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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Pre-qualifying, Pre-approval, and REAL Pre-approval

Question: “I just talked to a lender for about 10 minutes and I got pre-approved for a $550,000. That seemed a little too fast. I thought getting a loan was a little more complicated. Do you think I’m really approved? Answer: No, I don’t. You’re right to be dubious. There’s pre-qualifying, there’s pre-approval, and there’s
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Don’t Fall Prey to the “Above Average” Fallacy

Question: “We’re planning to sell our home in Carlsbad this June. Homes in our neighborhood are going in the 700s, but ours is much better than average, so we expect to at least get in the 800s. Do you think the low 900s would be pushing it?” Answer: Before I answer your question, please answer
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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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Must You Be a First-time Buyer to Get an FHA Loan?

Question: “Do you have to be a first-time homebuyer to get an FHA loan?” Answer: No. There’s no requirement whatsoever to be a first-time buyer if you’re getting an FHA loan.
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Can Your Bank Get Your Money After a Short Sale?

Question: “I’m planning to do a short sale. But if I come into some money later, can my bank go after me and try and get that money?” Answer: Not if you’re selling a property in California! Because of California Senate Bill 931 and Assembly Bill 458, when lenders agree to a short sale, they’re
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Getting Undisclosed Repairs After a San Diego Home Sale

Question: “I bought a home and am pretty sure the seller didn’t disclose that the roof was leaking. In the rain a few weeks ago, we had a leak. Our roofer said it HAD to be leaking before the house was sold. What should we do?” Answer: I recommend that you… 1. See an attorney.
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How to Find Out What Are Rents Going For

Question: “I’ve got a vacancy coming up in one of my apartments. Do you know any websites where I can look up what rents are going for?” Answer: I know of a few… http://www.craigslist.com …of course http://www.rentometer.com http://www.padmapper.com …just maps Craigslist ads? http://www.finestexpert.com …upper right corner
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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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Home Offers Aren’t “First Come First Served”

Question: [From an agent who sent me the first of several offers I received on a home.] “Can I get something back to acknowledge that we do have our offer in and it is in before any others?” Answer: I’ve been asked this by homebuyers and homesellers. But I was surprised that an AGENT actually
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