Do Repairs Increase Home Value or Just Make It Sell Faster?

Question: “I’m not sure if this makes sense. An agent told me that remodeling and new paint and carpet don’t increase the value of my home, they just make it sell faster?” Answer: That’s nonsense. I’ve heard that many times and never understood the “logic.” All smart improvements should increase the value of your home,
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Beware Letters Asking to Buy Your San Diego Home

Question: “I got two letters today. One was from someone saying they wanted to buy my rental condo. Another was from an agent saying he has someone who wants to buy my home. Do you think these are for real?” Answer: Yes and no. Almost all letters saying someone (or some group) wants to buy
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Don’t Hire a Property Manager to Do an Agent’s Job

Question: “My property manager is licensed, so we’re going to go ahead and list our rental with her and…” Answer: Hey, did you hear the news about the Chargers?! This season quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates are going to swap positions. Gates at QB and Rivers playing tight end. No big deal.
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How to Avoid Being Sued When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “I’ve never sold a home and I’m very worried about being sued for not disclosing something. Do you have any tips to avoid being sued?” Answer: It’s all about disclosure. If you disclose everything to a buyer, they’re unlikely to sue you later or win if they do sue you. And the proper way
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How Long Does It Take to Sell a San Diego Home Right Now?

Question: “How long does it take to sell a home right now?” Answer: There are many variables, such as location, condition, property type, price range, etc. But by far the biggest two variables are price and agent. If you price your home near market value and have a good agent, you’re going to sell it
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Beware Of “Price Creep” When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “We listed our home for sale for $550,000 yesterday, but it’s not on the market yet. Now we’re thinking we should ask $580,000. Are we allowed to raise the price?” Answer: For all practical purposes, you are. I can’t imagine a broker telling you, “I don’t care. We have a contract and I’m going
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Clearing Up a Misconception About Real Estate Agents

Question: “I’ve already talked to Keller Williams about selling my home. Wouldn’t it be unethical to talk with another Keller Williams agent?” Answer: Not at all. As a matter of fact, you haven’t actually talked with “Keller Williams.” Keller Williams is a real estate company. You talked with a Keller Williams agent. Real estate companies
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Do Fix & Flip Investors Only Make Low Offers?

Question: “Last week you talked about selling to a fix and flip investor. But don’t they only buy if they get a really low price for a house?” Answer: Not necessarily. I can speak from experience, having sold dozens of homes where we had offers from investors and from owner-occupant buyers. Many fix/flip cash investors
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Choosing the Right Offer When Selling a Fixer-Upper

Question: “I inherited a fixer-upper house in L.A. We put it on the market yesterday and today we already have 6 offers. Is that normal?” Answer: There is a strong demand for fixer-uppers right now by “fix and flip” groups. So when selling a fixer upper, the trick isn’t so much getting offers, it’s choosing
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How Agents Price Your San Diego Home So Fast

Question: “I interviewed an agent to list my house. She walked through for a few minutes and told me what price we could get. It surprised me that she gave me a value that quickly after just seeing my house for 10 minutes. It didn’t seem like she did any homework. Is that normal?” Answer:
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