Ask Phyllis! Sorting Through An Estate Dear Phyllis, My mother passed away last November and I am the trustee of her estate. I have four brothers and sisters who all live out of state. None of them want to help me go through and clear the contents of her home. I am sure […]
Ask Phyllis! Earnest Money Deposits Dear Phyllis, My daughter and her husband have been looking at La Crescenta homes on and off for about six months. They are now serious buyers. They are working with the real estate agent who sold us our home. Their first offer was a fiasco. Our Realtor® advised […]
Ask Phyllis! Invasion Of Privacy Dear Phyllis, After searching for a home for almost a year, we finally got one! We wrote offers on three others before we got an offer accepted. Getting our loan approved was probably the most stressful part of the process. It seemed each day our lender wanted another […]
Ask Phyllis! Contingency Removal Dear Phyllis, My fiancé and I recently closed on our first home. Our Realtor® instructed us that it is customary to make a deposit for escrow to hold of 3% of the agreed price. We did so and felt that everything was going well initially. Our loan was approved but […]
Ask Phyllis! When Is The Best Time To Sell Dear Phyllis, I love reading your real estate articles. I am helping my mom sell her La Crescenta home and move to a single level condo. We have been busy sorting through her belongings and have painters, and a handyman lined up. My question is […]
Ask Phyllis! Listing During The Holidays Dear Phyllis, After a long bout with cancer, my mother passed in January. Soon after, I met with her real estate agent who provided me with a list of things to do to prepare her home for sale. It took months to go through her personal papers. […]
Ask Phyllis! Questions To Ask At An Open House Dear Phyllis, While saving for our down payment we have been visiting weekend open houses. Last weekend we encountered an extremely nasty real estate agent. I typically ask why the seller is selling. I feel it’s important to know their motivation. The agent rudely […]
Ask Phyllis! Selling Off Market Dear Phyllis, I must get three or four letters from Realtors® each week. They are pretty much the same. They have a buyer for my home and I can save on the commission. I am retiring next year and will be selling. If I opt to sell to […]
Ask Phyllis! Who Pays For Termite Repairs Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your column and don’t recall you addressing termite repairs. We purchased our home five years ago. At that time, the seller provided termite completion as part of our regular contract. It was not a negotiation but just included. My son […]
Ask Phyllis! Counter Offers Not Required Dear Phyllis, I have been looking at homes for nine months. We have written several offers which for various reasons weren’t accepted. The most recent offer my agent submitted was on a home which had been on the market for three weeks. When asked, the seller’s agent […]