How Important are Interior Photos? Dear Phyllis, My mother is in rehab, and when she recovers, we are going to move her to an assisted living facility closer to my family. We will then be selling her home in Torrance. Unfortunately, her house is extremely run down. It will be a lot of work relocating […]
Should I Sell or Rent? Dear Phyllis, I love your real estate column! My wife and I will be moving to Texas next year and the home we will buy will likely be in the $400,000 range. I want to sell our La Crescenta home, but my wife wants to rent it out because the […]
Completing Disclosures On A Long-Term Rental Dear Phyllis, My cousins and I own an Orange County home that we inherited from our grandparents. One of the cousins has passed and this cousin was the one in charge of the renting and maintenance. The current tenant, who my deceased cousin placed, moved out and we intend […]
Understanding The Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement Dear Phyllis, My wife and I are in a two story home and we think the time is nearing that we should move to a single story. We have a Realtor we have known for years. A new listing in our neighborhood just came on the market and I texted […]
Overcoming Resistance To Memory Care Dear Phyllis, I am another loyal reader who enjoys your real estate advice. I have a question with a twist. I am my mother’s conservator, she has dementia. Although she has caretakers, it’s getting to be the time that I will need to sell her home to continue to pay […]
Reverse Mortgage Rules Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your real estate Q&A. I am hoping you can offer some guidance. My 85-year-old mother fell and broke her hip and was rushed to the hospital. She has been in rehab for a month and just had a stroke. I don’t know if she can ever […]
Investor Offers In Trust Sales Dear Phyllis, I know you have a lot of experience with trust sales and I wish you worked closer to Mission Viejo. I am the executor of my brother’s estate in Mission Viejo. His home is mostly in its original condition. I listed the home with a local Realtor who […]
Using The Same Realtor For Buying And Selling Dear Phyllis, I listed my Glendale home with the Realtor who sold it to me 20 years ago. As I plan to move to La Crescenta to be closer to my children, I planned on using a La Crescenta Realtor. I contacted a real estate agent that […]
Ask Phyllis! Selling Income Property Dear Phyllis, My sister and I inherited four units across the street from where I live. I manage the units, and due to their proximity, the tenants often come to my home to deliver rent and sometimes just to complain. There is a lot of interaction between us. Shortly after […]
Trustee Not Acting in the Estate’s Best Interest Dear Phyllis, I find myself in a difficult situation. My deceased husband’s brother passed away without a spouse or children. He left 1/3 of the estate to my sister-in-law, the trustee. I get my husband’s 1/3 interest and the remaining 1/3 interest is divided between five nieces […]