Selling Your San Diego Home with an Agent vs. a Team

Question: “Is it better to list my home with a real estate agent or a team?” Answer: Full disclosure: I lead a real estate team and it’s possible I’m biased. That being said… You will definitely be better served with a successful team. Here are just a few of the reasons… Selling a home today
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How Much Should You Pay for a San Diego Home You Love?

Question: “We could use your advice. We’ve been really studying the market and looked at over 50 condos. We finally found the perfect condo for us. We offered and the seller’s bottom price is $435,000, but that model has been going in the 420s. Any words of wisdom?” Answer: I have three comments – I
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Ulm Minster

Ulm Minster by Martin Kraft under the free license CC BY-SA 3.0
Construction on this immense structure began in 1377, but factors such as the Thirty Years’ War, the Reformation and even the discovery of the Americas led to a lull of nearly 300 years in the building process. It wasn’t completed until 1890—over 500 years later! A close call came in December 1944, where most of
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Can You Do 1031 Exchanges with Property Outside the U.S.?

Question: “Can I do a 1031 exchange from my San Diego rental into a property in Italy, or can I only exchange for something in the U.S.?” Answer: You can only exchange your San Diego property for another investment property in the U.S., or possibly U.S. territories or U.S. possessions. Temporary Regulations issued in 2005
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Are Agents Paid When People Buy a Loved One’s San Diego Home?

Question: “Do agents get paid when family members buy a loved one’s home?” Answer: As long as everyone gets along in the family and the parties feel comfortable, they don’t necessarily need an agent for a sale to a family member. But some people have had me handle such cases because they really want a
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Can You Outbid a Backup Home Offer?

Question: “There’s a home next door to some friends that my wife and I just missed out on. Now our friend tells us he heard the sale is cancelling. So our agent called the seller’s agent saying we’ll raise our offer $10,000 over the asking price, but was told they had an accepted backup offer
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Hayden Planetarium

Rose Center for Earth and Space by Spheroide licensed under the term of Public Domain
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Why You’ll Get a Bigger Loan on a House vs. a Condo

Question: “Maybe you can answer this for me. I talked with a lender who said I can buy a house for 490K, but a condo for only 450K. Why do I qualify for a higher price for a house than for a condo?” Answer: It’s because of the HOA fees. The lender adds them to
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Should You Sell or Add Onto Your San Diego Home?

Question: “Our family is growing and we’re running out of space. We’re expecting our third child and we’re trying to decide if should stay and add-on or sell and move up. What advice can you give us?” Answer: My best advice is to ask yourself these questions: Do you love where you live? Does your
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What Is a “Highest and Best” Offer?

Question: “We made an offer on a home. The seller responded saying there are several offers and asking for ‘highest and best’. Can you explain what that is exactly?” Answer: The seller is countering those who offered on their home. But instead of countering with a specific price, they’re asking the buyers to come back
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