The $150,000 Mistake a West LA Seller Almost Made
By Derrick Ruiz
eXp Realty | 40 Years | 500+ Transactions
Not long ago, I got a call from a West LA homeowner trying to sell his house on his own.
He had reached out to some wholesale investors — you know the pitch:
But there was a catch.
They were using wholesale contracts he didn't fully understand. So he called me and said,
"Derrick, can you look at these and tell me what they mean?"
I didn't even know he was selling.
I reviewed the contracts. The price was low — very low — but the real issue wasn't just the number.
The strategy was.
They wanted to tie up his property under contract, put it in the MLS, market it themselves, find a retail buyer… and pocket the spread.
That spread? About $150,000.
They weren't the buyer.
They were middlemen.
I told him, "You'd be crazy to sell your house this way. Let me see the property."
I went down there expecting a fixer.
Instead? It was stunning.
This wasn't a wholesale property. It was retail-ready.
The next morning, I woke up at 6 AM thinking about that house. I ran the comps using my AI-powered valuation tools and market data.
The number was clear:
This home should sell between $1.3M and $1.4M.
Selling to the wholesaler would have cost him roughly $150,000.
Instead, we listed it properly:
Within a week:
We had an offer well above what he was prepared to accept from the wholesalers.
That's the difference strategy makes.
I've been selling real estate on the Westside of Los Angeles for nearly 40 years — Santa Monica, Venice, Westchester, Culver City, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, Palms, Westwood, Brentwood.
Over 500 transactions closed.
Here's what I've learned:
Selling on the Westside isn't about just putting a home in the MLS.
It's about precision.
One of the biggest mistakes sellers make?
"We can always list high and come down."
On the Westside, that backfires.
Buyers are sophisticated.
They have access to data.
They use AI.
An overpriced listing goes stale.
And once it's stale, you lose leverage.
I use AI-powered tools combined with decades of local experience to pinpoint the optimal price — factoring in:
The right price creates urgency.
Urgency creates competition.
Competition drives the price up.
Buyers shop with their eyes first.
They scroll photos before reading a single word.
Staged homes on the Westside often sell for 8–12% more than vacant properties.
Whether it's a Mar Vista bungalow or a Brentwood estate, presentation matters.
That can mean:
Small investments. Big returns.
This is where many agents fall short.
I combine:
Your home isn't blasted to everyone.
It's strategically shown to the right buyers:
Right buyer. Right time. Right platform.
On the Westside, multiple offers are common — but not all offers are equal.
A cash offer with weak terms can be worse than a financed offer with strong structure.
The highest price doesn't always mean the best deal.
With over 500 transactions, I know how to:
This is where real money is won or lost.
Trying to go it alone.
Or hiring someone who doesn't understand the nuances of the Westside market.
That's when six figures get left on the table.
As my client almost learned the hard way — it could have been $150,000.
That's why I created the AI-Powered Westside LA Home Sellers Guide.
Inside, you'll learn: