REDLANDS,CA  Carlos Samaniego has heard the same story dozens of times: An agent spends months working with a qualified buyer. Pre-approval looks solid. Offer gets accepted. Escrow opens. Then, ten days before closing, everything falls apart.

The culprit? Tax problems the agent never saw coming.

"It's heartbreaking," says Samaniego, a Redlands-based Enrolled Agent who has spent over two decades helping Inland Empire families resolve IRS debt. "You've got a buyer who can afford the house, an agent who's earned their commission, and a deal that should close. Then the lender pulls tax transcripts and finds liens, unfiled returns, or payment plan issues—and suddenly everyone thinks the deal is dead."

But most of these transactions don't have to die. Samaniego estimates that 80% of deals threatened by tax problems can be saved if agents know what to do in the first 48 hours.

 

That's why he's hosting a free workshop at the East Valley Association of Realtors in Redlands, aimed at teaching local real estate professionals how to rescue deals that would otherwise evaporate.

 

A Growing Problem in the Inland Empire

 

Tax-related complications in real estate transactions aren't new, but Samaniego says they're becoming more common, especially in the Inland Empire, where self-employed buyers and small business owners make up a significant portion of the housing market.

 

"Self-employed buyers are everywhere now," Samaniego explains from his Redlands office, where he's live and worked since 1979. "Gig workers, contractors, small business owners—they have real income and can absolutely afford to buy homes. But their tax situations are often messy."

 

The problem is that many self-employed buyers write off business expenses aggressively, skip estimated payments during lean months, or have unfiled returns from years when they were "too busy" to deal with paperwork.

 

These issues don't surface during pre-approval. They emerge later, usually two weeks before closing, when the lender pulls official IRS tax transcripts.

 

"By that point, most agents panic," Samaniego says. "They think, 'We're closing in ten days and my buyer has $50,000 in tax liens. There's no way we can fix this in time.' So they tell the buyer the deal is dead, and everyone walks away."

 

Except many of these problems can be resolved quickly if you know the right steps to take.

 

From Personal Crisis to Professional Mission

 

Samaniego's expertise in tax resolution didn't come from a textbook. It came from lived experience.

 

During the 2008 recession, he found himself facing his own IRS nightmare: eight years of unfiled tax returns and mounting financial pressure.

 

"I understood what it felt like to be on the wrong side of the IRS," he recalls. "That fear, that shame, that sense of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn."

 

But Samaniego's background as a U.S. Army psychiatric technician and EMT gave him a framework for approaching the crisis systematically.

 

He treated his tax problems like a medical emergency: investigate the symptoms, gather evidence, stabilize the situation, execute a rescue plan.

 

"That experience changed the trajectory of my life," he says. "I resolved my own issues, became an Enrolled Agent, and decided to dedicate my practice to helping other people who were in the same situation."

 

Over the past 20 years, Samaniego has resolved more than $20+ million in tax debt for clients nationwide. But his focus has always remained on the Inland Empire.

 

Real Estate Deals as Collateral Damage

 

About five years ago, Samaniego noticed a pattern: Real estate agents were calling him in a panic, desperate to save transactions falling apart because of buyer tax issues.

 

"These agents would call me on a Friday afternoon and say, 'We're supposed to close Monday and the lender just found out my buyer has tax liens. Can you help?'" Samaniego recalls. "Sometimes I could. Sometimes I couldn't, there just wasn't enough time."

 

In the past 24 months alone, he's worked on more on many real estate transactions threatened by tax problems.

 

"What struck me was how often the agent had no idea there was a problem until it was almost too late," he says. "And even when they found out early, they didn't know what questions to ask, what documentation to request, or who to call for help."

 

That knowledge gap was costing Inland Empire agents real money, sometimes $20,000, $30,000, even $50,000 in lost commissions from deals that could have been saved.

 

The Workshop: Education, Not Sales

 

Samaniego's workshop, "How to Save Dying Real Estate Deals and Turn Tax Problems Into $5K-$25K Commissions," will take place at the East Valley Association of Realtors facility in Redlands.

 

He's keeping it small—just 35 seats—because he wants the format to be interactive rather than a traditional lecture.

 

"I'm not interested in standing at a podium and talking at people for two hours," Samaniego says. "I want this to be real education. Agents will learn specific strategies, get word-for-word scripts they can use, and have time to ask questions about deals they're actually working on."

 

The workshop will cover:

• How to identify tax red flags during initial buyer consultations
• The three most common tax problems that kill deals—and exactly what to do when each one surfaces
• How to interpret IRS tax transcripts and documentation
• What lenders need to see to approve buyers with tax issues
• When agents can handle problems themselves versus when to bring in a tax professional
• Case studies from transactions Samaniego has rescued
  
  

And he's adamant that this isn't a sales pitch disguised as education.

"I'm not there to sell my services," he insists.

"If an agent attends this workshop and never calls me for help, that's fine. My goal is to give them the knowledge and tools they need to handle these situations themselves."

The workshop is free, includes lunch, and is open to real estate agents, mortgage professionals, and anyone involved in residential real estate transactions.

A Philosophy Rooted in Service

Samaniego comes from what he calls "a proud four-generation military family." His son Andrew graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a Surface Warfare Officer before joining the family tax practice as an Enrolled Agent. His daughter Bella is currently a cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"Service has always been part of our family's DNA," Samaniego says. "My son served. My daughter is serving. I served in the Army.

That mentality of putting others first and solving problems—that's how we were raised."

That service mentality extends to how he views his role in the Redlands community, where he's lived since 1979.

"Redlands isn't just where I work, it's my home," he says. "When local professionals succeed, when families get to buy homes here, when our economy is strong, we all benefit.

This workshop is one small way I can give back to a community that's given me so much."

The Broader Economic Impact

While the workshop is aimed at helping individual agents protect their commissions, Samaniego sees a broader economic benefit.

"Every real estate transaction that closes has a ripple effect," he explains. "It's not just the agent's commission, it's the title company, the inspector, the appraiser, the contractors who'll do repairs, the furniture stores where the new homeowner will shop. When deals fall apart unnecessarily, everybody loses."

And beyond the economic impact, there's the human element: families who want to own homes but get shut out because of tax problems that could have been resolved.

"These aren't bad people trying to cheat the system," Samaniego emphasizes. "They're hardworking families who maybe made mistakes with their taxes, or got behind during a tough year, or just didn't understand their filing obligations.

They deserve a chance to fix those problems and achieve homeownership."

What People Will Walk Away With

"I want people to walk out of that room with tools they can use Monday morning," Samaniego says. "Not inspiration, not motivation—actual, practical strategies they can implement immediately. That's what matters."

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EVENT DETAILS

What: Deal Rescue Workshop – How to Save Dying Real Estate Deals and Turn Tax Problems Into Commissions

When: Tueday, Febuary 24, 2025, 11-1pm

Where: East Valley Association of Realtors, [Address], Redlands, CA 92373

Cost: Free (lunch included)

Registration: SaveYourCommission.com or call (909) 570-1103

Capacity: Limited to 35 attendees (real estate agents, mortgage professionals, and related professionals)

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ABOUT CARLOS SAMANIEGO

Carlos Samaniego is an Enrolled Agent licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department to represent taxpayers before the IRS. He holds advanced certifications including NTPI Fellow, CTRC (Certified Tax Resolution Consultant), and MSCTA (Main Street Certified Tax Advisor).

A Redlands resident since 1979, Samaniego is the author of "How to Make the IRS an Offer They Can't Refuse" and "Shutdown: How to Survive When CaliClaw Brutally Attacks." His tax resolution expertise has been featured on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS.

Before entering the tax resolution field, Samaniego served as a psychiatric technician and EMT in the U.S. Army for over 11 years.

He founded Tax Debt Consultants LLC and has resolved over $50 million in tax debt for clients nationwide, with a focus on serving Inland Empire families and businesses.

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THE 3 TAX PROBLEMS THAT KILL MOST REAL ESTATE DEALS

According to Carlos Samaniego, these are the most common tax-related issues that threaten real estate transactions:

1. IRS Tax Liens What it is: A legal claim the IRS places on property when someone owes back taxes. Why it's a problem: Lenders often won't approve loans when liens exist because the IRS has first claim on assets. Can it be saved? Often yes—through lien subordination or withdrawal if handled quickly.

2. Unfiled Tax Returns What it is: Years where the buyer didn't file required tax returns. Why it's a problem: Most lenders require 2-3 years of filed returns to verify income. Can it be saved? Usually yes, returns can be filed quickly if you have the right documentation.

3. IRS Payment Plans That Don't Qualify What it is: The buyer has a payment plan with the IRS, but it doesn't meet lender requirements.

Why it's a problem: Lenders have specific guidelines for what payment plans they'll accept.

Can it be saved? Sometimes—depending on the type of plan and the lender's guidelines.

"The key," Samaniego says, "is identifying these problems early and knowing exactly what steps to take. That's what the workshop teaches."