Rudy Flores, a Realtor®, holds the title Real Estate Strategist at Coldwell Banker West. He and the Patti & Jeff McKelvey Team work together. This site is his guide for anyone selling a home they own with a spouse while a divorce is underway or just finished.
He keeps the sale calm and businesslike. Updates go to both owners, the schedule bends around your situation and he respects both owners’ privacy. Your attorneys handle the legal side, and a CPA handles the tax questions.
From Lease Talks and Permit Files to Selling Your Home
Rudy came to home sales after about 12 years on the development side of telecom real estate. That work moved cell sites through leases, permits, zoning and right-of-way. It reached more than 100 jurisdictions, cities and counties alike. Two parts of that job show up when a shared home goes on the market: the paperwork and the negotiation.
Paperwork comes first. California’s Transfer Disclosure Statement asks sellers whether they know of additions or other work done without needed permits, and both spouses answer it as sellers. A permit that was opened and never finished can hold up a closing. Before listing, he can help you pull the city’s permit history and hold it up against the home. Then you and your advisors can decide whether to fix, disclose or price in what you find.
Then comes the negotiation. A lease deal has more parts than its price, and so does an offer on a home. Rudy looks at the terms, the buyer’s financing and the dates, and he puts each offer in front of both owners. He makes his own listing videos, filming and editing them himself, and one can be part of the marketing if you both want it.
What Selling With Rudy Looks Like
- A first talk. Pick a time for a 15-minute phone call, or answer the four quiz questions. Every quiz answer is read by Rudy, and he follows up himself.
- A value estimate built from comparable sales. It’s free, and it gives both owners one reference point to work from.
- A walk-through and a pre-listing check. Rudy can walk the home with both of you and pull the permit record. California has smoke-alarm and water-heater bracing rules for a sale. Homes with a gas or other fossil-fuel heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage also need carbon-monoxide alarms. Those go at the top of the list.
- A listing plan and a timeline. Prep is mostly in your hands, while agreements, court steps and escrow keep their own pace. Rudy schedules around your situation and adjusts as things change.
- Offers and closing. Both owners generally sign the contract. At closing, the title company pays off the loan and holds the proceeds as your agreement directs.
License and team
Rudy is a Realtor® with Coldwell Banker West and works with the Patti & Jeff McKelvey Team. You can confirm his California real estate license, CalDRE #02257808, with the California Department of Real Estate license lookup. The responsible broker is Coldwell Banker West, CalDRE #01481919.
Questions about working with Rudy
Can the sale stay private?
It can be handled discreetly, if that’s what you both want. Marketing can be low-key, and communication stays professional. Rudy can walk you through the choices, from a full listing to a quieter sale with limited showings.
How long will the sale take?
It depends on how ready the home is, the market and your legal timeline. Once Rudy sees the home and learns your schedule, he can give you a realistic estimate. No one can promise an exact date, so it helps to build in some extra time.
Will Rudy tell us whether to fix unpermitted work?
He’ll help you learn what’s there and how comparable homes were treated, using a personal market report. The work can be disclosed, priced in or legalized. The choice belongs to both owners and your advisors, and Rudy is not an attorney or a contractor.
Keep exploring
- Home Strategy Quiz — Four quick questions; Rudy reads every answer himself.
- Book a 15-minute call — Pick a time that works for you.
- Videos — Market notes, listings and neighborhood clips.
- Ask Rudy — Answers to real questions, and a form to ask your own.
- Our local sites — The team’s sites for each part of San Diego County.
Talk to a lender. Rates, loan programs and approvals come from lenders, not from websites or real estate agents. Talk to your own mortgage broker, or use our preferred lender, Point Mortgage Corporation (NMLS #231073), at (619) 475-4095. You are always free to choose any lender you like, and you can verify any lender’s license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.
Company names describe Rudy’s past professional experience only and do not imply affiliation with, or endorsement by, any of them. Rudy is a real estate agent, not a lender, attorney, tax professional or contractor.
