Steven Rotsart: Coldwell Banker Realty

Steven Rotsart: Coldwell Banker Realty East County & Greater San Diego County real estate expert helping buyers & sellers make informed decisions. You need Steven Rotsart: Coldwell Banker Realty.

Specializing in move-up buyers, downsizing sellers, and senior transitions with data-driven market insights. Whether you're looking to sell your house or buy the home of your dreams, you need an experienced real estate partner on your side. Steven and his team are skilled at helping customers throughout their real estate transactions and know all about the Southern California market. As a trusted

real estate agent in La Mesa, CA, we're here to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible. There's no place like home, and we can't wait to help you find yours. Contact Steven Rotsart at Coldwell Banker Realty today.

I get asked this constantly, so here is the short answer. Yes, you can sell a house that is still held in a trust.The pa...
08/28/2026

I get asked this constantly, so here is the short answer. Yes, you can sell a house that is still held in a trust.

The paperwork is rarely the problem. What holds these up is whether the successor trustee has been formally appointed, and whether title reads the way the trust says it does. Both of those are solvable in the first week if somebody looks at them in the first week.

The real bottleneck is the house. It is full. Somebody has to account for the personal property. Beneficiaries are often spread across a few states. And most trustees believe they have to get through all of that before they can even list.

You do not. I bring in the specialists who handle the property and everything inside it, including personal belongings, and I stay on the file the whole way.

If you are a trustee and the house is still full, call me at (619) 461-5800 before you do anything with the contents.

Explains process only. Not legal or tax advice. Talk to your own attorney or CPA.

Two escrows on the same property, handled differently.The first one pulled the insurance quote on day 1. The premium was...
08/27/2026

Two escrows on the same property, handled differently.

The first one pulled the insurance quote on day 1. The premium was known before the offer was written, so it went into the numbers and the price reflected it. It closed on time and nobody was surprised.

The second one pulled the quote on day 15. The premium came back at a multiple of what everyone assumed, two weeks out from closing, with the appraisal already paid for. That deal nearly died over something that could have been answered in the first 48 hours.

The house did not change. The timing did.

If you are looking anywhere near brush in East County, send me the address before you write the offer.

Composite of files handled in East County. Process only, not insurance advice.

Two numbers per city. Median sale price and days on market. Nothing else.La Mesa: $886,000, 21 days. Santee: $783,000, 2...
08/27/2026

Two numbers per city. Median sale price and days on market. Nothing else.

La Mesa: $886,000, 21 days. Santee: $783,000, 22 days. El Cajon: $712,000, 30 days.

The price spread gets all the attention, and it matters. $174,000 between El Cajon and La Mesa is the move up gap most people here are looking at.

But the pace is what decides how you do it. La Mesa and Santee clear in about three weeks. El Cajon takes about a month. If your plan is to sell one and buy the other, those nine days are the difference between a clean handoff and carrying two payments.

I have been sequencing these for 28 years in the same market. Call or text me at (619) 461-5800 and I will walk you through the order.

Redfin median sale price, three months ending May 2026. Not an appraisal or a guarantee of value.

Yes, you can insure a home in Alpine or Jamul. The order you do it in decides what you pay.Here is what actually changed...
08/24/2026

Yes, you can insure a home in Alpine or Jamul. The order you do it in decides what you pay.

Here is what actually changed. San Diego County homes on the California FAIR Plan went from 5,385 in 2018 to 16,679 in 2022. Rates are not the story. Availability is.

Do it in this order.

The admitted market first. Use an independent agent who shops several carriers, not one captive quote.
Surplus lines second. Carriers outside the standard market still write homes near brush that everyone else declines.
FAIR Plan plus DIC last. Two policies, assembled so nothing falls between them.

Skipping to step 3 is what costs the most, and it is what most people do because nobody told them steps 1 and 2 existed.

One thing to know about the FAIR Plan. It is fire only. It covers fire, lightning, smoke, and internal explosion. It does not cover liability, theft, water damage, or loss of use. A Difference in Conditions policy is what puts that second column back. Without it, a claim finds the gap for you.

Send me the address before you write the offer and I will tell you what it is likely to be insurable for.

Process only, not insurance advice. Talk to a licensed insurance agent about your property.

La Mesa $886,000. Santee $783,000. El Cajon $712,000. Three cities, 15 minutes apart.That is a $174,000 spread between t...
08/23/2026

La Mesa $886,000. Santee $783,000. El Cajon $712,000. Three cities, 15 minutes apart.

That is a $174,000 spread between the top and the bottom, and it is the entire move up conversation in East County. Sell in El Cajon, buy in La Mesa, and $174,000 is the gap you are covering before costs.

Now look at the second number, because it is the one people ignore.

La Mesa: 21 days. Santee: 22 days. El Cajon: 30 days.

La Mesa and Santee are clearing in about three weeks. El Cajon takes about a month. If you are selling one and buying the other, that difference is not trivia. It is the whole risk. Sell first and you may be sitting on a closed escrow with nowhere to go. Buy first and you may be carrying two payments through a 30 day listing.

There is a way to sequence it. That is a phone call, not a caption.

DM me.

Redfin median sale price, three months ending May 2026. Not an appraisal or a guarantee of value.

08/19/2026

New video is up on YouTube.

I’m breaking down why buyers regret buying a home and the key things to consider before making an offer.

Watch the full video on YouTube.

Address

9332 Fuerte Drive
La Mesa, CA
91941

Telephone

+16194615800

Website

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