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 to Know What Repairs to Ask For

Question: “I plan to buy my first home soon and want to learn as much as possible. I know I should have a home inspection done. But how do I know which findings are serious and what to ask to be repaired?” Answer: Great question! There are only 6 major systems of a home: Foundation
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This Week’s Crazy Building: From the Knees of My Nose to the Belly of My Toes

From the Knees of My Nose to the Belly of My Toes by Alex Chinneck licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 4.0
This week’s crazy building is From the Knees of my Nose to the Belly of my Toes in Margate, England. This 4-story house is as bizarre as the name itself. It had stood empty and decaying for 11 years before designer Alex Chinneck decided it would make an excellent art installation. Chinneck removed the old
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[VIDEO] Pricing Blunder #1: Looking at Asking Prices

Why You Should Avoid Looking at Asking Prices Local Realtor Gary Kent reveals the biggest pricing blunders people make when selling a home in San Diego. Blunder #1: Looking at asking prices of other homes and using them to price your own. When you look around at other homes for sale in your San Diego
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Fix-And-Flips: For Now, Just Say No

Question: “What’s the best advice you’ve ever given for flipping real estate?” Answer: Right now, it’s “DON’T DO IT.” Competition is fierce, prices are up, and you’re not in a rapidly appreciating market that will bail you out. Many professional home flippers are leaving the San Diego market or getting out of the flipping business
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6 Reasons Agents Overprice Your San Diego Home

Question: “I just suffered through six months of having my home for sale, and it didn’t sell. I’m sure it’s because my agent over-priced my home. Why would an agent do that?” Answer: Could be one of many reasons: — 1. Honest Mistake — Agents are human. I’ve overpriced a few homes in my 30+
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A Real Estate License Is No Golden Ticket

Question: “My husband and I have never bought a home before. I’m a full-time nurse and I’m thinking about getting a real estate license so I can get the commission when we buy. Do you think that’s a good idea?” Answer: Your question is a different version of what I call the “Golden Ticket Syndrome.”
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This Week’s Crazy Building: South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute

SAHMRI by Jackstarshaker licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 4.0
This week’s crazy building is the South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute in Adelaide, Australia. It looks like either a cheese grater or one of those big old-style microphones, but this building actually houses a state-of-the- art research facility. Completed just last year, the structure’s unique facade was inspired by the pattern of a
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365 Things to Do in San Diego: Feb. 5–11

Every Monday throughout 2015, I’ll bring you a list of exciting activities to do throughout San Diego—one for each day of the year! Here you’ll find ideas for upcoming events, great restaurants and other exciting activities. February 5: Try something you’ll never forget: go skydiving with one of the companies operating in south and east San Diego.
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[VIDEO] Homeseller Mistake #5: Not Understanding Real Estate Teams

How Real Estate Teams Work San Diego Realtor Gary Kent reveals the costly mistakes people that make when selling a home in San Diego. Mistake #5 is not understanding how real estate teams work. Once upon a time, one real estate agent would handle everything there is to handle when selling a home: marketing, sales,
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Can You Get a Loan on a Fixer-Upper House?

Question: “Is it possible to get a loan on a fixer-upper house?” Answer: It depends on the condition. Conventional Loans If the house needs cosmetics and/or miscellaneous minor to moderate repairs, you can probably get a regular “conventional” mortgage. Purchase/Renovation Loans If it needs more than that, you could possibly get a rehab/purchase loan. These
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