How Long Is Your San Diego Home Inspection Good For?

Question: “We made an offer on a house and the seller had a home inspection done 4 months ago. How long are home inspections good for?” Answer: There’s no generally agreed “expiration” date for a home inspection. But I’d say any inspection done in the past 6 months is still going to be pretty current.
Read more
No Comments

Can You Get a Loan Without Qualifying?

Question: “I got turned down for a mortgage, but I know I can afford a payment.  Is there a way to get a loan without qualifying?” Answer: For better or worse, the crazy Wild West lending rules of 2005 are long gone. Back then, we joked that if you could fog a mirror, you could
Read more
No Comments

What Furniture to Keep When Selling Your San Diego Home

Question: “Hi Gary, we inherited a house that we’ll be calling you to sell.  We’ve moved out some of the furniture, but there’s still a couch,  bed, a couple of chairs, and a coffee table.” Answer: Depending on the home and the furniture, some homes look better furnished. But… Leaving just a few sticks of
Read more
No Comments

Should You Buy a 1-Bedroom Condo?

Question: “Is buying a 1BR condo a bad idea because they’re hard to resell?” Answer: No. First of all, like any real estate, they’re not hard to resell if priced correctly. But if they were undesirable, that would (or at least should) be reflected in the form of lower prices.
Read more
No Comments

Is It Too Late for a 1031 Exchange?

Question: “I’m selling a rental property and we’re closing in two weeks.  I just talked to my tax guy and he said I should do a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.  Is it too late?” Answer: Probably not. Fortunately you’re deciding sooner than my client did.  He called me as the grant deed (transferring ownership to the
Read more
No Comments

Can a Contract Clause Keep the Buyer From Suing?

Question: “I’d like to put an As Is clause in the contract that says the buyer can’t sue me after they buy my home…” Answer: The standard California contract already has a clause that reads: “Unless otherwise agreed: (i) the Property is sold (a) in its present physical (‘as is’) condition as of the date
Read more
No Comments

How Long Do You Have to Make an Offer?

Question: “A house just hit the market that we like.  How long do you think we have to make an offer?” Answer: A day? An hour? I don’t know how long it will take other potential buyers to offer on the specific home you like.  But I’ve received offers in as little as an hour
Read more
No Comments

What San Diego Home Can You Afford?

Question: “My daughter and her husband make about $150,000 per year. What price range do you think they can afford?” Answer: Great question, but more info is required to answer that: What are their revolving (i.e. monthly) debt payments? How long have they been on their jobs? How is their credit? How much do they
Read more
No Comments

Finding Out if You Owe Tax When Selling

Question: “I’m selling my home. My proceeds will be under 250K, so I won’t have to pay any taxes…” Answer: Hold on! That’s not how you figure out whether you owe taxes when you sell your home. Taxes are not based on the size of your check at closing. If it were, everyone would put
Read more
No Comments

Should You Present Your Offer to the Seller in Person?

Question: “I read in the paper that a good way to help get your offer accepted is for your agent to present it in person to the seller. Is that what you recommend?” Answer: Wow, that brings back memories! Way, way back in the dark ages of real estate…before e-signatures…before email…before faxes(!), that’s how we
Read more
No Comments