When can you cancel a home purchase before closing?

Question: “My brother is buying a home in L.A. He’s a month into it and is supposed to close in March. Their agent just walked through the house and disclosed to him some issues he found. I don’t know what they are, but my brother is pretty freaked out and wants to cancel. Since this
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How do I get a good home loan rate?

Question: “We’re going to be buying a home in a couple of months and want to get our finances in order so we can get a good loan rate. What do you recommend?” Answer: Here are the Ten Commandments Of Getting A Home Loan: Thou shalt consult with a lender six months before getting a
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Will you match an agent who will list my home at a lower rate?

Question: “I’m talking with an agent who’ll list my home at 4%. She hasn’t sold that many homes and isn’t as successful as you are, but will you match her fee?” Answer: Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? It sounds like if I matched her fee, you’d have me sell your
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Can a tenant give a 30-day notice before their lease ends?

Question: “If a tenant has a lease, they can still give a 30 day notice to end the lease, can’t they?” Answer: No, they can’t. A lease agreement binds a landlord and tenant for a certain time period. Neither has the right to unilaterally end the lease early. If a tenant breaks a lease, my
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Can you give me an overview of things I should know when buying a home?

Question: “Last time we bought a home, the agent didn’t explain anything or give us any guidance. Can you give me an overview of things I should know?” Answer: There’s a lot to know, but here are some basics and smart tips not everyone thinks about: Upon acceptance: Get your deposit into escrow within 3
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Is selling my house to a flipper safe?

Question: “We may sell our house to a flipper who contacted us…” Answer: Be careful! A cautionary note about home flippers, aka investors who buy, fix, and resell homes… I deal with them regularly, and many follow a strategy of: Make a “cash” offer, often sight unseen. Get the offer accepted, “tying up” the home.
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Do I have to talk to a lender before I see a home?

Question: “A real estate agent told me she wouldn’t show me any homes unless I talked with a lender to see if I was qualified. Isn’t that a bit much? Having to talk with a lender just to see one home?” Answer: It doesn’t sound like the agent explained the benefits to you of talking
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Does getting several offers mean you listed your home at too low a price?

Question: “My neighbors just listed their home and I know they got several offers the first week. Do you think that means they should have asked a higher price?” Answer: Not necessarily. Yes, homes that are priced too low usually attract multiple offers.  However, even in today’s “normal” market, you can also get multiple offers
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Do Home Buyers Have 3-Day Rescission Rights?

Question: “Hi Gary, thanks for your newsletter. I really learn a lot from it. I have a question for you. When you sign an offer to buy a home, do you have 3-day right of rescission?” Answer: People ask me that now and then. No, real estate contracts do NOT have any rescission rights for
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How do I sell my home and buy another at the same time?

Question: “We’re ready for a bigger house, but I don’t know how to go about this. I don’t want to sell mine until I’ve got another one, but I have to sell to get the money to buy the next one. How do people do this?” Answer: I hear this question all the time. Let’s
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