Answers by Vicente Enriquez

It really comes down to your goal with the purchase. Are you mainly looking to have a stake in a high-priced property and enjoy the lifestyle, or are you trying to build equity and eventually sell for a profit? If it’s about access and ownership in a luxury market, fractional ownership can be a solid way to get your foot in the door. But if your goal is to make money and build equity, I’d lean toward buying a property you fully own—especially one where you can add value through improvements or “sweat equity.” That’s typically where you’ll see the strongest returns and have more control when it comes time to sell.

This is one of those situations where you really want to slow down and look at the details. First, yes—the city can require you to correct or even remove unpermitted work if it’s discovered, especially if it’s not up to code. That’s where the real risk comes in. Second, insurance can get tricky. If a fire or issue starts in an unpermitted area, there’s a chance your claim could be denied, especially if the work wasn’t done to code. From a buying standpoint, it comes down to risk tolerance. You may be getting the benefit of a larger home at a lower price, but you’re also taking on the possibility of future costs to legalize or remove that space. The biggest things to focus on are the quality of the work and whether it was done to code—even if it wasn’t permitted. I’d strongly recommend inspections from licensed professionals and talking to the city about what it would take to retroactively permit it.

The wording of an escalation clause is everything. If you’re going to use one, you want to make sure it requires the seller to provide a verifiable competing offer—something backed by actual documentation and proof of funds. That helps protect you from the clause just being used to push your price up unnecessarily. These clauses tend to work best in true multiple-offer situations where there’s strong competition. If there are only a few offers on the table, you’re often better off having your agent dig for as much insight as possible and come in with a strong, clean offer upfront. At the end of the day, an escalation clause can help you stay competitive—but only if it’s structured the right way.

Yes, it can work—if it’s done the right way. The goal of a “coming soon” period is to build interest so that when you start allowing showings, you get as many qualified eyes on the property as possible right away. That said, there are a couple things to watch out for. On some platforms, “coming soon” time can still show up as days on market, which may make the property look stale if it sits too long before showings begin. It’s also important that your agent is actively marketing during that time—not just waiting. There should be a real strategy behind it, and they should be clearly communicating the listing history to buyers once it goes live. If it’s executed well, it can build momentum. If not, you risk losing exposure instead of gaining it.

It really comes down to your goals with the purchase. In a market like San Diego, we’ve generally seen stronger appreciation on single-family homes compared to condos. There’s also more long-term upside with single-family properties since you own the land and may benefit from future development potential or zoning changes. That said, condos can be a great entry point. If your goal is to get into the market, start building equity, and keep your monthly payment more manageable, a condo can absolutely make sense. If you have the ability to stretch into a single-family home, it typically offers more flexibility and long-term upside. But if not, don’t let that stop you—getting into the market with a condo is still a strong move.

This is exactly where a good realtor adds value. I’ll typically pull comparable sales (recent homes that have sold nearby with similar size, condition, and features) to show where the property really sits in the current market. From there, you can start to see the strategy behind the price. If it’s listed below market value, it may be positioned to attract multiple offers and drive a bidding war. If it’s priced higher than the comps, there may be room to negotiate. We also look at things like days on market, price reductions, and overall demand in that area to understand how the home is performing. At the end of the day, the list price is just a starting point—the data and strategy behind it are what really tell you if it’s fair.

A good realtor absolutely adds value—it’s not just about opening doors or writing offers. A strong agent is advising you on how to structure your offer, timelines, and terms to make it as attractive as possible—not just the price. They also help you understand what a property is actually worth so you don’t overpay. There have been plenty of times where my clients have won deals even with a lower offer price, simply because the overall terms were stronger and better positioned for the seller. At the end of the day, it’s not always about paying more—it’s about playing the game smarter.