New Rules About ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units)

L.A. Wildfires

In light of the recent wildfires in L.A., I found the perspective in this video blog very interesting. Unlike so many baseless opinion editorials, this one seems to contain mostly fact-based comments about the lack of fire preparation in Southern California. Very...

Title Insurance: The Essentials

What Is Title Insurance? Title insurance shields lenders and buyers from financial hits caused by title defects on a property. Two main types exist: Lender’s Title Insurance — Required by lenders, paid for by buyers, and protects the lender. Owner’s Title Insurance...

Rate buy-down

Real Estate Financing: Making an Offer with Rate Buy-Down When buying a property, buyers are often looking for ways to reduce their monthly mortgage payments, especially in an environment of rising interest rates. One strategy gaining traction is the seller-paid...

PB Monstrosity

I've lived in the Pacific Beach/La Jolla area since 1984, and I love this community. In those 40 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes—mostly good, but a few not-so-great ones too. However, this latest proposal is downright absurd. A 239-foot, 22-story high-rise...

NAR Settles Lawsuit

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“Rates a Dropping”

October 2024 The Fed finally dropped Interest rates. Is now the time to sell your home or...

Don’t Fall Victim to the Probate Trap

Recently, I found myself in a difficult situation with my client and close friend, John. A few weeks ago, his mother passed away. Amidst his grief, he received additional stressful news—his mother’s estate plan was not properly prepared. Although she had left...

The Buyer / Broker Agreement

At some point in time every business relationship that moves forward is predicated on some level of trust. Whether you have a 100-page contract or not, the parties must trust each other to perform according to the terms of their agreement. This too is the basis for...

Don’t Miss Out on the California Dream

California is giving out free money! Yes, it’s true! The California Housing Finance Agency (“CalHFA”) has designed a brand new program called the California Dream for All Program (“DFA”) to help low- and moderate-income households purchase a home in California....

Avoid a Rookie Mistake — Don’t Sell Your Home Too Fast

I’ve seen multiple real estate agents recently boasting about how fast they sold one of their clients’ homes. In several cases they were bragging about a market time of only 2-3 days. Each time, I roll my eyes and wonder how exactly that agent thinks this satisfies...

How to Submit an All-Cash Offer

If you find yourself as a Buyer in a Seller’s market, you better know how to compete if you are serious about securing the property you really want to buy. In my earlier article, Submitting a Competitive Offer in a Seller’s Market, I discussed several methods to...

Home Warranty vs. Homeowner’s Insurance

Is a Home Warranty the Same as Homeowners Insurance? Home Warranty Perils Homeowner’s Insurance Perils HVAC Stops Working Theft Water Leaks Fire Damage Dishwasher Stops Working Storm Damage Toilet Overflows Flood Damage A home warranty isn’t a...