Ask Phyllis! Trustee Not Acting As A Fiduciary? Dear Phyllis, My aunt never had children, and her trust named her five nieces and nephews as beneficiaries. The eldest nephew was the trustee. Her home was on a flag lot, and the trustee lived next door. There was poor communication from the trustee from […]
Ask Phyllis! Selling Quietly Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your real estate questions and think this is a new topic for discussion. I have a sister who my mother disinherited years ago. She was a drug addict and a real disappointment to my parents. She moved out of state years before my […]
Ask Phyllis! Selling A Home During COVID Dear Phyllis, We were going to put our La Crescenta home on the market in May. But because of COVID we delayed. We still want to sell and were hoping that things would die down sooner. As seniors, we are very concerned about our health. How […]
Ask Phyllis! Buyer Brokerage Agreement Dear Phyllis, I contacted a well-known La Crescenta Realtor® last week to see a home that has been on the market for almost a month. This Realtor® said we would need to sign COVID disclosures to view the home. The agent went on to say that […]
Ask Phyllis! Trustee Duties: Where to begin? Dear Phyllis, My mother just passed. She had a living trust and I am her trustee. She has so much stuff and I don’t know where to begin. At some point we will need to sell her La Crescenta home, but that seems a long way […]
Ask Phyllis! Buyers’ Remorse Dear Phyllis, We purchased our home at the height of the real estate market in 2006 and now are trying to sell it. After being in our home for more than ten years there is very little profit. We had two low offers and then a third. […]
Ask Phyllis! Los Angeles Probate Court And Overbids Dear Phyllis, After looking at homes for months and making numerous offers, we finally got an offer accepted on a probate property. For some reason in this probate, the court needed to confirm our contract before we could close escrow. Our REALTOR® explained that […]
Ask Phyllis! What Is A Back-Up Offer? Dear Phyllis, I have been a faithful reader of your column since you wrote for the Glendale News Press. I appreciate the valuable service you provide to our community. I think it will be beneficial for you to share our experience with a back-up offer. We […]
Ask Phyllis! Trustee Selling Off Market Dear Phyllis, My mother recently died and I am the sole trustee of her estate. My three siblings and I are the beneficiaries. The reverse mortgage payment is $7,000 a month. My sister has lived in the home and was taking care of my mother for the […]
Ask Phyllis! Understanding Supplemental Property Taxes Dear Phyllis, You cover a variety of real estate topics. However, I don’t believe you have ever written about supplemental property taxes. I was the executor of my Uncle’s estate in San Diego. We closed escrow in February and I received a supplemental tax bill for nearly […]