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.

House vs. Condo: Which Appreciates Faster?

Question: “My husband and I are planning to buy our first home and we want to make the right decision. Can you tell us which appreciates faster, a house or a condominium?” Answer: The assumed conventional wisdom is that houses appreciate faster than condos. I don’t have any stats, but based on observation I have
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Tokyo Skytree

The Tokyo Sky Tree by Jordy Meow licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 3.0
This week’s crazy building is Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, Japan. At 2,080 feet, it’s the tallest tower (and second-tallest structure of any kind) in the world. In addition to its primary function as a TV broadcasting tower, it also has two observation decks and a restaurant. There’s a good reason for its enormous height. It
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4 Steps You Should Take to Find a San Diego Home

Question: “My wife and I want to buy a home. Should we meet with an agent to find out about loans and what we qualify for?” Answer: You SHOULD meet with an agent, but not to find out about qualifying. That’s best left to a good mortgage loan officer. So what steps should you take
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Beware Of “Price Creep” When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “We listed our home for sale for $550,000 yesterday, but it’s not on the market yet. Now we’re thinking we should ask $580,000. Are we allowed to raise the price?” Answer: For all practical purposes, you are. I can’t imagine a broker telling you, “I don’t care. We have a contract and I’m going
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Don’t Try to Time the Market When Buying a San Diego Home

Question: “I want to buy a home but am trying to time the market right. I’m not sure if we’re in a mini-bubble or are still looking at a lot more appreciation. What do you think?” Answer: I sold two San Diego properties in 2003 and 2004. I missed the peak by some 10-20%. Do
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Makedonium Monument

Credit: Makedonium Monument by Marјan Petkovski licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 3.0
This week’s crazy building is the Makedonium Monument in Krusevo, Macedonia. The bizarre-looking space-age structure was built in the 1970s to commemorate the Ilinden Uprising of 1903. Macedonians revolted against the Ottoman Empire in a fight for independence. Although the uprising ultimately failed, the Ottoman Empire dissolved just a few years later, and eventually the
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Will Refinance Appraisals Be Conservative on Your San Diego Home?

Question: “I have a question about refinancing. We owe about $420,000 on our condo and it’s finally worth enough to refinance, about $475,000. We need to have a maximum 90% loan to value to refinance so those numbers should work. But I’ve heard that refinance appraisals are conservative. Is that true?” Answer: Believe it or
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Clearing Up a Misconception About Real Estate Agents

Question: “I’ve already talked to Keller Williams about selling my home. Wouldn’t it be unethical to talk with another Keller Williams agent?” Answer: Not at all. As a matter of fact, you haven’t actually talked with “Keller Williams.” Keller Williams is a real estate company. You talked with a Keller Williams agent. Real estate companies
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Are Sellers Required to Respond to Your Offer?

Question: “My wife and I made an offer and the seller accepted another offer without responding to ours. Don’t they have to respond? My agent said the seller’s agent is required to submit the offer to the seller. And he said if they don’t accept it, they must sign a written rejection, which the agent
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Johannesburg Water Tower

Credit: Johannesburg Water Tower by NJR ZA licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 3.0
This week’s crazy building is Johannesburg Water Tower in Johannesburg, South Africa. While South Africa has yet to meet its goal of providing universal access to clean water (enshrined in their Constitution as a human right), great strides have been made in the past decade. Located near the city’s Grand Central Airport, this cone-shaped structure has
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