How a Busy Street Affects San Diego Home Values

Question: “My wife and I want to buy a little house as an investment. We found one we both like, but it’s on a busy street. What do you think about buying a home on a busy street?” Answer: Two questions come to mind: 1) how does it impact rent, and 2) how does it
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Can You Cancel Your San Diego Home Listing & Hire a New Agent?

Question: “We listed our home 3 months ago. Even though our agent is with a big company and seemed very professional, he’s terrible. He’s made several big mistakes (wrong # of bedrooms and square footage on the flyer, etc.) and isn’t doing what he promised. Also, the price he recommended was way too high, which
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When Are Sellers Liable for Lack of Disclosure?

Question: (From clients whose home I sold in San Diego.) “We found some serious structural damage to the addition of the home we just bought here in Texas. Kelly and I would appreciate your opinion given your expertise in real estate. We were told the addition was permitted but can find no documentation of it.
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Showings with Tenants in Multi-Unit Properties

Question: “Hi Gary. I want to sell my triplex and was wondering how you handle showings with the tenants?” Answer: Typically, once you move from single family to multiple units, the showings are handled as “show with offer.” This is done for two reasons: Out of fear that if the tenant knew the property was
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Don’t Base Your San Diego Home Value on an Appraisal

Question: “My home was appraised a couple of months ago for $725,000. What price do you think we should ask?” Answer: It depends on what your home is worth. But wait a second… You just had it appraised for $725,000, so that’s what it’s worth, right? Not necessarily. Check out the example I’ve reproduced to the right.
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Why Won’t Agents Tell You What a Home in Escrow Sold For?

Question: “There was a house I liked, but I dithered and someone else got their offer accepted. The sold sign is up, but when I called the agent, she refused to tell me what it sold for. Is that normal?” Answer: Yes, that’s normal. Until the sale closes escrow, it could always fall through and
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How Much Do Property Managers Charge?

Question: “I just inherited a couple of rental properties from my dad and don’t want to manage them myself. Can you give me an idea of what property managers charge?” Answer: Happy to. Depending on the property, managers usually charge 5-10% of the rent. Of course, that’s for their services only and doesn’t cover expenses
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Is Artificial Turf Better for Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Does replacing grass with artificial turf increase property value or not?” Answer: Great question. I used to say absolutely not. Now I’ll soften that and say probably not. But, with this water shortage, shouldn’t artificial turf make a home more desirable and slightly more valuable? As I’ve said before, people buy on emotion and
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What to Do on a Walk-Through Home Inspection

Question: “I’ve never bought a home before. What do I look for on the walk through inspection? Is that when you hire a contractor to look at the home?” Answer: The walk-through inspection, or as it’s now called in our contracts, the “final verification of condition,” is the inspection you do right before closing. You
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Funding Your Residential Rental Purchase

Question: “I have several rentals and want to buy another property, perhaps a little house. I’d like to come up with as little cash as possible. What do I need to put down?” Answer: To buy a residential rental, you’ll need at least 20-25% down, plus closing costs of around 3%. But here’s a good
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