Do Agents Also Get People Loans?

“Hi Gary.  My husband and I met an agent at an open house.  We liked her and want to work with her to find a home.  But she also said she can get us the loan.  I’ve never heard of that.  Do agents also get people loans?” Answer: This is less common than it used
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Pest Control Clearance Covers More Than Termites

Question: “I just looked at a house that’s overrun with fleas.  Does pest control clearance cover termites only or all bugs and pests?” Answer: A “pest control clearance” is often called a “termite clearance.”  Both are misnomers. “Pest control…” implies all kinds of bugs, rodents, and other pests will be eradicated. “Termite…” sure sounds like
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Must Value Range Sellers Accept Any Offer in the Range?

Question: [From an agent (who should but doesn’t understand value range pricing) who brought an offer in the bottom half of the value range of a home I had listed] “My clients and I spent hours trying to make a deal happen that isn’t possible.  Why is there a range posted when your clients are
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When Does the Seller Pay for Undisclosed Problems?

Question: “We bought a house and the seller disclosed the presence of a cat in one room, but no disclosure of any pet stains.  We pulled up carpet and found 15-20 stains on the floor underneath.  Is this a case where seller should have known and disclosed it? Or is he covered by saying he
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What Are Sellers Required to Fix?

Question: “I know the seller has to fix health and safety items, but don’t they also have to fix code violations?” Answer: No, no, and no. There are very few physical requirements a homeseller in San Diego County is legally required to meet, and those don’t include health, safety, or code items. Here’s the short
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Can You Trade Your San Diego Home For Another?

Question: “Hi Gary.  I’d like to trade down from my house to a nice condo in the beach.  If you find someone who’d like to trade, that would be great…” Answer: I’d love to help you but… The odds of: you liking a specific condo AND that owner liking your specific home AND you being
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Factors When Picking a Neighborhood to Buy a San Diego Home

Question: “I’m about to start my home search, but now it occurs to me that first I have to find the right neighborhood. What factors do I need to consider when choosing a neighborhood to buy in?” Answer: There are lots of factors to consider.  How you weigh them depends on what’s important to you.
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What’s a HUD Home?

Question: “I was looking into what kind of home I want to buy and heard someone mention HUD homes. What are those?” Answer: HUD is the U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development.  HUD guarantees FHA loans.  So HUD homes are FHA foreclosures. With so few foreclosures now, you missed the boat on those. Or
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How to Tell If the Market is Slowing Down or Speeding Up

Question: “How can I tell if the market is slowing down or speeding up?” Answer: One way is by looking at changes in the “absorption rate.” Absorption rate is defined as “the number of months (or weeks) it would take to sell the current inventory of homes at the present rate of sales.” To determine
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Should Buyers Get Their Own Pest Control Inspection?

Question: “We’re in escrow on a home.  The seller’s termite report costs seem low and many areas I feel were overlooked (dry rot apparent).  If we get our own termite report can it hurt the deal in any way?  What if my inspector points out many more areas and the costs doubles.  I don’t want
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