How to Find Your Credit Without a Lender

Question: “How do I find out my credit without going to a lender to have them run it?” Answer: Per my favorite mortgage lender, here’s a link you can use to check your credit with each of the 3 major bureaus for free one time per year: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action Lenders don’t use this report, but you
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Will Starting a Short Sale Prevent Foreclosure?

“I’m several months behind on my mortgage and need to do a short sale.  I’m afraid the bank is going to foreclose, but an agent told me that once I start a short sale the bank it’s illegal for them to foreclose.  Is that correct?” ***ANSWER: I wish it was.  You’re talking about California Senate
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How to Buy Tenant Credit Reports

Question: “Hi Gary…As long as I have had a home in Clairemont (early 80’s), you have been the one Realtor that has stayed in real estate, and kept me up to speed with your newsletter! Now that my home is a rental, I need a referral.  The company I used to buy credit reports [to
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How to Find Out What Are Rents Going For

Question: “I’ve got a vacancy coming up in one of my apartments. Do you know any websites where I can look up what rents are going for?” Answer: I know of a few… http://www.craigslist.com …of course http://www.rentometer.com http://www.padmapper.com …just maps Craigslist ads? http://www.finestexpert.com …upper right corner
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Never Use a Lender Who’s Also an Agent

“I just went to your San Diego investing seminar and heard you say never to use a lender who’s also an agent. Sadly, I heard this too late. I bought my San Diego home in 2009 and my (ex) agent did my loan. It was a nightmare. It took almost three months to close and
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How to find a San Diego Short Sale Agent

How to find a San Diego Short Sale Agent? San Diego home owners who are facing the prospect of a bank short sale, need to find short sale specialist. Most folks find their agents from the “neighborhood specialist” or by a family member or friend. Gary Kent, a San Diego REALTOR since 1984 suggests that
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Finding the REAL Worth of Your San Diego Home

“I’m thinking of selling my La Jolla home and buying a bigger one. And I’m concerned about asking the right price. Everyone talks about list price, sales price, CMA, appraised value, etc. But what is a home really worth?” Answer: Great question. Recently a young man told me his condo had just appraised at $460,000.
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Can a Seller “Knock Out” Your Short Sale Offer?

“If I make an offer on a short sale and get it accepted, can the seller keep trying to get higher offers and submit them to the bank, effectively knocking out my offer?” Answer: Great question, complex answer… First of all, once your offer is accepted, the property must be placed in “Contingent” status in
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How Much Are Closing Costs When Selling?

“How much should I expect to pay in closing costs when selling my home?” Answer Depending on how much your San Diego home sells for, a rough rule of thumb for seller’s closing costs is .5% to 1%. The .5% is more for multi-million dollar homes. For simplicity, use 1%. Note that this does not
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Finding a Good Homestager for Your San Diego Home

“Do you have a home stager you can recommend? And what do they typically cost?” Answer: I do know a good homestager and will be happy to give you her contact info. Homestagers offer a range of services, in increasing order of cost: – Initial consultation (often free) – A list of things you can
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