Now you can quickly, easily find out today's value of your home or other real estate free, right over the phone. If you're thinking of selling, call me and tell me about your property. I’ll research "comps" (similar sold properties), compare them to yours, adjust for all your property offers, and arrive at an honest value.

This confidential evaluation is free to you, with no obligation. Just call me at 858-457-KENT (that's 457-5368) for your over-the-phone evaluation. NOTE: If you want a more accurate figure, ask me to come see your home or rental.

BY POPULAR DEMAND: Where To Buy Positive Cashflow Apartments With No Management Hassles
Last week I was buried with emails wanting more info on those positive cashflow Phoenix apartments. I'm personally investing a bundle there, as have several of my clients. If you have $100,000 to $3,000,000 to invest and want to find out more...

FREE SEMINAR February 1 / Wednesday 6-8PM

At "Forum Hall" at the UTC Mall in University City

So you're thinking about buying a condo. You want to know if condo living is for you. Or you're one of those smart people who just has to know a little more before they make the right decision. Now you can learn almost everything you need to know before you purchase a condo or townhome! At this seminar, You'll Discover:

- Why people say RIGHT NOW may be your golden window of opportunity to buy a condo

- Pro's and Con's of owning a condo...You may be surprised!

- Should you buy new construction, a conversion, or resale?

- How To Get A FREE Inspection & FREE Appraisal When You Buy

- CC&Rs, Rules, Bylaws, etc: Key condo documents explained

- Condo vs. Townhome vs. Co-op vs. House w/ HOA

- What Do You REALLY Own When You Buy A Condo?

- What you need to know about getting a mortgage for your condo

- Easy way to find out if a condo complex has costly problems

- Four condo myths that could cost you

- How To Buy A Condo ZERO DOWN

- Is it better to rent or buy? You may be surprised!

- 5 Questions You MUST Ask Before You Buy ANY Condo

- Monthly condo fees: good deal or waste of money?

- Condo situations, problems, and complications to avoid

- Why condos make an excellent 1st investment

- Buying a condo for your college student

Many experts see a 3-6 month window of opportunity to buy a condo or townhome at below-market prices. Will you miss out or take advantage?

"My wife and I are looking for a home in the North Park area. Her brother is a contractor and also has a real estate license. He told us to do all the legwork and have agents show us homes, then he'd write the offer for us. So we've been calling agents to see homes, but we just haven't found the right one. Any suggestions?"

***ANSWER:

Yes. Give me your brother-in-law's ph# so I can have him frame and drywall a room on my house...then I'll pay another contractor ALL the money to finish the job!

I'm going to give you (but not him) the benefit of the doubt for not understanding how real estate works:

Agents don't get paid a dime for showing homes -- only for selling them. So your brother-in-law asked you to get a bunch of people to work for free, then reap the benefits for himself.

That's NOT NICE.

Now, to answer your question:

First, DUMP your brother-in-law since he's unethical and doesn't practice real estate full-time.

Next, find a good, honest agent. Sit down with him or her and describe what you're looking for. The agent should ask you a lot of questions to uncover what's really important to you. And they should advise you on the market to be sure you have realistic expectations.

Then, if you have a good feeling about the agent, work closely with him/her looking at homes. After seeing a few homes, the agent should be able to zero in on the right home for you.

Good luck!

...By the way, if you don't already know a great agent, feel free to call us at (858)457-KENT and we'll be happy to help you find the right home.

"Hi Gary. My wife and I plan to sell our home in January. When we sold our last home in 2000, we chose some agent who promised us a high price but turned out to be a slacker. He didn't do anything and never called to tell us what was going on. I don't want to get stuck with a loser agent again. I know agents usually like to list a home for 6 months, but I only want to list for 30 days. Will agents agree to a 30-day listing?"

***ANSWER:

Great question. But here are the three problems with that idea...

1. It takes an average of about 60 days to sell a home now. So you're giving the agent half the time necessary to sell your home. Some of the advertising may not even kick in by the time the 30 days are up.

2. With the quick deadline you're giving the agent to sell the home, the agent may be more focused on getting a quick sale than on getting you a good price.

3. Any agent who'd agree to a 30-day agreement doesn't know what they're doing. You wouldn't want an agent that foolish.

So what's the solution?

List your home for 6 months, but only if the agent writes in a clause allowing you to cancel any time after that 30 days. Now that sounds like what you wanted in the first place, and it is. The difference is a smart agent knows if they're doing a good job you'll stick with them.

Once again, if you don't already know a great agent, feel free to call me at (858)457-KENT and I'll be happy to help you get your home sold.

"I keep hearing about pay-option arms and flex arms etc. You know, the kind that start at a really low rate but your loan balance might go up? Are these good or bad loans?"

***ANSWER:

There's a lot of talk now about these types of loans. In a nutshell, these flexible loans allow you to qualify based on a much lower starting adjustable rate.

The "flex" part talks about how the loan gives you payment options: you have the choice if you want to make a payment that pays down your principal, one that's interest-only, or one that doesn't cover the interest, meaning your loan balance goes up instead of down.

Are these good or bad loans? Like many things, it depends:

Pay option loans are a bad way to go if...

...you're just barely getting in by the skin of your teeth and have no plan to be able to start paying down the mortgage, I'm not so sure it's the right loan for you.

Pay options loans can be great if...

...you're pretty certain your income will be going up in the near future (new job, a raise, etc.), then this can be a great way to buy a home that you otherwise can't afford. ...OR...

...your income fluctuates from month to month. That flexibility of being able to make a lower payment could come in handy in those down months. But in this situation, if you don't see a consistent rise in your income, don't overextend yourself.

Your Home Here!

- Clairemont - Enjoy canyon views & breezes! W. Clairemont 4R/2BA home w/ dbl garage & basement. Reduced: 499-530K Take a Virtual Tour

- Clairemont - Gorgeous redone townhome: dbl garage, fam rm, FPL, remod kitch, huge patio, no HOA fees for 6mo's! 440K-485K Check Out The Photos

- Clairemont - Updated "Mount Street" 4BR/2BA home w/ dbl garage. Newer central a/c, roof, heater. Reduced: 500K!

- Clairemont - Spacious 3BR/2BA home w/ HUGE 580sqft family room/ "great room"! Quiet street, 2-car garage. Reduced: 575K More Info Here

- La Jolla - 3BR/2BA 1-level home on quiet street. Large lush private bkyd, redone kitch & BAs, valley vu, tennis! 720-750K VERY PRIVATE

- SOLD/Lakeside - 6.3% cap rate! 16 newer 2BR apartments, cell tower, 70 storage units. Condo conversion opportunity? $2.1M!

- Mira Mesa - Sharp 3BR/2.5BA (+ loft), 6-year-new home w/ mountain & valley views, 2-car garage. 460-500K  Click here for more information & photos

- Mission Hills - Attention Contractors / Developers / Investors! Buildable lot suitable for 4-8 homes. 750-850K!  Tremendous Views

- Oceanside - Newer 5BR/3BA, 2344 sqft home w/ family room, sunny just-remodeled kitchen, Saltillo tile. Reduced: 560-615K! Rancho Del Oro Beauty

- SOLD/Pacific Beach - North P.B. 3br/2ba house w/ hardwood floors, gas FPL, skylights, grassy yard, dbl-garage. $699,999 

- Pacific Beach - Development Opportunity! Redone 3BR home w/ room to build 2 condos. Resell or hold for income. 825-900K Check out the Lovely Backyard

- Phoenix, AZ - 30 apartments, large 3BR & 2BR units, well-maintained complex, Mesa area. Do a condo conversion? $2.1M.

- Pt. Loma - Point Loma Tennis Club ground-floor corner unit w/ remodeled bath. Big rooms. Looks like a model! 275-300K!  CUSTOMIZED CONDO

- San Carlos - Cute 1BR condo w/ greenbelt view on a quiet culdesac. Incl new paint, frig, walk-in closet. Reduced: 210-233K  Check out the Great Value

- University City - Striking 2004 full remodel 3414sqft home: 1/2-acre culdesac lot, flowing floorplan, vivid colors. 988K-1.15M  Very Elegant Home

- USD Area - Light & bright 3BR/3BA 1431sqft townhome w/ 2-car garage, quiet area. Priced BELOW recent sales & reduced: 535K!  Contact Me

- Vista - Private, secluded, hilltop home with 4br/3ba, 3000sqft, big lot, garage, & more: 770-795K  Contact Me

Referring a friend or someone you care about is the highest compliment you can give me. Thank you for all of your generous referrals!

Have a great week...

"The Agent You See EVERYWHERE"

Gary Kent Team --- RE/MAX Associates