What happens when you lose the house you want to an all-cash offer, twice?
You keep looking, because some offers you were never going to beat. My buyer lost a College Area house twice, the second time to an all-cash offer about $50,000 above ours. In December 2025 he closed on a recently renovated house in central Chula Vista with a bigger, flatter yard. I'm Jared Harman, his agent.
Published . Last updated . Figures are from my own records unless a source is linked.
What was he looking for?
He found me through one of my videos and called ready to go, already preapproved. He wanted a forever home with potential: a decent-sized house on a big yard.
How do you lose the same house twice?
We fell for a College Area house first. Really charming, a really big yard, a lot of space. It was exactly what he had described.
The sellers opened escrow with another buyer. That buyer fell out, and the sellers reached back out. Hey, we are available again, are you still interested?
Then an all-cash offer came in about $50,000 above ours, with quick timelines, and took it.
Could we have won it?
No. Once I knew it was all cash, about $50,000 over us, on quick timelines, I knew we didn't have a shot. Against a financed offer, that's an easy decision for any seller.
If someone wants a house badly enough to pay more than it's worth, more power to them. That's how it goes sometimes.
How did he keep going?
He just didn't want to give up, and there wasn't a reason to. When you lose to an offer that strong, there isn't much you could have done differently. He also wanted to buy before the end of the year.
Why Chula Vista?
We were after a big yard and a decent-sized house, and Chula Vista has a couple of pockets with massive lots.
The yard on the house we bought is obscenely big for something so central. This isn't out in Eastlake with the new construction. It's older Chula Vista, and most people have no idea the homes are this big there.
Why did the Chula Vista house turn out better?
The College Area yard was big, but a lot of it climbed a steep hillside. My read was that the slope would probably need reinforcing before long to keep it from sliding.
The Chula Vista slope is gentler, so it is not the same threat. The College Area house also sat at the bottom of its hill, and this one does not, so rain and flooding are not a worry.
And honestly, the condition was much, much better. The Chula Vista house was recently renovated. The College Area one still had a lot of older features.
Who is Jared Harman?
Jared Harman is a real estate agent and REALTOR® in San Diego, California, licensed under DRE 02193879 with MatchPoint at eXp Realty of California, Inc. He grew up in Chula Vista and is based in North Park. He represents both buyers and sellers, roughly half each, and personally toured more than 800 homes in 2025.