24/7 Emergency Line · Answered by Roger
Foreclosure, layoff, family emergency — Roger answers his own line. After hours your message is texted to him in under 60 seconds.
Business-hours calls forward directly to Roger. After-hours calls reach a compassionate voicemail that's transcribed and texted to Roger in under 60 seconds. Texts to the same number are answered by AI instantly — Roger gets a copy of every conversation.
For Bay Area homeowners hit by layoff or AI displacement
If you have lost your income and your home is the largest expense on your balance sheet, you have somewhere between 90 days and six months to make a decision that will shape the next decade of your family’s finances. Roger Grubb is a 18-year East Bay realtor (DRE #01845823, Security Pacific Real Estate) who specializes in fast, dignified sales for owners under income pressure — layoffs, AI job displacement, sudden severance. He runs the entire process himself: cleanup, contractors, staging, listing, negotiation. Average 11 days on market. One phone call: (510) 504-0402.
Who is writing this
Roger has closed over $340M in Bay Area transactions across 18 years and has personally walked dozens of families through layoff-driven sales. He understands the specific mechanics that matter when income has stopped: how long mortgage forbearance can buy you, when listing before NOD is critical, how to time the sale around severance runway, and how to keep credit intact through the process. He works with one client at a time and does not delegate the difficult parts.
The process
Roger answers his own phone. The first call walks through your timeline, mortgage balance, equity position, and any forbearance or deferment in place. You will leave the call with three options ranked by net-to-you outcome, not by what is easiest for the realtor.
Roger visits the home and assesses what is needed to bring it to the minimum condition to list well. Often the answer is "less than you think" — a layoff sale does not have to look like a layoff sale.
Painters, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, hauling. Roger has the East Bay vendor network on speed dial and supervises the work himself. You pay vendors at close from sale proceeds in many cases — no out-of-pocket if you are cash-constrained.
Pricing is anchored to actual recent comps and to the family’s timeline — not to a fantasy number. Roger’s 18-year buyer database and Security Pacific’s network typically generate competitive offers in days, not weeks.
Title, escrow, signing, key handover. Two weeks after close Roger checks in. The job is not just the sale; it is the family landing softly on the other side.
Cost
Standard California listing commission, fully negotiable based on transaction complexity. Roger does not charge extra for contractor coordination, cleanup logistics, or family-side handholding — work that most realtors treat as someone else’s problem. In a typical layoff sale, the family’s net at close is materially higher than going FSBO or signing with a discount brokerage that abandons the prep work.
When to call somebody else
The record
Pleasanton
Software engineer laid off at a major Bay Area tech employer in Q4 2025. 9-month severance. Two kids in school. House purchased in 2019.
Outcome: Listed 60 days after the layoff at the family’s preferred price band. Sold in 14 days at +4% over list. Family relocated to a less-expensive zip code with $180K in proceeds and intact credit.
+4% over list, 14 DOM
Berkeley
Dual-income household, one job lost to an AI-product reorg, the other intact but at-risk. Underwater by ~$30K on principal balance.
Outcome: Roger negotiated short-sale terms with the lender, kept the family in the home for the duration of the listing, closed in 47 days, deficiency waived.
Short sale, deficiency waived, 47 days
Hercules
Single homeowner, contract role ended, no severance. 110% LTV. Foreclosure notice was 18 months out per California timeline.
Outcome: Listed pre-NOD at a realistic price, sold in 22 days with full payoff and a small surplus. Credit score impact: zero.
Pre-NOD sale, credit unaffected, 22 DOM
Frequently asked
A well-prepped East Bay home in 2026 sells in roughly 11-21 days on average. A layoff-driven sale that is priced correctly and prepped tightly often closes in 30-45 days from first call to keys handed over. iBuyer "instant" cash offers can close in 14 days but typically cost the seller 8-12% of the home’s value — rarely the right move if you have 60+ days of runway.
Generally before, if your finances are about to deteriorate. Buyers do not see your employment status — they see a well-presented home. Listing while you still have a severance cushion gives you negotiating power and a clean exit. Listing during active foreclosure proceedings is harder and limits buyer pool.
A regular sale where the mortgage is paid off at close does not affect your credit. A short sale (where the lender accepts less than the loan balance) does have credit impact — usually 50-150 points and recoverable in 2-3 years. Foreclosure is worse: 200+ points and a 7-year mark. The earlier you list, the better the credit outcome.
Roger has closed multiple short sales in the East Bay. The bank negotiates the deficiency — sometimes waiving it entirely — if the seller documents hardship and shows good-faith effort. The process takes 45-90 days and Roger handles the lender package himself.
Yes. As long as a Notice of Default (NOD) has not been recorded, you have the full California sale window. If an NOD is recorded you typically still have 90 days before sale-by-sheriff. List immediately and Roger coordinates with your lender.
In California, sellers typically pay roughly 5-6% in combined commission plus 1-2% in closing costs (title, escrow, transfer tax). On a $900K home that is ~$54K commission + ~$13K closing = ~$67K. Roger does not charge extra for the prep coordination most layoff sales need.
Almost never. Cash buyers price 8-12% below market and add their own fees. On a $900K Bay Area home that costs the seller $72K-$108K — dramatically more than a 30-day traditional listing. The only time it makes sense is if you have a sub-2-week deadline and no equity buffer.
Same playbook with one difference: your equity in your Bay Area home is likely the largest financial reset lever you have, and you may be considering a geographic move to a lower cost-of-living region. Roger has handled this scenario repeatedly in the last 18 months. The conversation includes whether selling makes sense at all — sometimes refinancing or renting a room is better.
No. The seller’s employment is not part of the disclosure package and not visible to the buyer. The home stands on its own.
Call your mortgage servicer and ask about forbearance options — most major lenders offer 90-day pause programs. Then call Roger Grubb at (510) 504-0402 for a free 20-minute consultation. Do both within the first week. Do not wait for the severance runway to start running out.
(406) 205-9003
Roger answers his own line. After hours your message is texted to him in under 60 seconds.