Do Sellers Always Need to Tent for Termites?

“I have a question. Does the seller always have to tent their home for termites when they sell?” Answer: First of all, there’s no law requiring a termite clearance. So, if you want a termite clearance, you must request it in your offer. The two main categories of pest control work are “Section 1” and
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Buying a House While Doing a Loan Mod

“Hi Gary. I bought a San Diego home a few years ago worth $400K and put a $80K down payment. Right now I’m trying for a modification and still waiting for their decision. …My question is can we still buy a house that is much lower than our current home but one that we can
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Are Tax Assessors’ Home Valuations Accurate?

“In 2005 I bought a house in PB worth $700K. …I just received the property appraisal from the tax assessor and the current value of my house is now down to $488K…” Answer: Let me stop you right there. The tax assessor’s assessment of your Pacific Beach home is not necessarily the value. In fact,
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Buying a San Diego Home From an Auction Site

“I keep seeing these ads for an auction company. I went on their sites and the opening bids are very low compared to what the homes previously sold for. What do you think of buying a San Diego home from an auction site?” Answer: I’m not going to call it a scam. Let’s just say
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Short Sales: To Buy or Not to Buy?

“I hear a lot about short sales. Do you recommend buying them or avoiding them entirely?” Answer: Great question. And like many questions, the answer is “it depends.” In this case it depends on the short sale particulars: – How many loans is the seller going short on? – Does the listing agent seem to
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What Exactly Is a Homestead?

“We’ve never bought a home before and I heard it’s a good idea to get a homestead on the house. Can you explain what a homestead is?” Answer: A homestead exemption protects some or all of your equity from unsecured creditors. There are two kinds of homestead exemptions: automatic and declared. Both have similar protections,
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Beware of Agents Illegally Inventing Offers

“I just made an offer on a Pacific Beach home that had been on the market for 8 months. Now suddenly there’s a second offer. Why is it that when I decide to make an offer, suddenly and mysteriously another offer appears? I’m a little suspicious.” Answer: While RARE, agents have been known to unethically
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Price Appreciation in San Diego Neighborhoods

“Hi Gary. I’m thinking of buying a home and I’m trying to decide where. Don’t you think that all neighborhoods in San Diego tend to appreciate at the same rate over the long run?” Answer: I agree that most San Diego neighborhoods should appreciate at about the same rate… unless there’s what I’ll call a
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Signing a Buyer-Broker Agreement

“Hi Gary. It’s been about 10 years since my wife and I bought our home. We recently met with an agent to talk about finding a bigger home. When we were done, he asked us to sign a Buyer-Broker Agreement. I’ve never heard of this. What do you advise?” Answer: A “Buyer-Broker Agreement” outlines how
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Tips for Buying a Cheap San Diego Home

“We’re trying to buy our first home, but just can’t find anything we can afford in a safe area. Any ideas?” Answer: Here are a few ideas for you: 1. Buy a small, basic, inexpensive condo in an ugly complex. 2. Buy a duplex with friend or family, each living on one side. 3. Buy
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