADU & Value-Add deep-dive walks through real numbers.

Cash-out refi locks in a new fixed rate on a larger loan — best when current rates are favorable and you want certainty. HELOC keeps your primary mortgage rate untouched and gives you a revolving line — best for ADU builds, value-add projects, or 1031 bridge timing where you'll repay quickly. We compare the two against your actual rate, term, and goal.

A 1031 exchange lets you defer capital gains tax by rolling proceeds from one investment property into another. Two deadlines decide whether your exchange survives: 45 days to identify replacement property after closing the sale, and 180 days to close on it. Miss either deadline → exchange fails → full capital gains hits. We coordinate timing with a qualified intermediary — see Investor Tax Strategies.

Yes — and as of August 2024 (post-NAR settlement) it's required nationwide before showing properties. The buyer-broker agreement spells out scope, exclusivity (optional), term length, and how the buyer's agent gets paid. We walk through it together at the second meeting. It's negotiable; we'll explain what each clause actually means before you sign.

You'll get a confirmation email and a text from Agustin within one business day. He'll suggest 2-3 time slots for a 30-minute strategy call (free, bilingual, no obligation). On the call we cover income picture, down payment situation, target property type, and timeline — then map the 1-2 financing structures that fit and queue up a lender intro if you're ready.

Yes. Out-of-state buyers (often military relocations, return-to-SD families, or investors) are a regular workflow. We run pre-tour video walkthroughs, lender intros happen by phone, and the full close can run remotely with mail-away docs and a notary in your state. Bilingual works across time zones — Agustin handles the SD-side of everything.

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