What Should The List Price Of My Home Be? Dear Phyllis, My wife and I refinanced our mortgage last October to obtain a more favorable interest rate. We are now planning a move thanks to an unexpected promotion. At the time our home was appraised at $1.1m. After consulting with the Realtor who sold us […]
Is Waiving The Home Inspection A Mistake? Dear Phyllis, My daughter recently purchased a home in Orange County. It’s a seller’s market there just like the Foothill’s. Because there were multiple offers, her real estate agent suggested that they consider waiving their home inspection. The home appeared to be well maintained and she didn’t want […]
Why do Realtors Grossly Under Price Homes? Dear Phyllis, I recently read an article in another paper about a home in South Pasadena listed for $1,349,000 and selling for $2,105,000. My daughter has been looking at homes for six months and made three offers, each time getting outbid. It’s a very hurtful and emotional process […]
What Is The Best Way To Sell A Home? Dear Phyllis, For more than 20 years, I have been living in the La Crescenta home I inherited from my parents. As a struggling single mom, I am afraid no one will want to buy my home because it needs so much work. I have three […]
Should I Go To Open Houses Without My Agent? Dear Phyllis, I have been searching for a home in the Foothills since the beginning of the year. As many of the new listings are open on the weekend, my agent has been directing me to just go to the open house. She does show me […]
Condo Leaks Dear Phyllis, I really enjoy your column and I have a complicated question. My daughter recently closed escrow on a condominium in Orange County. On the afternoon her loan funded, the homeowner’s association notified her Realtor that there was a leak. The leak was in the vacant unit she was purchasing, leaking into […]
Refusing To Move Dear Phyllis, My sister has been living with my mother for 20 years. My mother passed two years ago and as the trustee of the estate I want to sell the home. It’s horse property in Acton on over two acres. For the last two years my sister has not paid rent. […]
Termites Found After Purchase Dear Phyllis, I appreciate your weekly real estate advice and have a question for you. Eighteen months ago, my son purchased his home. At that time, the seller paid for $1600 in termite work. His neighbor works for a large nationwide termite company and told him he noticed a lot of […]
Purpose Of The Home Inspection Dear Phyllis, I think you provide a valuable service to the community, and I look forward to reading your real estate column. If you have already discussed the purpose of the home inspection, my apologies for being redundant. Upon my son’s Realtor’s insistence, he hired a home inspector. The inspector […]
Changing The Terms Of The Contract Dear Phyllis, My daughter, who is moving to San Luis Obispo, listed her home for sale with the real estate agent who sold it to her. As an avid reader of your column, I advised my daughter that she should make her sale contingent upon her finding a home […]