“I talked with one of those discount brokers and he said he does the same things that regular brokers do and charges less. He said he puts a house in the MLS system, puts up a sign, and that’s most of the work. Why should I pay more and use you?” ***ANSWER: Just his statement

“Hi Gary, I heard somewhere that it costs about 7% to sell a home: 6% for the Realtor and 1% for other costs like the title and escrow companies, etc. Are there any hidden costs I should look out for?” ***ANSWER: There are several categories of items that you be aware of: 1. Costs of

“Hi Gary. I saw a little condo near SDSU for sale. The agent was advertising it as being $35,000 under Zillow Zestimate. I’m not sure what they’re talking about. Does that mean it’s a good deal?” ***ANSWER: Nope. What that means is the agent is trying to sway anyone foolish enough to think that Zillow’s

“What is Fannie Mae?” ***ANSWER: Fannie Mae or FNMA, stands for the Federal National Mortgage Association. It’s a privately held corporation created by Congress to support the secondary mortgage market. It’s a major market for buying and selling home loans and they have certain critical guidelines. If a loan doesn’t meet FNMA guidelines, it’s harder

Hi Gary. Love your newsletter. I want to know, when you’re looking for a home and find one you really like, how long do you think it’s OK to think about it before making an offer. ***ANSWER: He who hesitates is lost. Even in today’s market, if a home is attractive &/or attractively priced, someone

“We interviewed two agents to sell our home in Alpine. We mentioned to the first one that we’re also talking to a certain well-known agent who has sold signs all over our area. That first agent said she could give me better service and do a better job than the other agent because she’s not

“Hi Gary. I’m writing in response to what you wrote Friday about it being a great time to buy a home. My wife and I looked for a home a year ago and things were so bad, we gave up. Prices were too high and we kept getting beat out by other buyers, even when

FREE SEMINAR July 27 / Thursday 6-8PM At “Forum Hall” at the UTC Mall in University City Why Buy In A Buyer’s Market? – San Diego real estate market update – Bursting bubble or soft landing? – Advantages of buying in today’s slower market – Who should NOT buy a home today? – 10 Things

Sounds like a reasonable question doesn’t it? Now that the San Diego housing market has taken a breather, the doomsayers are shouting “The Bubble is Bursting!” Yesterday’s Hot Seller’s Market gave the average homebuyer very few San Diego homes to buy without a bidding war. And has given way to a calm Buyer’s Market Now

“Hi Gary. I’m currently renting near UTC with a lease through December. I wasn’t really planning to buy, but my girlfriend wanted to go out and look at homes. We’ve seen several at good prices that we can afford. So now I’ve got the bug and want to buy before rates go up. But I’ve