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: Hilton London Metropole

The unusual facade of the Hilton London Metropole seems to bend the laws of space. It is one of the largest hotels in Europe and can accomodate about 3,000 people in its conference space. It contains over 1,000 rooms and can dine about 2,000. The Metropole is centrally located in London, nearby Hyde park. The
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Do I have to talk to a lender before I see a home?

Question: “A real estate agent told me she wouldn’t show me any homes unless I talked with a lender to see if I was qualified. Isn’t that a bit much? Having to talk with a lender just to see one home?” Answer: It doesn’t sound like the agent explained the benefits to you of talking
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Does getting several offers mean you listed your home at too low a price?

Question: “My neighbors just listed their home and I know they got several offers the first week. Do you think that means they should have asked a higher price?” Answer: Not necessarily. Yes, homes that are priced too low usually attract multiple offers.  However, even in today’s “normal” market, you can also get multiple offers
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Do Home Buyers Have 3-Day Rescission Rights?

Question: “Hi Gary, thanks for your newsletter. I really learn a lot from it. I have a question for you. When you sign an offer to buy a home, do you have 3-day right of rescission?” Answer: People ask me that now and then. No, real estate contracts do NOT have any rescission rights for
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This Week’s Crazy Building: California Building

This week we are looking at the California Building in Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Museum Of Man. The amount of ornate detail is a sight to see! It was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. Designed by Bertram Goodhue, he drew inspiration from styles such as Baroque and Rococo as well
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How do I sell my home and buy another at the same time?

Question: “We’re ready for a bigger house, but I don’t know how to go about this. I don’t want to sell mine until I’ve got another one, but I have to sell to get the money to buy the next one. How do people do this?” Answer: I hear this question all the time. Let’s
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What is a home really worth?

Question: “I’m thinking of selling my home and buying a bigger one. And I’m concerned about asking the right price. Everyone talks about list price, sales price, CMA, appraised value, etc. But what is a home really worth?” Answer: Great question! Recently a young man told me his condo had just appraised at $460,000. But
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What is the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?

Question: “Hi Gary. My wife and I want to buy an investment property. We want to conserve our cash, so we plan to borrow against our home.  Can you tell us the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?” Answer: A home equity LINE (aka HELOC, acronym for “Home Equity
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Agora Theater

The Agora Theater in Lelystad, Netherlands combines bright colors with unusual geometry for a unique effect. Designed by UNStudio their goal was to create a space as individual as the theater. It serves a practical purpose as well, inside are 2 auditoriums which had to be spaced as far apart as possible so one performance
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Should I take out a reverse mortgage?

Question: “What do you think of reverse mortgages?” Answer: I think they’re a great option for many older people. My parents had one and it allowed them to stay in their home until they passed away. The downsides are the high 15K+ upfront costs and the obvious fact that the equity is slowly used up
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