Almost every seller compares the wrong number. The question is not which option shows the biggest sale price — it's which one puts the most money in your account on closing day, after everything is deducted, and whether the difference is worth the time it costs you.
Here is how the three realistic paths actually compare for a San Diego house.
| As-is cash offer | iBuyer | Often nets mostList for a flat 1% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical offer | ~70–85% of after-repair value, less repairs | Closer to market, less a ~5% service fee | Full market value |
| Commission | ✓ None | ~5% service fee | 1% listing side (vs. 2.5–3% typical) |
| Repairs & prep | ✓ None | Deducted after their inspection | Usually needed to compete |
| Showings | ✓ None | None | Yes, plus open houses |
| Time to close | 7–21 days | 2–6 weeks | 45–75 days typical |
| Certainty | ✓ No financing contingency | Can retrade after inspection | Buyer's loan can fall through |
| Holding costs while selling | ✓ Minimal | Low | 2–3 months of mortgage, taxes, insurance |
| Works for distressed property | ✓ Yes | ✗ Usually declined | Limits your buyer pool |
| Works with tenants in place | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | Difficult |
Take a San Diego house that would sell for $850,000 fully repaired and staged, and needs $45,000 of work.
$850,000 sale price, less ~$45,000 repairs and prep, less ~$25,500 at a 3% listing fee, less ~$13,000 seller closing costs, less ~$20,000 in three months of carrying costs.
Identical, except the listing side costs 1% instead of 3% — about $17,000 that stays with you.
A cash offer on that same house lands somewhere around $600,000–$650,000 with nothing deducted, closing in a week or two. That's meaningfully less money — and for a seller facing an auction date, a probate deadline, a divorce, or a property they simply cannot prepare, it is frequently still the right call. The point is to see both numbers before choosing, rather than assuming.
Tell us the address and we'll come back with the cash offers and an honest listing estimate — including what a flat 1% listing would net after everything. No obligation either way, and we'd rather tell you to list than take a sale that costs you $100,000.
More detail on the numbers: How much do cash home buyers really pay in San Diego? and Cash offer vs. Opendoor vs. agent.
Typically somewhere between 70% and 85% of after-repair value, minus the estimated cost of repairs. The wide range is real: a house needing $10,000 of cosmetic work sits at the top of it, one needing a new roof, foundation work, and a full interior sits at the bottom. Any buyer quoting a fixed percentage before seeing the property is guessing.
Different, not automatically better. iBuyers generally pay closer to market but charge a service fee of roughly 5% and then deduct repairs after inspection, and they only make offers on newer, standard, undamaged houses in specific ZIP codes. If your house has unpermitted work, tenants, or heavy deferred maintenance, they typically won't bid at all.
Historically 5–6% total, split between the listing and buyer sides. Since the 2024 NAR settlement changed how buyer-agent compensation is negotiated, the split varies more than it used to. Add roughly 1–2% in seller closing costs, plus repairs, pre-sale prep, and the mortgage payments you make while it's on the market.
Seven days is realistic for a cash purchase with a clean title — the constraint is usually the title search, not the money. Anything with a lien, an open probate, or a missing signature takes longer regardless of who's buying.
Tell us the address and a little about the situation. Competitive, no-obligation offers within 24 hours — or an honest answer about whether listing would net you more.
Get my free cash offer →Tell us the address and a little about the property. You'll get competitive, no-obligation cash offers within 24 hours. Prefer to aim for top dollar? Ask about listing for a flat 1%.
Prefer email? Write to us at sandiegocashforhouses@gmail.com