“I just went to a real estate seminar about investing in XXX XXX Duplexes. They build beautiful new duplexes in various cities for you to buy. Did you go to the seminar? It seemed interesting and I wanted to get your opinion. Is this a scam or an opportunity?” ***ANSWER: I did not, but I

“Hi Gary, Your newsletter is interesting and informative. We enjoy reading it and learning from it. I have a question that I would like to ask you. I know that by law if you live 2 of the five years in a house when you sell it you would get $500,000 tax break. Please explain

“Hi Gary. I’m ready to buy my first home and my uncle who’s a self-proclaimed real estate investor keeps telling me to make a bunch of low offers using a letter of intent. What exactly is a letter of intent and do you recommend using one? ***ANSWER: A Letter of Intent is a simple, fast,

“Hi Gary. We make good income, but we don’t have a lot of money to put down on a home. I’ve heard if you don’t put at least 20% down you have to pay mortgage insurance. Is there any way around that?” ***ANSWER: Yes! Mortgage insurance is generally required for home loans with a “loan-to-value”

“How important is it to have a for sale sign up when we sell our home? We’d rather that our neighbors not know that we’re moving.” ***ANSWER: I highly recommend you go with the for sale sign. A sign is an important tool in marketing and selling your home. And believe me, when your neighbors

“My uncle is very sick and I’m his only heir. He’s deeding me his home now to make it easier for me to sell it after he’s gone. Of course he’ll stay there as long as he lives. Is there any downside to what we’re planning to do?” ***ANSWER: STOP! Do nothing until you consult

“Hi Gary. I’m from New Jersey, which has the highest property taxes in the country. I’m living here and looking to purchase a home and I want to know how much are property taxes?” ***ANSWER: California’s Proposition 13 limits your property taxes to 1% of the assessed value + voter approved local bonds, all totaling

“When I was a kid in the 60’s, my dad was in the navy and we moved a lot. When we sold a home, my mom baked bread when people were coming to look. The whole house smelled great and my folks said it helped with the sale. Now I’ll be selling soon, but I

“Hi Gary, my wife and I really enjoy your newsletter. We own a condo right now that I inherited, so I’ve never bought a home. But my wife and I want to buy a house. Do you think it’s a good idea to stick with one agent or work with several agents to find the

“Hello Gary… We’re interested in selling our investment properties. We like the 1031 exchange concept. However, we are scared off by the 45 day identification process.” ***ANSWER: I understand the hesitation due to the 45-day period you have from closing your sale to “identify” the property(s) you want to buy. While everyone has this same