Should I Do Termite Work Now or During Escrow?

Question: “Should I do the termite work now or do it during escrow?” Answer: If you have a lot of wood repair that is visible and looks bad, you may want to do it now. Otherwise I would say to wait and see if your buyer asks you to do it. But the odds are
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How Long It Takes to Sell a San Diego Home Right Now

Question: “I plan to sell my home and would like to know how long you think it takes to sell a home right now.” Answer: Great question. Right now, we’re in a “normal” market with a rough balance of buyers and sellers. So on the one hand, it can be SLOW… Price your home too
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Can Sellers Add a “Cancel if I Get a Better Offer” Clause?

Question: “Since a buyer can inspect a home and cancel for any reason, it’s like having an option to buy the home. As the seller, can I get an option like that so that I can cancel if I get a better offer? If not, how is that fair?” Answer: Literally, yes, you could have
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Are Open Houses Really Important?

Question: “Last time I sold my home, the agent did a lot of open houses, but the buyer came through another agent who did not go to an open house. It was a hassle leaving on the weekends all the time. Is it important to have open houses?” Answer: No. Agents typically do open houses
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How to Know if Your San Diego Home is Your Principal Residence

Question: “Hi Gary, My wife and I want to sell our home in La Jolla. We live part of the year in Phoenix and part in San Diego. We want to get the $500,000 principal residence exclusion. How do we know which one is my principal residence?” Answer: According to industry journal California Real Estate
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Will Your Converted Garage Be a Problem When You Sell?

Question: “I converted my garage without a permit. Will this be an issue when I sell?” Answer: Assuming your conversion was of good quality, you will face a few minor to moderate challenges when selling: First, most homebuyers prefer a garage to a garage conversion. And the “nicer” the neighborhood, the more people will want
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Adding Up Selling Costs on Your San Diego Home

Question: “We’re trying to figure out the costs when we sell our home. What are they?” Answer: As a rule of thumb, figure 8% of the selling price for all selling costs, including a cushion of 1% to 1.5% for repairs and NOT including last mortgage payment and property tax prorations. Specifically, in San Diego,
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Is There Demand for Fixer-Upper San Diego Homes?

Question: “My brother and I inherited a rental house that has been very neglected and is in horrible condition. Can we even sell it?” Answer: Definitely. There’s still good demand for fixer upper homes. Most people buying are “flippers” who fix and resell for profit. Others are just regular potential homeowners looking for a less
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Why Do Homes Sell Over Market Value?

Question: “I used to be an agent and I remember once in awhile seeing a home sell at a price that was clearly over market value. I never could figure out why that happened. Can you hazard a guess?” Answer: I’d love to. There are few reasons homes very occasionally sell at a price clearly
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Should You Wait Till Summer to Sell Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Do you think it’s a good idea to wait to sell until next summer when prices are up?” Answer: You’re making a BIG assumption that prices will be up next summer. How do you know this? Do you have a time machine?  Is it because everyone says – incorrectly – that summer is
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