This Week’s Crazy Building: Abraj al-Bait

This week’s crazy building is Abraj al-Bait in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Also called the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, the building holds multiple world records. At nearly 1,972 feet, it’s the third tallest building in the world and the tallest clock tower on earth. It also has the largest clock faces—all four are 141 feet across,
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Can I Do a 1031 Exchange on My Vacation Condo?

Question: “Can I do a 1031 exchange on my vacation condo?” Answer: I talked with a 1031 expert said about doing an exchange with a vacation property. Here’s what she said: A second home that is not reported on Schedule E and the interest is written off against your personal income does not qualify for a
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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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Is Your San Diego Home Overpriced?

Question: “I’d like to move closer to my mother. There’s a home directly behind hers that’s been on the market for about a year and they haven’t reduced the price. Do you think it’s over-priced?” Answer: If a home is priced right, even the most pathetic, good-for-nothing, lay-about real estate agent will find a way
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló by Keith Roper licensed under the terms of CC BY 2.0
This week’s crazy building is Casa Batlló in Barcelona, Spain. Remodeled in 1904 by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí, this unusual structure is nicknamed the “House of Bones” due to its organic and skeleton-like appearance. There are a plethora of architectural oddities packed into this building, including large oval windows, a facade decorated with multicolored
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Selling to a Cash Investor vs. a Family

Question: [From a client whose home I had for sale] “I know I should go with the cash investor and quick closing, but my heart is telling me to sell to the other buyer who offered the same amount. I’d really love to see a family living in my home. And they said they’re okay
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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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Are Agents Responsible for Finding & Disclosing Home Problems?

Question: “Hi Gary. A friend of mine bought a home and it turned out to have several problems, including a lot of mold behind a couch. Is an agent responsible for finding and disclosing things like that?” Answer: An agent is legally required to “conduct a reasonably competent diligent visual inspection of reasonably and normally
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This Week’s Crazy Building: MGM Grand Macau

Casino Resort MGM Grand, Macau by Diego Delso used under the license CC BY-SA 4.0
This week’s crazy building is the MGM Grand Resort in Macau, China. The building cost $1.25 billion to construct, and consists of 35 stories with 600 hotel rooms. The resort also includes a 5-acre casino, a convention space, and a dozen food and beverage outlets. But it looks more like three separate buildings stacked on top
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When Low Owner-Occupancy Hurts Your Condo Value

Question: “I live in a four-unit condo complex. Three occupants are owners and the fourth is a vacation home for the owners. Now one of the owners plans to move and rent his unit. Does this hurt the value of my condo?” Answer: If a condo complex falls below 60% owner-occupied, financing gets more difficult
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