Top 10 Priciest Homes in San Diego County

What are the most expensive homes ever sold in the county per the San Diego MLS (Multiple Listing Service)? Del Mar took 4 spots on the list, while La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe took 3 apiece. The winner was a 10,700-sqft oceanfront home with theater, tennis court, greenhouse, pool, health spa and two guest
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Is It Too Late for a 1031 Exchange?

Question: “I’m selling a rental property and we’re closing in two weeks.  I just talked to my tax guy and he said I should do a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.  Is it too late?” Answer: Probably not. Fortunately you’re deciding sooner than my client did.  He called me as the grant deed (transferring ownership to the
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Can a Contract Clause Keep the Buyer From Suing?

Question: “I’d like to put an As Is clause in the contract that says the buyer can’t sue me after they buy my home…” Answer: The standard California contract already has a clause that reads: “Unless otherwise agreed: (i) the Property is sold (a) in its present physical (‘as is’) condition as of the date
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How Long Do You Have to Make an Offer?

Question: “A house just hit the market that we like.  How long do you think we have to make an offer?” Answer: A day? An hour? I don’t know how long it will take other potential buyers to offer on the specific home you like.  But I’ve received offers in as little as an hour
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What San Diego Home Can You Afford?

Question: “My daughter and her husband make about $150,000 per year. What price range do you think they can afford?” Answer: Great question, but more info is required to answer that: What are their revolving (i.e. monthly) debt payments? How long have they been on their jobs? How is their credit? How much do they
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Finding Out if You Owe Tax When Selling

Question: “I’m selling my home. My proceeds will be under 250K, so I won’t have to pay any taxes…” Answer: Hold on! That’s not how you figure out whether you owe taxes when you sell your home. Taxes are not based on the size of your check at closing. If it were, everyone would put
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Should You Present Your Offer to the Seller in Person?

Question: “I read in the paper that a good way to help get your offer accepted is for your agent to present it in person to the seller. Is that what you recommend?” Answer: Wow, that brings back memories! Way, way back in the dark ages of real estate…before e-signatures…before email…before faxes(!), that’s how we
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Casapueblo

Casapueblo by Wagner T. Cassimiro
This week’s crazy building is Casapueblo in Punta Ballena, Uruguay. The former home of artist Carlos Páez Vilaró, it’s now a combination of museum, art gallery and hotel. It could hardly look more Seussian if it were designed by Theodor Geisel himself.
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How to Find Your Credit Without a Lender

Question: “How do I find out my credit without going to a lender to have them run it?” Answer: Per my favorite mortgage lender, here’s a link you can use to check your credit with each of the 3 major bureaus for free one time per year: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action Lenders don’t use this report, but you
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Using Imperfect Comps to Sell Your San Diego Home

Question: “I don’t see how you can use comps to determine value.  My house is remodeled and the house across the street just sold and it was in terrible condition.  You can’t tell me my home is worth what his is.” Answer: You’re right.  I can’t and I won’t. Even though a “comp” is supposed
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