What is a home really worth?

Question: “I’m thinking of selling my home and buying a bigger one. And I’m concerned about asking the right price. Everyone talks about list price, sales price, CMA, appraised value, etc. But what is a home really worth?” Answer: Great question! Recently a young man told me his condo had just appraised at $460,000. But
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What is the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?

Question: “Hi Gary. My wife and I want to buy an investment property. We want to conserve our cash, so we plan to borrow against our home.  Can you tell us the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?” Answer: A home equity LINE (aka HELOC, acronym for “Home Equity
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How One Homeowner’s Kitchen Turned Into Niagara Falls

    If you’re paying cash for a home, always get homeowners insurance. Today’s story will remind you why.     Usually on “Storytime With Gary,” I share stories that happened well into the past, but for this episode, I’m sharing one that happened the very morning I shot this video. It all started when
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Agora Theater

The Agora Theater in Lelystad, Netherlands combines bright colors with unusual geometry for a unique effect. Designed by UNStudio their goal was to create a space as individual as the theater. It serves a practical purpose as well, inside are 2 auditoriums which had to be spaced as far apart as possible so one performance
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Should I take out a reverse mortgage?

Question: “What do you think of reverse mortgages?” Answer: I think they’re a great option for many older people. My parents had one and it allowed them to stay in their home until they passed away. The downsides are the high 15K+ upfront costs and the obvious fact that the equity is slowly used up
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Should I ever overpay a little for a home?

Question: “We found the perfect home. It’s on a culdesac near my sister and her family and just a block to the elementary school. It’s in our price range, but the seller is being stubborn on the price. Two homes like it just sold for $493,000 and $495,000, but they want $500,000. Do you think
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How to plan a move around your escrow closing

Question: “I’m really nervous about rushing to move out the day escrow closes. Escrows don’t always close on time, so how can I be expected to move with very little notice?” Answer: It can be stressful. I handle it for my clients this way: First, I explain to my clients up front that we can’t
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This Week’s Crazy Building: European Parliament Building

This unique building is located in Strasbourg, France and contains several conceptual features in its design. It features 750 seats in the hemicycle and over 1,100 offices. Architecture-Studio, the designer of the building, left the top of the dome unfinished to depict the European Union as an ongoing entity. The use of glass is to
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Simple Hack to Raise Your Credit Score

Everyone wants to raise their credit score. Here’s a simple, easy way to do it quickly. Do you know the simple hack for improving your credit and getting a better rate on your mortgage? I do, and I’m going to share it with you today. My preferred lender recently came to the office and showed
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Do people actually read the contracts?

Question: “I recently bought a home and was amazed by all the pages we had to sign. We barely skimmed most of the pages. Do they really expect people to read them?” Answer: Ironically, in an effort to inform people of all they should know when buying or selling real estate, there’s such an information
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