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.

How does the Mills Act work?

Question: I recently heard of something called the Mills Act, can you tell me more about it and how it works? Answer: Certainly. What is the Mills Act?The Mills Act is property tax reduction for designated historic properties. It will limit changes that can be made to the property. How does a property qualify for
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Temple of Valadier

Sitting in the midst of a cave, the Temple of Valadier seems bizarrely out of place. Located nearby Ancona, Italy, a small port city. The Temple was built in 1828 by architect Giuseppe Valadier and uses white travertine. This spot is believed to have been used as a sanctuary from invaders as early as the
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Is there a downside to value range pricing?

Question: “If I sell my home, is there any downside to value range pricing?” Answer: Only one that I know of… Because value range pricing is rarely seen outside of San Diego, none of the national websites support it. They only have a field for one price, not a range. Their work-around is to use
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Can property managers effectively sell properties?

Question: “We’re going to sell our rental property and have our property manager list it…” Answer: Hold on a sec! You don’t want a regular real estate “sales” agent trying to manage your property. And you don’t want a property manager trying to sell your property. Even though both jobs require real estate licenses, they’re
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How much do I pay the agent who is showing us homes?

Question: We are starting to look for a home but are not sure about using an agent. How much would we have to pay them? Answer: Great question! The answer most of the time is… Zero! Of course, real estate agents don’t work for free. In practice, the seller almost always pays both agents. There
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Can I bring my dog when I go to see a home?

Question: “Is it okay to bring my dog inside when I see a home?” Answer: Great question. First of all, I love, love, LOVE dogs. But even though you and I and most normal people love dogs, you should never bring your dog into a home you’re viewing without permission. The owner may be allergic,
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How long does the 1031 exchange process take?

Question: “I’m thinking about doing a 1031 exchange, how long does the whole process take?” Answer: It’s MUCH faster than you might think. In fact, it only takes a couple of days to set up. So it shouldn’t delay your transaction. That being said, never wait until the last minute to set up your exchange.
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Do real estate networks sell homes?

Question: “Are you a member of a big network? We went to a seminar at a retirement community and an agent spoke and said a reason to use them is that they’re with a big firm that has a network that will sell our house.” Answer: Yes, I’m a member of several large networks, including
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Chongqing Guotai Arts Center

China’s Chongqing Guotai Arts Center draws inspiration from various sources such as the white fig tree and traditional Chinese architecture. Construction took 8 years but its history began in 1937 when the Chongqing Theater was founded. The Arts Center is important to locals due to its history and the performances that took place at the
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Oodi

The undulating shape of Oodi evokes the feeling of a passing cloud. While that image may conjure the feeling of a daydream, this new public library is the opposite, being practical and well thought out. Designed by ALA Architects it sits across the street from the parliament building in Helsinki, Finnland. Oodi means “ode” in
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