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.

Beware Cost-Benefit Guides When Improving Your San Diego Home

Question: “I’ll be selling in a couple of years and am looking at investing some money in my home now so I can get a higher price when I sell. Can you direct me to a cost versus benefit analysis list for various upgrades or repairs?” Answer: There are several such lists. Here’s one from
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Don’t Hire a Property Manager to Do an Agent’s Job

Question: “My property manager is licensed, so we’re going to go ahead and list our rental with her and…” Answer: Hey, did you hear the news about the Chargers?! This season quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates are going to swap positions. Gates at QB and Rivers playing tight end. No big deal.
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Don’t Overanalyze the Market—Ask an Agent

Question: “I’ve been tracking San Diego housing inventory to decide when the right time is to buy a home. Inventory is up 14% from last month but only 3% year over year, and…” Answer: Hold on a second. My money says you’re either an engineer or a computer programmer. Which is it? I say that
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Solae Tower

Solae Test Tower by Alpsdake licensed under ther terms of Public Domain
Did you know that there are buildings constructed specifically to test elevators? These tall, thin, windowless towers exist solely for testing their speed, safety and durability. Solae Tower is the tallest such tower on earth at 173 meters (567 feet) in height! That’s over 60 feet taller than any building in San Diego. The $50
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Buying a Home After Financial Problems

Question: “During the recession, my wife and had a lot of financial problems that really hurt our credit. How long do we have to wait before we can buy a home again?” Answer: Here’s a general guide given to me by a lender: Conventional loan Chapter 7 BK: 4 years from the discharge/dismissal date Chapter
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How to Avoid Being Sued When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “I’ve never sold a home and I’m very worried about being sued for not disclosing something. Do you have any tips to avoid being sued?” Answer: It’s all about disclosure. If you disclose everything to a buyer, they’re unlikely to sue you later or win if they do sue you. And the proper way
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Dealing With Unpermitted Rooms in a San Diego Home

Question: “Hi Gary. We’re interested in a home that has an unpermitted family room and I have several questions: Can I go to city to investigate it? Who should I talk to find out the cost to get up to permit status? What happens if I can’t get it permitted? Can I get a permit
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Victoria Tower

Victoria Tower by Larske licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 3.0
This week’s crazy building is Scandic Victoria Tower in Stockholm, Sweden. At 384 feet, this skyscraper in Stockholm’s Kista neighborhood is the tallest building in the city and the tallest hotel in Scandinavia. It’s named for Princess Victoria, who is next in line to the Swedish throne. The exterior is plated with mirrored panels that allow Victoria Tower
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Are Rates Low Enough to Refinance Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Do you think rates are low enough to refinance?” Answer: I don’t know your current rate or whether you have a fixed or adjustable rate, so… If you have a fixed rate now and want another fixed rate: Depending on your loan balance and tolerance for paperwork, you want to at LEAST get a
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How Long Does It Take to Sell a San Diego Home Right Now?

Question: “How long does it take to sell a home right now?” Answer: There are many variables, such as location, condition, property type, price range, etc. But by far the biggest two variables are price and agent. If you price your home near market value and have a good agent, you’re going to sell it
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