Selling A Home In Probate Dear Phyllis, I will be inheriting my uncle’s home but first, it needs to go through probate. How does this affect selling it and what steps should I take to manage the process? John Dear John, Selling a Los Angeles County home in probate presents unique challenges due to the […]
How To Avoid An Escrow Renegotiation Dear Phyllis, I am a fan of your column, and this has been bothering me. My mother sold her La Crescenta home last year. She received three offers and accepted the highest. After the escrow was opened, the buyer did their inspection and asked for a $35,000 credit. They […]
Gross vs. Net Commission Dear Phyllis, We sold our home last year, and the process was a nightmare. We faced numerous inspection issues, causing us to fall out of escrow multiple times. To make matters worse, the buyer’s agent was vacationing in Europe during the inspection period, which slowed down the process. His lack of […]
Being A Landlord Is Getting More Difficult? Dear Phyllis, I love reading your real estate advice and have a situation I would love to get your input on. I inherited my parents’ La Crescenta home about 15 years ago, and it has been rented ever since. The fi rst tenant stayed for eight years; the […]
How Accurate are Zillow’s Values? Dear Phyllis, My daughter is selling her Pismo Beach home because her husband got a job transfer. She contacted the Realtor who sold the home to them 15 years ago. I am a fan of Zillow and track all of my family’s real estate values. The Zestimate on her home […]
When Is It Time To Drop The Price? Dear Phyllis, My daughter has a home in San Pedro. It has only been on the market for a month. Her Realtor had an expression, “dirty thirty,” and suggested that she reduce the price as she hasn’t had any offers. I told my daughter I thought that […]
Buying A Fixer Dear Phyllis, My niece and her husband are in escrow to purchase their dream home. It’s a 1920s Spanish home that, while charming, needs a lot of work. There are a variety of minor problems. Additionally, the chimney needs to be rebuilt, and the foundation requires cripple walls. After their down payment, […]
Home Inspection Problems Dear Phyllis, I am self-employed and work 60 hours a week. I don’t want to buy a home that needs work. Last year, I was under contract for a home advertised as meticulously remodeled. When I initially looked at it, the home seemed perfect. The attention to detail was unbelievable. Everything you […]
Appraised Values Dear Phyllis, I enjoy reading your real estate advice and don’t recall you addressing appraised values. My daughter recently took a second mortgage to build an ADU on her Tustin property. Before construction started, she received a job opportunity in Tennessee. At the time of the second mortgage her home was appraised at […]
Listing A Home That Needs Updating Dear Phyllis, I had my home listed last year. The agent I hired asked me about the infrastructure of my house. After telling him my roof and air conditioning were old, he advised me not to make any repairs. He listed my home as is, and it was on […]