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Buying your first home can feel confusing, overwhelming—and let’s be real, a little intimidating. Keys & Cafecito is here to change that.
Hosted by Realtor® Anna Franklin, this podcast breaks down the homebuying journey into clear, honest, and easy-to-digest episodes—perfect to enjoy with your morning cafecito. Whether you’re just starting to save, wondering if now’s the right time, or getting ready to make offers, you’ll get real talk, practical tips, and a little encouragement along the way.
Because your future keys? They’re closer than you think.
On a Thursday night, my pastor called me and said, we're not in a rush. We're looking for a unicorn. And by Monday, we had found it. And then we had twenty one days to sell their home in a complex with seven other listings that had been sitting on the market, and we hadn't even gotten them preapproved yet. So in today's episode, I wanna walk you through this entire journey, what it actually takes to buy and sell at the same time, what can go wrong, and how strategy, timing, and a really strong team can make something that feels impossible actually work.
Anna:So it all started really with just a conversation. He called me one night saying that they had outgrown their current home. He and his wife have four kids. They needed more space, and they also wanted a separate area for grandpa. He was renting, and they wanted to all live in a multigenerational situation.
Anna:So while we were talking through their wish list, it was one of those things where you're like, okay. This might take a little bit of time because it sounded so specialized, and they even said it. He said, no rush. But sometimes, it's not about how long you search. It's about being ready when the right one shows up.
Anna:Because three days later, I found a home that checked every single box, location, layout, space, everything. And I called them, let them know, hey. I think I found your home. They drove by that evening, and they asked me for a tour. And just like that, everything started moving.
Anna:So here's the thing. We had not gotten them preapproved yet. It went from, like, a conversation to, oh, snap. This is the home for us. So we're not just writing an offer.
Anna:We are racing the clock to even be able to submit one because you have to include your preapproval with your offer. The home had already been sitting for almost two weeks, which sounds kinda like a shortish time, but in reality, it just means that the offer is gonna come in, like, any minute now for that home to go under escrow. And so we had to raise the clock to be able to get them under contract. So we're coordinating with the lender, gathering documents, getting everything together as fast as possible. And you know what?
Anna:This is why I always tell buyers, the time to prepare is before you fall in love with the home. Because once you do, everything speeds up. So we got them preapproved. We submitted a strong offer. It got accepted, and that's all amazing.
Anna:Right? But then the real pressure started because the offer was contingent on them selling their current home. The seller gave us twenty one days to get their home into escrow. If we didn't meet that deadline, they had the right to kick us out and find another buyer. So now we're on the clock.
Anna:And if we don't perform, they could lose the new home. So here's what made it even more interesting. There were seven other listings similar to their home in their condo complex that were for sale, and a lot of them had been sitting. I'm talking, like, a hundred plus days. So we didn't have the luxury to just put it on the market and see what happens.
Anna:We had to be the obvious choice from day one, which meant pricing strategically. We had to get photos done immediately so that we could hit the market because that time was ticking, those twenty one days. The positioning of the home had to be where when buyers saw it, it stood out instantly. Because in a sea of options, buyers are gonna choose the one that feels like the best value. So let me tell you, listing prep doesn't always go the way that you think it will.
Anna:There was a little hiccup in this whole thing. So I had scheduled photography, and my pastor had let me know that they had a cleaning service come in that morning and that everything should be ready for that afternoon. So I show up with the photographer, and it was very clear, very quickly that we were not ready. There was stuff everywhere. There was kids' stuff strewn throughout the house, painting supplies, laundry baskets, so much laundry all over the house.
Anna:The beds weren't made. The counters were not clear. It was absolutely not photo ready. So at that point, it's like, let's not panic. Let's just move and make it happen.
Anna:I'm literally speed cleaning, putting things in closets and cabinets and drawers in the garage, anywhere that I could find space, and the cleaner actually showed up while I was in the middle of this. She jumped in to help, and we tag teamed it, got it handled, and we're able to take the photos the same day. I share this because when you see those final photos, they and you see the listing, everything looks perfect. But sometimes there's a whole lot happening behind the scenes right before that moment to make it happen and to make it all come together. But we did it.
Anna:And by day two on the market, we had an offer. And not just any offer, it was an offer above their goal number. In a market where homes were sitting, that was huge. But, again, that doesn't happen by accident. That was strategy.
Anna:Something that I think is really important to highlight here is that my clients had purchased their condo in 2017. And throughout that ownership, they gained 260,000 plus in equity. That's life changing. It's also a good reminder of what long term real estate ownership can look like, especially in a place like San Diego. Once we're in escrow on both sides, that's when the real coordination happens.
Anna:So we got the offer accepted. We were able to find a buyer and got them into escrow, but now we had two escrows moving at the same time. And we had to make sure that the sale of my client's home closed on time because the proceeds for their home needed to move over to the sellers for the home that they were buying for them to be able to move out of their home. And I also had to make sure that my clients were not left homeless for a night or two or a week or however long. So that was all needing to be coordinated between two separate escrow companies, two title companies, the listing agent, and the buyer's agent on their sale.
Anna:Everything had to line up. On top of that, both homes had solar, which makes it even more complicated because there's contracts, there's assumptions, there's value considerations. At one point, the listing agent on the home that my clients were buying realized that the solar panels that they had were functional. She had originally thought that they were not. So she tried to raise the price while we were already in escrow.
Anna:And this is where experience really matters because I stepped in and I explained, you know what? The appraiser has already determined the value of the home in its current condition. And if we change the price now, there's no guarantee that the value would even increase. We risk triggering a whole new appraisal and delaying the whole transaction. But another piece here is that the agent on the other side was newer on the listing side.
Anna:So there were moments where part of my role was helping to guide the transaction to make sure that it stayed on track. And through all of this, one thing that I really try to stay grounded with is that I always show up for my clients even when things behind the scenes are a little bit crazy because they don't need to feel that pressure. They just need to know that things are getting handled. So as crazy as this one was, I absolutely tried to make sure that they didn't feel it. So we went from a unicorn wish list to getting preapproved under pressure to selling in a complex with plenty of competition, seven competing listings in fact, to closing on both properties within twenty one days.
Anna:This was one of those transactions that really shows what's possible when preparation, strategy, and timing all come together. And it's a reminder that the right home is important, but knowing how to move when that opportunity comes up is everything. So if you're thinking about buying or selling or trying to do both at the same time, I hope this gave you a little bit of insight into what it actually looks like behind the scenes. As always, thank you for hanging out with me on Keys and Cafecito.