Can I still sell my San Diego duplex even if my rents are way below market value?

Question: “We own a duplex and are considering selling it. Our rents are way below market because we’re just not very good landlords and our tenants have been there forever. Will that be a problem?” Answer: You’ll still be able to sell your duplex. But because a large percentage of potential buyers are investors, and
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Is a single family house a good investment?

Question: “What do you think of buying a single family house as an investment?” Answer: Funny you should ask. I’ve never been a fan of buying houses in San Diego as a buy-and-hold investment. But I just closed on my very first one ever, earlier this month. So I guess my views have changed. For
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Is solar a good idea if I’m planning to sell my San Diego home?

Question: (This question isn’t exactly about “investing”, but…) “A guy from a solar company just came by saying they work together with California. He wanted to find out if our home would qualify for SOLAR. At no cost to the owner. What do you know about this, given that we’ll be selling the home? Should
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Can I do a 1031 exchange when I co-own?

Question: “I co-own a rental property with my brother. Can I sell another rental I own and use the money to do a 1031 exchange to buy him out?” Answer: My 1031 rep said you cannot do an exchange on a property where you already own a partial interest: “Unfortunately, because of the vesting and
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How do I sell my rental property if I still have tenants?

Question: “I’d like to have you handle the sale of my rental house.  We told the tenant there would be no lockbox and the home would be shown with 24 hour notice during business hours…” Answer: Let me stop you right there before you cost yourself any more time and money. In theory we’d like
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How do I buy a fixer-upper in San Diego?

Question: “We currently live with family, which isn’t great, but oh well. My wife and I are handy and while we’re living here, we’d like to buy a little fixer-upper to resell and make some money towards buying a bigger house down the line. Where do we start?” Answer: Keep in mind that buying fix
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Are condos bad investments?

Question: “I’ve heard that condos are bad investments. Is that true?” Answer: Not at all. I personally own three rental condos and they’ve been great investments. They’re especially good for beginning investors because they’re lower in price (on average) and require less management and maintenance since the HOA takes care of the exterior and grounds.
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Can I buy a rental property with a VA loan?

Question: “Can I buy a rental with my VA eligibility?” Answer: Sorry, but VA loans are only for your primary residence.
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What is the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?

Question: “Hi Gary. My wife and I want to buy an investment property. We want to conserve our cash, so we plan to borrow against our home.  Can you tell us the difference between a home equity line, an equity loan, and a HELOC?” Answer: A home equity LINE (aka HELOC, acronym for “Home Equity
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What is the best number of units for an investment property?

Question: “I want to start investing in real estate and I was talking with a real estate agent about buying 4 to 6 apartment units.  She told me it’s better to buy 4 units, but when I asked her why, she didn’t really know.  Do you?” Answer: I don’t know that it’s better to buy
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