27435 Cougar Pass Road, Escondido, CA: Selling Through a Burglary and a Short Sale

27435 Cougar Pass Road, Escondido, CA sold for $811,000 (MLS #NDP2405089) as a short sale, after the vacant property was burglarized and the owner was overseas with time running out. Stendall Realty Group steadied the situation and found an as-is buyer, and broker Ray Stendall carried it to a close that let the seller move on.

Few sales test an agent like this one. Justin was out of the country, the home was overpriced with a broker who was not going the extra mile, and while it sat vacant, thieves targeted the property and caused damage. The timeline tightened into a short sale.

When everything goes wrong at once

An overseas owner, a burglary, damage to the home, and a short-sale clock is about as hard as a sale gets. Each problem alone slows a deal. Together they stop most of them. The property needed someone to take control of the situation. An open house was never going to be enough.

If your sale has spun into a worst-case scenario, it can still close with the right person steering it. Ray Stendall took the wheel.

How the sale held together

Stendall Realty Group reduced the price, rebuilt the marketing around the views and location, and used Ray’s own gardener to clean up the substantial acreage and trim the overgrowth. After the burglary, Ray worked with the police, helped secure the property with chains and gates, and visited regularly to keep it safe.

See how the property was presented: 27435 Cougar Pass Road, Escondido.

Here is the video:

Ray found an as-is buyer willing to invest in the home, and the short sale closed. Despite everything stacked against it, Justin was able to move forward.

Frequently asked questions: selling under hard circumstances

Can I sell a home that was damaged or burglarized?

Yes. You secure the property, price for the condition, and target buyers who will take it on as-is. Stendall Realty Group did exactly that on 27435 Cougar Pass Road and still closed the sale.

What is a short sale and how does it work?

A short sale is when a home sells for less than what is owed, with lender approval. It takes patience and an agent who manages the lender and the buyer together. Ray Stendall guided this short sale through to a successful close.

How do you sell a property while you are overseas?

With an agent who manages the home and the deal in your absence, from security to cleanup to negotiations. Ray handled the on-the-ground work on this Escondido property so the overseas owner could still sell.

Is it worth listing a home that feels like a lost cause?

Often yes. Even a property hit with multiple problems can close with the right strategy and persistence. This home faced a burglary and a short sale and still sold, because the brokerage refused to give up on it.

How do you protect a vacant property during a sale?

You secure it physically and check on it often. After the burglary here, Ray Stendall added chains and gates, coordinated with police, and made regular visits. Keeping the home safe kept the sale alive.

Facing a sale that feels impossible?

If your situation has gone sideways with damage, distance, or a short sale, that is squarely the kind of case Ray Stendall takes on across Escondido and North County San Diego. Call and let’s find a path through it.

Ray Stendall | Broker | eXp Realty | Luxury Division | DRE #02038682 | 858-877-0484