Licensed since 1984, San Diego real estate broker Gary Kent is a recognized authority on real estate. In addition to selling over 5,500 homes for clients, he has been an expert court witness, trainer of other agents, and he does seminars on home buying, home selling, and investing. Gary has sold homes for The Salvation Army, dozens of major banks, and Fannie Mae, amongst others. You can find Gary on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Notice for Tenants When Selling

“I’ve heard if I sell my rental house I have to give the tenant 60-day notice. Is that right?” Answer: Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(a) and (b) says that landlords must provide 60 days written notice to terminate a tenancy if all tenants and residents have been in the property for at least one year.
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Isn’t 6% a Lot for an Agent to Make?

“Don’t you feel 6% is a lot of money for an agent to make when they sell a home?” Answer: Not much. I understand how you feel. And the truth is, I agree that many agents don’t deserve what they charge. But consider the following: 1. If your home doesn’t sell, your agent doesn’t make
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Why Price Per Square Foot Isn’t Accurate

“My husband and I have been talking to an agent about buying another house. She told me a quick way to figure value is ‘price per square foot’. I’ve never heard of this. How accurate is it?” Answer: Here’s how ‘price per square foot’ works: Take the sales price of a home – say, $500,000.
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Down Payment for Mortgage Approval

“Good morning Gary! I am a Canadian that has always had a life long dream of moving to San Diego. Thinking I might take the plunge to try and avoid this upcoming Canadian winter. What percentage of a down payment do you need in California for a guaranteed mortgage approval? I won’t have any credit
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Can Zillow Find Your San Diego Home’s Value?

“What do you think of Zillow.com for determining home value?” Answer: Not much. I’ve seen the value off by as much as 40%, with an average inaccuracy of 10%+, in my opinion. I may eat these words later, but I don’t think automated software will ever replace seeing a home and objectively weighing all the
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Managing a San Diego Property Yourself

“We have our rental house managed and the contract is up soon. The manager takes an 8% fee, so we’re thinking about managing the property ourselves. What would you do?” Answer: We’re different people. I’m not a good property manager, so I’d prefer to hire a professional to take care of it. In the long
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Number of Offers Per Home Showing

“Our home is for sale. We’ve had 30 showings in 5 weeks and just one offer at the bottom of our range, which we refused. What do you make of that?” Answer: The National Association of Realtors reports that a home priced correctly should receive one offer for every 10 showings, on average. Based on
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Two Kinds of Cracked Slabs

“I just looked at a house with a cracked slab. My friend tells me not to buy it, but it’s a beautiful home and priced right. What do you think?” Answer: There are two kinds of cracked slabs. First, there are those that are a problem and damage a home. Minor fixes can run in
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Should Trustee Sales Be Used As Comps for Appraisals?

“Hi Gary. I’m refinancing and the bank’s appraiser used a trustee sale as a comp. Is that normal?” Answer: Absolutely not. I’m no appraiser and don’t know official appraisal rules and guidelines. But in my opinion, that appraiser should lose his license! Why? Market value is defined as the price a willing buyer and willing
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Tax Breaks on Inherited San Diego Homes

“Hi Gary. I inherited a property from my father in March 2008. I’d like to sell now. But to get the tax break, I can’t sell until next March so that I’ll have lived here two years…” Answer: Let me stop you right there… You’re referring to the homeseller exclusion. If you’ve owned and lived
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