Doug Van Soest
Co-founder of SoCal Home Buyers. Former California Certified Residential Appraiser (CA AR032374, 2003–2010). Buying houses directly from homeowners across Southern California since 2008.
Buying Houses Directly from Homeowners Since 2008
Before he ever made an offer on a house, Doug spent seven years as a certified residential appraiser, starting in 2003. That background isn’t just a credential line on a page. It shapes how he looks at every property he walks through. Most investors run a formula. Doug runs comps the way he was trained, adjusting for condition, location, school district boundaries, things that can move a number by $50,000 or more in either direction.
He and his wife Andrea co-founded SoCal Home Buyers in 2008. They’ve done over 400 transactions since then, covering Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. About 90% of those deals were direct with sellers, off-market, no agents in the middle.
Most of the people Doug works with aren’t selling because things are going great. Inherited properties where the family isn’t sure what to do next. Homeowners behind on payments who are running out of time. Landlords who are done dealing with tenants and just want out. Divorce situations where both parties need a clean close. For those situations, how the process works matters as much as the number, and that’s sort of the thing they’ve been getting right since 2008.
Before any of this, Doug and Andrea started a kettle corn concessions business in Colorado Springs. Mountain High Concessions became the first kettle popcorn vendor for the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. They sold it in late 2002 and came back to Southern California, where real estate was the next chapter. That’s sort of the thread through all of it, finding something that works and building it.
Why the Appraiser Background Matters
Appraisers don’t estimate values, they defend them. Every number Doug put on paper for seven years had to hold up under review. That means he learned early how to read a comp correctly, when to adjust for condition versus location versus timing, and when a number that looks right on the surface is actually off. When he evaluates a property now, the offer isn’t anchored to the worst comp in the zip code.
California Certified Residential Appraiser | License CA AR032374 | Signature Appraisal Services | 2003–2010
The Situations He Works With
After 400+ transactions, you see a lot of the same situations come up. Some of the most common:
Inherited Properties
Whether it’s a house in probate, a trust property, or an estate that just needs to be settled, Doug has been through it. He can buy before or after probate closes.
Selling an inherited house →Pre-Foreclosure
When a homeowner is behind on payments and the clock is running, options narrow fast. Doug’s team knows the California foreclosure timeline and can move quickly when timing is the issue.
Stopping foreclosure →Properties That Need Work
SoCal Home Buyers buys as-is. No repairs required before closing. Doug’s valuation background means he can assess condition accurately without padding repair estimates.
Selling a house that needs repairs →Divorce Situations
When both parties need a clean exit, a cash sale can close the loop faster than a traditional listing. Doug has handled plenty of these.
Selling during or after divorce →Tenant-Occupied Properties
Landlords who are done dealing with problem tenants or just want out of management can sell without requiring the tenants to leave first.
Selling with tenants in place →Liens and Title Issues
IRS liens, contractor liens, judgment liens. Doug’s team has navigated most of them. Title issues don’t automatically kill a deal.
Selling with a lien →Spouses Flipping Houses
Doug & Andrea Van Soest
Doug and Andrea co-host the Spouses Flipping Houses podcast, where they cover real estate investing the way they actually do it, not the highlight reel version. Episodes go into finding deals, estimating repairs, managing contractors, and running a business with your spouse. It’s been a resource for other investors who want a ground-level look at how a small, family-run operation actually works.
Find the PodcastFeatured On
Doug has been quoted and featured in national publications and real estate industry outlets.
Talk to Doug’s Team
If you’re thinking about selling a property in Southern California, we can give you a cash offer with no obligation. The call takes about 10 minutes and there’s no pressure to move forward.
