Real estate Q&A: “How much does it cost to a sell a house?” So you bought a home back in 2012, around the time things bottomed. You’ve been checking out recent comparable sales in your area and stand to make a huge gain if you sell. Once you do the math, it looks like you… Continue reading How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

If you ask someone, anyone really, if real estate agents are overpaid, you’ll likely hear a resounding “yes.” Now ask the agent if they feel they get compensated enough for what they do and they’ll probably say “not even close!” There lies a disparity between what real estate agents get paid and what consumers think… Continue reading Ask Your Real Estate Agent to Rebate Their Commission to Close the Deal

Double End Real Estate Deal This probably sounds ridiculous and completely unconventional, but in today’s ultra-hot real estate market, you might have a better chance of getting your offer accepted if you don’t have an agent. Think about it this way. Most folks looking to purchase a home have a buyer’s agent that represents them.… Continue reading Double End: How to Get Your Purchase Offer Accepted Without a Real Estate Agent

You may have seen ads for “We Buy Ugly Houses,” a company that will make a cash offer for your property as-is, even if it’s not in great shape. The value proposition is that they’ll take the property off your hands quickly so you don’t have to deal with unloading it via the traditional route,… Continue reading We Buy Ugly Houses Review: Should You Sell Them Your Ugly House?

Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz (and anger) about Zillow’s new “Coming Soon listings,” which are properties listed on the Zillow website but not yet on the MLS. They’re basically pocket listings with a wider audience. You may have seen brokerage signs next to homes in your neighborhood that say, “coming soon,” only to… Continue reading Who Actually Benefits from Coming Soon Listings?

Realty Q&A: “What’s the best day to list your home?” Nowadays, money is a little tighter than it used to be. And house values aren’t surging like they once were. As a result, homeowners need to be a lot more thoughtful when listing their properties for sale. One way of squeezing out a bit more… Continue reading What’s the Best Day to List Your Home?

Most folks who live in and around Los Angeles know Santa Monica is a white-hot city in terms of real estate. Heck, it borders the Pacific Ocean, has incredible weather year-round, and is severely limited in terms of space. And guess what? That ocean acts as a pretty good barrier in terms of constraining supply.… Continue reading Get to Know Santa Monica Real Estate With a Heat Map

When searching for a new home or condo to purchase, you’ll surely be scouring the MLS for listings day after day, week after week. In the listings you’ll find everything from square footage to the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, the city the property is located in, and much more. Unfortunately, there is also a disclaimer… Continue reading Don’t Trust a Real Estate Agent’s Description of a Home

Consider this. You set out to buy a piece of property, and enlist a real estate agent that was referred to you, or considered to be the “best around.” Regardless of where you found them, after some snags and let downs (and probably a lot of lies), your purchase transaction finally closes. You got your… Continue reading Don’t Use a Bad Real Estate Agent Twice