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.

This Week’s Crazy Building: Park Güell

No, this isn’t a gingerbread house, the Park Güell is a popular tourist destination in Barcelona, Spain. It was built in 1914 when Barcelona was in an exciting period of reconstruction. A new plan, “the Eixample,” had been conceived for the city and was the largest reconstruction project in Europe at the time. In Spain,
Read more
No Comments

This Week’s Crazy Building: Baku Flame Towers

The Flame Towers in Baku, Azerbaijan make an interesting addition to the city’s skyline. Designed by HOK Architects, they took inspiration from Baku’s moniker the “region of eternal fires.” The towers are around 459 feet high and can be seen from many places in the surrounding areas. They are covered with LED screens and light
Read more
No Comments

Is price per square foot a good indicator of a home’s value?

Question: “I know you’ve said before not to use price per square foot to figure out home values, but an agent I know uses it all the time…” Answer: If price per square foot actually works, then I’ve got some exciting news. You and I are about to get rich! How? We’re going to build
Read more
No Comments

Should I hire a lawyer when I’m buying a home in San Diego?

Question: “At what stage do I hire a lawyer when I’m buying a home?” Answer: “You ain’t from around these parts, are ya?” (If you haven’t seen an old western movie, that’s a typical line the locals tell a stranger who bellies his way up to the bar in a dusty old saloon in some
Read more
No Comments

What are the responsibilities of cosigning a loan?

Question: “Any downside to cosigning on a loan?” Answer: Before you co-sign on a mortgage, you should understand what it means. I suspect some people think it’s more like a reference on steroids than an actual commitment. But it’s a commitment. If you co-sign, you and the other party are both 100% responsible for payment.
Read more
No Comments

This Week’s Crazy Building: Denver Art Museum

The wild new addition to the Denver Art Museum is reminiscent of a futuristic kitchen tool. Called the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, it was designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The building was inspired by the forms of the Rocky Mountains. He wanted visitors to experience the unique changes in light and weather the city
Read more
No Comments

This Week’s Crazy Building: Earthships

Not a spaceship, the Earthships are green homes built from recycled materials. Created by Michael Reynolds in Taos, New Mexico, the original concept was to take readily available waste materials such as tires, bottles, cans, and scrap metal to create a home. He has evolved the concept over the last 40 years. Now they can
Read more
No Comments

What’s a good website to find out the value of a home?

Question: “What’s a good website to find out the value of a home I’m interested in?” Answer: Sorry, there isn’t one. I even have my own website that will give you a home value, and it’s better than most. But honestly, I don’t recommend it. To illustrate how far off these sites are, here’s a
Read more
No Comments

Is it bad to list As Is?

Question: “Is there an inherent negative stigma to listing As Is?” Answer: I was very hesitant for many years to put “sold as is” in my marketing for a home. I felt it gave the impression that there were serious problems that the seller was unwilling to fix. So yes, I think there WAS a
Read more
No Comments

Can I buy a rental property with a VA loan?

Question: “Can I buy a rental with my VA eligibility?” Answer: Sorry, but VA loans are only for your primary residence.
Read more
No Comments