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.

Premium Price for Your Remodeled San Diego Home

Question: “We remodeled our home about 20 years ago.  It’s still in great condition, so we feel we should get a premium price for it…” Answer: I hate to tell you this… Today’s San Diego homebuyers are spoiled. My theory is it started about 10 years ago when thousands of apartments were converted to condos. 
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Avoid Making a Vague Offer on a San Diego Home

Question: “I’d like to make an offer on a house. I want to put in that it’s subject to the seller making any necessary repairs. And…” Answer: Hold on. I’m already seeing problems. First of all, “necessary repairs” is extremely vague. “Necessary” according to whom? When I receive offers on my sellers’ homes with vague terms,
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Why Does the Seller Pay the Buyer Costs?

Question: “I just got an offer on my house, but the buyer wants me to pay $10,000 of his closing costs. Why should I pay his costs?  And why didn’t he just offer a lower price instead?  This seems kind of shady, like they’re trying to defraud their bank.  Have you heard of this?” Answer:
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Will Xeriscaping Add Value to Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Gary, I’m going to xeriscape the front of my house to conserve water and lower my water bill.  How much value do you think that will add?” Answer: [Note: Xeriscaping is landscaping that needs little or no watering by using less-thirsty plants like cacti and succulents.] First, I highly commend you for conserving water.
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Can You Still Get an Inspection on a Home Sold As Is?

Question: “If a home is sold as is, can I still get an inspection?” Answer: Yes, unless you agreed to remove your inspection contingency from the contract.  But that’s unlikely. So yes, you can and should get an inspection. AND, contrary to semi-popular belief, you still have the right to request repairs or to cancel
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Can You Move Into Your Rental to Avoid Taxes?

Question: “I talked with my tax guy about selling my rental condo and he said I’m going to have to pay about 40K in taxes if I sell it without doing a 1031 exchange.  So I’m going to move into my rental for two years so that I don’t have to pay any taxes when
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Should Your Agent Attend Your San Diego Home Showings?

Question: “I really don’t want to be bothered with showings of my home.  I talked with one agent who promised he’d accompany other agents for all the showings.  Would you be willing to do that?” Answer: No matter what happens, if you live in the house, somehow you’re going to be involved in the showings.
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Why Do Bad Agents Use Price Per Square Foot?

Question: “I saw a home and asked the agent what she thought of the price. She told me homes were selling for $400 per square foot, so the list price was about right. Even I know you can’t figure out a home value that way. Why do agents use something that doesn’t work?” Answer: Great
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Are There Still Fix-And-Flip Houses Left to Buy?

Question: “I’d like to start buying, fixing and flipping houses.  Lots of people making are making big bucks doing it.  Do you know any good houses I could buy?” Answer: Sorry, but that train has pretty much left the station. When values were rocketing up and foreclosures were plentiful, I’d tell you to jump right
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What Marshmallows Can Teach You About Dealing with Agents

Question: “I’ve got a confession. Although I’ve been reading your newsletter for years, I didn’t follow your advice. I had to sell my mom’s house in Anaheim. I interviewed 3 agents and unfortunately chose the one who told me what was by far the highest price. It ended badly. She overpriced the house and I
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