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.

Selling Your Home vs. Continuing to Rent it Out

My mom, who is 60, lives in OC and owns a townhome. She has a situation with the renters. She doesn’t know whether to just sell or continue renting it out. My mom has several health issues and feels this “rental” is causing her extra stress. I told her to make a pro’s and con’s
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Sellers, Just Sign Those Escrow Papers

From an owner whose home is in escrow: “I’m not going to sign the escrow papers until I know how the physical inspection went…” Answer: You’ve already signed the contract and signing the escrow papers makes you no more or less committed. But waiting to sign could lead to delays as escrow needs to know
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How Auction Pricing Fools Buyers

“Gary, I saw a home in an excellent neighborhood for $225,000 and am very interested. How soon can I see it?” Answer: I’m not sure where you saw it advertised, but that San Diego home is being auctioned and $225,000 is just the opening bid. It will end up selling for dramatically more…probably over $400,000.
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7 Things to Avoid to Improve Your Credit

“My wife and I plan to buy a La Jolla home this summer. Is there anything we should do now regarding getting a mortgage?” Answer: Yes, I suggest you call a reputable mortgage lender and get qualified now to find out if you need to do anything to improve your credit. And here are a
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Reducing the Price of Your San Diego Home

“Hi Gary. I own a University City home that I need to sell because I’m moving to L.A. I listed with my sister’s friend who I don’t know at all. It’s been on the market over 3 months and she keeps telling me to reduce the price. I don’t want to go any lower because
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3 Types of Credit Scores Explained

“Hi Gary. Question about credit scores. I thought the max was 850, but I just bought a car and they said my score was 870. How is that possible? I asked the guy at the dealership and he didn’t know.” Answer: Congratulations for having great credit. But don’t worry, your 870 score hasn’t broken the
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Why Do Sellers Pay Title Insurance?

“There are so many costs to sell a home. Why am I supposed to pay for title insurance? I know there are no liens against my home. I’m sure a simple title search would show this.” Answer: Great question. Several clients have asked me this over the years… Title insurance covers more than just recorded
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If You Don’t Buy the Home, Do You Lose Your Deposit?

“Hi Gary, I’ll be buying a San Diego home within the next few months. I’ve never bought a house before, so please excuse me if this is a dumb question. If I make an offer and it gets accepted, but I end up not buying the house, do I lose my deposit?” Answer: As you’ve
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Why Banks Prefer to Sell to Owner-Occupants

“I’ve been told that banks prefer to sell their foreclosures to owner occupant buyers. Is that true and why? I’m strictly an investor, so what’s the downside of just saying I’m going to live in the property?” Answer: That’s a lot of questions. I’ll answer them one at a time: 1. Do banks prefer to
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Selling Your San Diego Home Vacant vs. with Tenants

“I’m thinking about selling my La Jolla home. Should I sell my home vacant or with tenants there?” Answer: It depends on the occupants. In particular, how they keep the home and how cooperative they are. A well-kept home with beautiful furniture is a real plus. But a messy home with dated or ugly furniture
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