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.

What to Do With Your San Diego Home After Improving It

Question: “I just finished renovating my condo. It has never looked this good in the 20 years I’ve owned it, so I’ve decided to keep it and rent it out…” Answer: Since you did so much to your condo, be sure to get a big security deposit from a potential tenant. You may even want
Read more
No Comments

A Real Estate License Isn’t a “Golden Ticket”

Question: “A friend of the family just got a real estate license, so we’re going to have him sell our home.” Answer: This reminds me of what I call the “Golden Ticket Syndrome.” Remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? If you had a Golden Ticket you got the grand tour of Willy’s candy factory
Read more
No Comments

How Much to Deposit When Making a San Diego Home Offer

Question: “How much is a normal deposit when you make an offer on a house?” Answer: A typical deposit is 1-2% of the purchase price. But just because it’s typical doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the approach you should take. Offering a bigger deposit, say over 2%, is a way of making your offer appear stronger
Read more
No Comments

This Week’s Crazy Building: Solomon’s Castle

Credit: Soloman’s Castle by Sam Howzit licensed under the terms of CC BY-2.0
This week’s crazy building is Solomon’s Castle in Ona, Florida. As strange as this 12,000 square foot home looks at first glance, it only gets weirder from there. It was built in the 1970s by Howard Solomon over the course of twelve years in the middle of a Floridian swamp. Inspired by medieval castles, he
Read more
No Comments

Can You Buy Real Estate in Your IRA?

Question: “Hi Gary. Do you know if you’re allowed to buy real estate in your IRA?” Answer: Yes, we’ve helped clients do it and I’ve even done it myself a few times. You must have a self-directed retirement account with a company (aka “custodian”) that allows real estate IRAs. And you must follow the rules,
Read more
No Comments

The Crystal Ball Question & The Definition of Value

Question: “I know the market has recovered most of what it lost, but I still don’t think I can get what my home is worth. When do you think we’ll fully recover to 2006 prices?” Answer: First, a non-answer, then a comment… Non-Answer Your question of when will we retake the peak of the 2006
Read more
No Comments

Deciding What San Diego Home Features to Compromise On

Question: “I own a 3-bedroom condo in Pacific beach and I’d really like to trade it for a house with a yard and keep my monthly payments the same. Do you think that’s possible?” Answer: Yes, depending on what you’re willing to give up. You may be able to sell your condo and buy a
Read more
No Comments

This Week’s Crazy Building: Harpa Concert Hall

Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Center by Sarah Ackerman licensed under the terms of CC BY 2.0
This week’s crazy building is the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland. Completed in 2011, Harpa is the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. It was also meant to include a hotel, apartments, shops, restaurants and other facilities, but those plans were abandoned during Iceland’s financial crisis. This unusually angled structure seems to burst out in
Read more
No Comments

Can You Identify More than One Property to Buy in a 1031 Exchange?

Question: “We’ll be selling a rental house in Alabama and want to buy something here doing a 1031 exchange. I know we have to designate what property we’re going to buy within 45 days of closing the Alabama house. Can we identify more than one?” Answer: Yes. Here are the 3 options you have for
Read more
No Comments

Is It Okay For Buyer’s Agents to Contact the Seller?

Question: “We have our home listed and an agent who showed the house called us asking about why we’re selling, when we’d like to move, and if we had other offers. Is that normal?” Answer: Absolutely NOT! That practice is unethical and possibly illegal. The only communication the buyer’s agent should initiate with you should
Read more
No Comments