From Grief to Closure: How We Helped Dave Sell His Son’s San Diego Condo from 3,000 Miles Away
The Situation
When Dave lost his son unexpectedly, the idea of selling his condo in San Diego felt almost unbearable. Living in Massachusetts some 3,000 miles away, he faced not only the emotional weight of grief but also the uncertainty of finding someone he could truly trust to oversee every detail of the sale.
The Challenge
- Emotional distance: Dave needed more than an agent; he needed a steady hand and a compassionate partner through a very personal, painful process.
- Geographic distance: Remote coordination meant arranging showings, repairs, and staging without ever setting foot in the condo.
- Market headwinds: By the time we met in September 2024, the property had been on the market for months and mortgage rates were climbing toward 7%, making December right in the middle of the holiday lull far from ideal for a quick sale.
- Unexpected hurdles: Just two days before the original closing date, the buyer’s mortgage was sold to a new lender resetting underwriting and threatening to derail the deal entirely.
Recommended by a family friend, The Selby Team’s John Selby introduced Dave to Steve Melanese. Arriving with detailed San Diego market comps and an honest assessment of timing and pricing, Steve immediately put Dave at ease.
By October 3rd, with Steve coordinating local vendors for minor repairs and professional stagers to highlight the unit’s best features, the condo was live on MLS just 20 days after our kickoff meeting.
As rates edged toward 7% and buyer traffic softened, Steve held multiple open houses and tapped his weekly network of fellow agents. Dave received consistent email, text, and phone updates so he never felt out of the loop, despite the miles between them.
In early December, we secured an offer that included a low-rate loan assumption exactly the kind of creative solution that brought Dave hope. Two days before closing, the buyer’s bank sold the loan, forcing us to start underwriting over with a new lender. For the next two months, Steve, the Selby Team, the escrow officer, and the buyer’s lender worked in lockstep shepherding paperwork, expediting appraisals, and even managing the condo (forwarding mail, overseeing maintenance) so that by May, the sale finally closed.
A successful sale despite shifting markets:
The condo moved from “For Sale” to “Sold” in six months and at terms that included a favorable loan assumption.
Peace of mind for a grieving father:
Dave never once felt alone in the process, knowing Steve was acting as both agent and steward of his son’s memory.
Dave’s Reflection
If you’re looking for an agent who can handle every challenge and he did Steve is the choice. He was professional, empathetic, tenacious in his strategy, and always there with a call, text, or email. More than anything, he became the friend we needed in San Diego. Thank you, Steve, and thank you to The Selby Team for earning our trust.
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