“Gary. My wife and I really enjoy your newsletter. Question- Why typically do home sales fall through? We’re curious for when we sell our home next year.” ***ANSWER: Based on my 21 years and 3,000+ home sales, here are the reasons home sales fall through, in approximate order: 1. Buyer’s inspections and investigations reveal defects

“Perhaps you can help settle an argument. I want to buy a nice condo in a safe area, but my husband wants a house, even if it’s a little dump in a slummy area. He says he’d never buy a condo because they just keep jacking up the fees and the fees are a waste

“I bought a home in January planning to hold it 6 months, resell and move to Florida where I’m taking a new job. Unfortunately, I overpaid a little and the value hasn’t gone up. I really need to sell and move on, but I just can’t lose money on this. Any suggestions?” ***ANSWER: I understand

“Hi Gary, We’re starting to look for a house. We saw one that just came up for sale down our street and we’re waiting for the open house so we can see it. If we like it, can you help us buy it?” ***ANSWER: Yes, we can definitely help you purchase that (or any) home.

“Hi Gary. I have 24 apartments in City Heights. They’ve been a headache lately and I’d like to get out of them into something else. Is it true that you have to buy up to do a 1031 exchange?” ***ANSWER: Almost. While you do have to buy up to do a full referral, just buying

“What’s this I see about 1% and 2.5% real estate fees to sell a home. I know they’re discount brokers and don’t do very much, but how can they charge so little and stay in business?” ***ANSWER: Many of them don’t. There’s a real revolving door of these reduced service brokers starting up and later

http://sandiegorealestateinsider.com/moreinpocket.htm

“I have heard from a couple of people that El Centro is going to become the next Palm Springs. Have you heard anything about that, Gary? Also a lot of things happening in Pahrump NV. Thank you…” ***ANSWER: I’ve heard there are a lot of homes being built in El Centro, but I haven’t heard

“I’m looking into buying apartments and I’ve heard brokers talk about A, B, C, & D areas. I think I understand, but can you explain?” ***ANSWER: A, B, C, & D are subjective grades used to describe both location and property quality. For location, here’s how I’d describe it. It’s a bit tongue in cheek,

“Hello and thanks for your newsletter :o) I’m trying to keep track of real estate, with an eye to moving from a house to a condo. What’s all this about being able to keep your Prop 13 taxes if you’ve passed your 55th birthday? Are there any catches? Keep up the informative (and entertaining) work!”