Can You Waive the Appraisal Contingency?

Question: “I want to buy a home in the $400,000 range, but I know there’s heavy competition and multiple offers on many homes. I think I read in one of your newsletters that you suggest one way to make your offer more attractive is to waive the appraisal contingency. Will a lender let you do
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Do Banks Do Short Sales on Reverse Mortgages?

Question: “My mother moved to a senior home and we need to sell. She has a reverse mortgage and is upside down. Do banks do short sales on reverse mortgages?” Answer: Yes! Short sales on reverse mortgages are as fast and easy as they get. In fact, we just did one and got the bank’s
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Your Bank May Lie to You About Your Short Sale

Question: “We’re behind on our mortgage and want to do a short sale, and our bank says we have to be current in order for them to approve it. That doesn’t sound right. What’s your take on this?” Answer: They’re lying to you! You’re talking with a department whose job it is to get you
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Buying a Foreclosed Duplex Directly from a Bank

Question: “I’d like to find and buy a foreclosed duplex directly from a bank. Any advice on how to do that?” Answer: Having sold close to 800 foreclosures for banks, I definitely know the answer to your question. If the property is owned by a major bank, they have a process they go through before
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The First Step to Buying Your San Diego Home

Question: “My wife and I have never bought a home. What’s the first step you recommend?” Answer: Step #1 is getting preapproved by a good reputable lender. In this way, you’ll find out: The maximum price you qualify for The maximum price you’re comfortable with What your payments will be Any qualifying challenges you need
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A Vacant Home Doesn’t Mean a Desperate Seller

Question: “There’s a home I’m interested in. Since it’s vacant, the seller is probably motivated and I can hopefully get a good deal and…” Answer: Hold on! Don’t assume that because a home is vacant that the seller is motivated and will sell below market. While that’s true in some cases, I’ve had many clients
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How Many Days Do You Get to Inspect a San Diego Home?

Question: “How many days do you get to inspect a house?” Answer: The default or standard time period in the California contract to do your “inspections and investigations” and object to the results is 17 days. However, that number is often shortened, and almost certainly shortened if you’re buying a foreclosure. So be sure to
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Get New Free Furniture for Your San Diego Home

Question: “We have a question. We’re going to sell our home. When we get our new place, we plan to buy brand new furniture because our current furniture is ugly and old and out of style. Do you recommend we sell our home vacant?” Answer: Here’s a novel way to effectively get your new furniture
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Should You Sell Your San Diego Home Furnished?

Question: “We’re moving to the east coast. We’re not taking most of our furniture due to shipping costs and because we’re moving into a much smaller home. Do you advise people to sell their homes furnished or empty all the furniture?” Answer: Like many things, it depends. The main factor is how nice your furniture
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Value Range Pricing Tip for Your San Diego Home

Question: “Hi Gary. We’d like to list our home with you for $679,500 to $724,900 using the value range approach. How does that sound?” Answer: Value range can be a very effective pricing strategy, so that’s fine. However, when I do value range, I try to use round numbers to make the price easier to
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