Importance Of A Final Walk Through Dear Phyllis, I recently closed escrow on an older home — a beautiful vintage Spanish style. My wife and I saw the property once during the open house and again with our Realtor before making an offer. After our offer was accepted, we returned for the property inspection. Everything […]
Out Of Area Realtors Dear Phyllis, Over the past two days, I watched a steady stream of visitors arrive at my neighbor’s house. Judging by their clipboards, briefcases, and personalized license plates, I’m sure they were all Realtors. Sure enough, a “For Sale” sign appeared shortly afterward. Interestingly, the sign did not belong to a […]
Possible Discrimination Dear Phyllis, We were involved in a multiple-offer situation and ultimately made the winning bid. To strengthen our offer, we waived both the loan and appraisal contingencies and limited our inspection contingency to just seven days. During the inspection, several issues were discovered, which we anticipated given the home’s age (nearly 100 years […]
Filing A Judgment For Non-Payment of Rent Dear Phyllis, I’ve been following your column for many years, and about 15 years ago I wrote to you when you were writing for the Glendale News Press. It was regarding a tenant who had stopped paying rent. This tenant had been renting my home in La Crescenta […]
Zero-Threshold Shower vs. Walk-In Tub Dear Phyllis, I have been following your column for years and love it! My mom is almost ninety years old and lives in her own home. She very much wants to age in place and so far, so good. She only has one bathroom with a tub shower combo. We […]
Problems With The Sewer Inspections Dear Phyllis, We had our home listed for sale and the buyer did numerous inspections including a sewer inspection. The company he hired was unable to complete the inspection through the entire line because of tree roots. The buyer wanted us to hire a company to hydrojet so they could […]
Probate With Court Confirmation Dear Phyllis, I have been a fan of your real estate advice for years. My late brother never had a trust or will and was a hoarder. I have been tasked with managing the sale of his Canoga Park home. I spent months going through the contents verifying that we were […]
Selling A Parent’s Home Dear Phyllis, We sold our La Crescenta home five years ago and had a fantastic experience with our real estate agent. He was knowledgeable, professional, and truly went above and beyond for us. Now, as we’re preparing to sell my parents’ home, we’re facing a bit of a challenge. My brother […]
What Happens If You Don’t Have A Will Or A Trust Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your real estate wisdom and believe I have a new topic. My 95-year-old aunt is widowed. She and her husband never had children. She still drives and does her own shopping and errands. I visit once a week […]
Financial Planner Urging To Sell Dear Phyllis, I’m a big admirer and would appreciate your insight on a personal fi nancial matter. I’m a widow and my late husband used to handle all of our finances. Since his passing, I’ve hired a financial planner to help guide me. My assets include some stocks, Social Security […]