Since COVID, people seem to have more pets, or at least they seem to bring their animals to more places more often. When folks are out and about at the park or on a walk with their animals, that’s great, but you know things have gotten out of hand when a person tries to bring … Read more
Wherever you live, that’s your home. Although you may not own the structure, you do own the possessions within it, and that’s what homeowner’s insurance protects. In this context, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance are the same thing. If you’re thinking, “My stuff isn’t worth much, so why would I spend the money on insurance?” allow … Read more
Selling your house can be both exciting and stressful. Knowing what to expect can reduce tension and allow you to have the best experience possible. Here’s what you’ll need to do and need to know. Select a REALTOR. Step one in selling your house is signing a listing agreement that grants your REALTOR the exclusive … Read more
A recent antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of REALTORs has been getting some media attention, so although I reviewed this issue briefly in a prior column, I thought I’d dedicate a little more attention to it. I’ll be commenting on the Minnesota case, not the copycat cases that are starting to follow, because the … Read more
Many do-it-yourself homeowners enjoy upgrading their own home rather than hiring a licensed contractor to do so. As long as you do the work in accordance with current building standards and acquire all the necessary permits, this is perfectly fine—with one caveat. In California, if the work requires a building permit and you want to … Read more
Last week, I began deciphering acronyms and vocabulary commonly used in real estate transactions. Here are a few more that can be helpful, especially if things go sideways and a foreclosure is involved. Notice to Perform – This is the document used when the buyer and seller have a signed purchase and sale agreement (PSA) … Read more
If you are contemplating a real estate transaction in the near future (or if you’re involved in one right now), it can be difficult to translate all the acronyms and vocabulary used in the industry. Here’s a guide to the terms you need to know. DRE (Department of Real Estate) – The California Department of … Read more
Recently, I was reminded of a scam where the fraudster tries to sell a property they don’t own. It goes like this. The scammer finds an unoccupied property and checks public records to see if there are any loans or liens on the property. If there aren’t, and the deed was recorded decades ago—especially if … Read more
Here’s how to maximize your ability to buy the home of your dreams. Determine how much to spend. The first step for any homebuyer is to determine how much you can afford, and then how much of that you actually want to spend. Just because a bank offers you a big home loan doesn’t mean … Read more