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.

Viewing a San Diego Home via Open House

“We’d like to see your house on Denver Street. Do you know when the next open house is?” Answer: That Clairemont home sold in about 10 days on the market. But let me address something. Many people really want to see a home and wait for an open house to see it. However, the majority
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Do Banks Want to Foreclose on Your San Diego Home?

“I read recently that banks are telling people they need to go into default to do a loan modification, then they’re foreclosing on the home. The article said banks do this so they can get the home at auction for far less than its value. Is that true?” Answer: That’s absolutely 100% incorrect. Despite all
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Should You Sell Your San Diego Home “As Is”?

“My husband and I are planning to sell our large 2-story home in University City. We’re in our 70s and don’t want to do a lot of fixing to it. Our daughter’s friend who is an agent told us to just sell our home ‘As Is’ and then we won’t have to fix anything. Will
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Listing Your San Diego Home with the “Neighborhood Specialist”

“Hello… My wife and I will be selling our La Jolla home this spring and don’t know any agents. There is one who seems to work the neighborhood. She calls herself the neighborhood specialist. Do you think we should list with her?” Answer: Excellent question. Let me share a story with you… Years ago at
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Making Your Highest and Best Offer

“Hi Gary. We and a couple of other people made offers on a home at the same time. Now the seller is asking for our highest/best, which I guess means for us to offer our highest price. I don’t want to get in a bidding war and am thinking of dropping out. What do you
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How Loan Brokers Can Mislead Clients

“We’re trying for a loan modification, but may consider a short sale if that doesn’t work. We were really misled about how our loan could change and reset. What is the responsibility of loan brokers and/or banks who lied to their clients about the type of loan they were getting?” Answer: Unfortunately the loan brokers
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Do Sellers Always Need to Tent for Termites?

“I have a question. Does the seller always have to tent their home for termites when they sell?” Answer: First of all, there’s no law requiring a termite clearance. So, if you want a termite clearance, you must request it in your offer. The two main categories of pest control work are “Section 1” and
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Using a Friend to Sell Your San Diego Home

“Hello Gary. I have a dilemma. I want to sell my home and move to Riverside. Because my friend is an agent and having money problems, I feel obligated to list with her. But I’d much rather use another agent I know who’d do a much better job. Any ideas?” Answer: First of all, you’re
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Buying a House While Doing a Loan Mod

“Hi Gary. I bought a San Diego home a few years ago worth $400K and put a $80K down payment. Right now I’m trying for a modification and still waiting for their decision. …My question is can we still buy a house that is much lower than our current home but one that we can
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Are Tax Assessors’ Home Valuations Accurate?

“In 2005 I bought a house in PB worth $700K. …I just received the property appraisal from the tax assessor and the current value of my house is now down to $488K…” Answer: Let me stop you right there. The tax assessor’s assessment of your Pacific Beach home is not necessarily the value. In fact,
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