When my parents purchased our first home in 1955, the bank told my mother her income didn't matter in qualifying for an FHA loan. The bank relied solely on my ... Read More

It's next to impossible to pry home sellers away from their pets. Snakes, lizards, hamsters, cats, dogs and rabbits, they all distract from the sale of a house and ... Read More

Many home sellers wonder: "What do I need to disclose to a home buyer? What is a material fact?" The rule of thumb is if you wonder about a ... Read More

Real estate commissions are negotiable. But what does that mean, exactly? How can you ask an agent to charge less, to reduce her fee? And why would an agent agree ... Read More

You gotta love the hype. A Sacramento newspaper headlines the story, Home Prices Head South. It may as well have screamed: "Home Market Tanks." Yet the big dip was a ... Read More

There's a lot of buzzing about "discount" real estate agents and "cash-back-to-buyer" programs, which are cropping up like weeds around the country. But flat-fee and discount agents are nothing new. ... Read More

It used to be that many sellers refused to list their home for sale with FHA terms because few wanted to deal with the persnickety attitudes of FHA appraisers and ... Read More

First-time home buyers, veteran house hunters, lawyers and plenty of real estate agents make mistakes when writing purchase offers. Mistakes are not only costly, but they can delay offer ... Read More

The Portabello Estate, situated on three oceanfront lots in Corona del Mar, CA, is still on the market for $75 million. Are you surprised? Insiders snort that the price is ... Read More

While your house is on the market, it's open to foot traffic. Whether occupied or vacant, you can't really control the actions of buyers coming through to inspect your house. ... Read More

When your house goes up for sale, your immediate goal and focus should be on getting qualified buyers inside your house. Period. Worry about everything else later. Concentrate now on ... Read More

Like an annual check-up at your doctor, smart consumers will check credit every year. It's free. Why not? Because sure as shootin' you'll need to apply for a loan and ... Read More

A client with whom I had just signed a listing called me the other day to ask about my real estate commission. He was confused. This was my third transaction ... Read More

It's scary to buy your first home, primarily because you don't know what to expect next. So don't feel badly about it. Lots of first-time home buyers are uneasy with ... Read More