Buy First or Sell First? Dear Phyllis, Since there is such a strong sellers’ market in real estate right now my husband and I are thinking it would be a good time to sell our fixer upper home instead of investing in all the repairs and upgrades it needs. But if we sell our house, […]
Professional Fiduciary Dear Phyllis, For the last five years I have been taking care of my father with little help from my brother (who lives locally). He and I are co-trustees of our father’s estate. Sadly, we stopped speaking several years ago. I have tried to address our differences with my father. But he won’t […]
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 […]
What Should Be Removed When Selling A House? Dear Phyllis, I find your real estate questions and answers very informative. My 82-year-old mother will be relocating from Long Beach to La Crescenta. She lives alone and I am concerned about her safety when selling. What do you think should be removed when selling a house? […]
Tired Of Being A Landlord? Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your questions and answers. My husband and I purchased a La Crescenta duplex more than twenty years ago. He managed the property, but he passed a few years ago. Since my husband’s passing, the tenants in the back unit have caused me a lot […]
Can A Seller Force You To Use Their Lender? Dear Phyllis, We have been looking at homes for several months and have already made three offers. Two of these required us to be preapproved by the seller’s lender. As we are already preapproved with a nationwide bank, I really do not see the reason for […]
What Is A Pocket Listing? Dear Phyllis, I moved out of my home and rented it a year ago. My tenant will be leaving in six months, and I was planning on moving back. In the meantime, a Realtor I am acquainted with contacted me out of the blue to tell me I could get […]
Personal Letter To Seller Dear Phyllis, We have been making offers on La Crescenta homes for the last six months. Initially, our Realtor suggested that we include a personal letter to the seller with our offer. We have one and we revise it for each home. Even with this we have been turned down on […]
Home Buying: Where To Begin? Dear Phyllis, My daughter and her husband are searching for a home on the Westside. They are overwhelmed with prices and down payment requirements. The absence of open houses has really impacted their journey and it’s been a struggle for them trying to get a feel for the real estate […]
Is Signing Online Safe? Dear Phyllis, We recently co-signed for our son to buy his first home. We haven’t been involved in a real estate sale since the purchase of our La Crescenta home 25 years ago. Our son is good with the computer but while we email and do the simple stuff that’s about […]