Licensed since 1984, San Diego real estate broker Gary Kent is a recognized authority on real estate. In addition to selling over 5,500 homes for clients, he has been an expert court witness, trainer of other agents, and he does seminars on home buying, home selling, and investing. Gary has sold homes for The Salvation Army, dozens of major banks, and Fannie Mae, amongst others. You can find Gary on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Are There San Diego Condos Without HOA Fees?

Question: “Hi Gary. Could you please email me a list of condos without HOA fees in P.B., Clairemont, U.C., and nearby areas…” Answer: That would be a very short list. As in VERY short. I’d estimate that 99.9% of condos have HOA fees. The rare exception would be a 2-4 unit property converted to condos w/o
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[VIDEO] Homeseller Mistake #6: Thinking Lower Fee = Higher Net

Is A Lower Real Estate Agent Fee Better? 30+ year veteran Realtor Gary Kent reveals the costly mistakes people that make when selling a home in San Diego, CA. Mistake #6 is believing that a lower real estate agent fee means a higher net gain. It’s an idea that makes intuitive sense: If you’re paying
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1031 Exchange vs. Stepped Up Basis on Your San Diego Home

Question: “I inherited a condo from my dad last year and want to sell it and buy a rental property here. Should I do a 1031 tax deferred exchange?” Answer: [A 1031 exchange allows someone to sell an investment property, reinvest the proceeds in a new property, and defer some or all tax on the
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Should Your Agent Be There For All Showings?

Question: “I’m interested in selling my condo in La Jolla. I’ve already spoken with an agent who promised she’d accompany other agents for all the showings. Are you willing to do that?” Answer: I’d never do you such a disservice! Why is that a disservice? Because it usually dramatically reduces interest and showings. Let me
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Should a Structural Engineer Inspect the Home Foundation?

Question: “Should we have a structural engineer inspect the foundation on a home we want to buy?” Answer: A few years ago, I had a pain in my chest almost certainly from straining myself in the gym. I called Kaiser to set an appointment to see my doc and when they heard “chest pain” they
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This Week’s Crazy Building: ArtScience Museum

The ArtScience Museum by William Cho licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 2.0
This week’s crazy building is the ArtScience Museum in Singapore. Located at Marina Bay Sands, this attraction resembles a gigantic lotus flower lifted high above the water. The points of the “petals” contain skylights that provide natural lighting to the interior. Another “green” feature: rainwater flows down through the center of the building and into
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[VIDEO] Pricing Blunder #5: Trusting Home Valuation Sites

Can You Trust Home Valuation Sites? Local San Diego Realtor Gary Kent reveals the costly mistakes people that make when selling a San Diego home. Blunder #5 is trusting that a home valuation website will offer an accurate value of your home. Home valuation sites are great entertainment, but you should trust them about as
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Why Have a Seller Pay Closing Costs for the Buyer?

Question: “What’s the benefit of having a seller pay closing costs for the buyer? They’ll want a higher price, so I don’t get why people do it.” Answer: Indeed, when I get an offer on a client’s home and the buyer wants the seller to pay their closing costs, many of my clients object. And
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Can a Website Tell me What Work to Do on My Home Before Selling?

Question: “Is there a website that can tell me what work I should do on my home before I sell it?” Answer: Probably, but I have a better idea. If your home is in San Diego and you’re considering selling, invite me by and I’ll give you profitable fix up tips based on my 31
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Must the Seller Pay the Realtor Fee?

Question: “I’m going to be a first time homebuyer and want to learn as much as I can. I’ve heard the seller has to pay for the Realtor fee as well as termites and a few other things. Is that correct?” Answer: Not exactly. All costs are technically negotiable, so the seller is not required
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