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.

Are condos bad investments?

Question: “I’ve heard that condos are bad investments. Is that true?” Answer: Not at all. I personally own three rental condos and they’ve been great investments. They’re especially good for beginning investors because they’re lower in price (on average) and require less management and maintenance since the HOA takes care of the exterior and grounds.
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Can an agent say they have multiple offers when they really don’t?

Question: “I think I know what you’re going to say, but is this okay to do? I sold a home and my agent told everyone we had multiple offers when we didn’t. And when we got an offer, he even wrote a multiple counter offer when we didn’t have another offer.” Answer: Your agent is
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Why wasn’t my offer accepted?

Question: “I wrote kind of a low offer, but the seller accepted another offer without even responding to mine. I would have come up but they never gave me the chance. Why wouldn’t they respond?” Answer: Imagine you’re the seller and you have two offers. One is low, but the other is at a good
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Are online lenders safe?

Question: “What do you think of getting a mortgage from an online lender?” Answer: Personally, I’m NOT a fan as most of my clients who used (or tried to use) online lenders had poor experiences. They tend to be based out of town and impersonal. And because they don’t have local representatives, there’s no personal
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How to choose a real estate agent

Question: “I’m planning to sell my home. What’s the best way to choose an agent?” Answer: Thanks for your question! My answer may sound self-serving, but you’ll agree it makes sense: The only way to choose an agent is based on their track record. Fancy presentations and “happy talk” are nice, but they’re just promises.
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Do you qualify for a mortgage?

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This Week’s Crazy Building: Sydney Opera House

Little did architect Jørn Utzon know when he created his initial drawings, that the Sydney Opera house would become a milestone in 20th century architecture. Utzon was 38 when he submitted his entry in the design competition. An unknown architect at the time, he was surprised when his sculptural design was selected from over 200
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This Week’s Crazy Building: San Jose City Hall

San Jose’s City Hall features a unique, contemporary glass rotunda that harkens back to historic public buildings. Designed by Richard Meier & Partners the entire project comprised an eighteen story office building, plaza, and underground parking. It was completed in 2005. The $384 million expense of construction will be offset over the next 50 years
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This Week’s Crazy Building: OCAD University

The Sharp Center for Design at OCAD University has been described as a “dalmatian that swallowed a billiard table.” This whimsical addition to the school’s historic building is a smart solution for expansion. OCAD University (formerly known as the Ontario College of Art and Design) is located in Toronto, Canada. The 2 story addition was completed
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Seattle Central Library

At first glance, the Seattle Central Library seems like an arbitrary exercise in geometry. On closer inspection, there is indeed a method to the seeming madness. New York Times architecture critic Herbert Muschamp said the following about it: “In more than 30 years of writing about architecture, this is the most exciting new building it
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