ArcaMax

Over the years, home values have soared. Homes that used to cost $100,000 now cost well over $1,000,000. Buyers have become very savvy. In the meantime, these homes are becoming older and older with more physical issues needing attention. Physical inspections are a very important part of the buying process. As a seller, you need to be prepared ...Read more

Wouldn't it be great if everyone got along? It's nice to see neighbors become close friends and invite each other to barbecues, watch sports together and have kids swim parties. But sadly, this is not always the case.

Fights and disagreements come up and, in some cases, go unresolved for years, causing friction and bad feelings to trickle down ...Read more

Real estate dialogue is never black and white. The good news is you are only obligated to disclose what you know, and you are not obligated to explain the cause of a problem if you are not specifically knowledgeable. As a homeowner, don't make assumptions or conclusions unless you are qualified. However, do disclose the following:

1. Anything ...Read more

What a buyer doesn't need is access to homes on the market. Chances are any buyer connecting with a real estate agent has already spent many hours surfing websites to see listings and photos and learn about neighborhoods and school district test scores.

Where do the services of an agent come into play, and what else does a buyer crave? ...Read more

Too many big white houses? Agreed, but they are still selling, along with a variety of other styles including contemporary/modern, craftsman, beach cottage, farmhouse, Santa Barbara Spanish and more. Have you noticed newly built houses have many things in common? That's not a coincidence. Builders have extensively surveyed young qualified ...Read more

What you can do to improve the value of your home is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on who might be the best-suited potential buyer. As one example, let's say that, by today's definition, your home is best suited for a developer, thus being what one might refer to as a teardown. There would be no extra value added for any ...Read more

Don't think of it as someone trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Think of it more as "you get what you pay for." Just like when you shop for a car, furniture, or a quality suit or pair of shoes, at first glance, an item doesn't always look that different than the top-of-the-line version, but after careful examination, big differences show.

...Read more

The wish list of today's buyer is quite different from what it used to be. Buyers today are looking for open space that allows lifestyle flexibility -- more space, fewer walls. Buyers are no longer looking for a home with lots of little rooms with bookshelves and places to put their tchotchkes. It's about being streamlined and efficient. Today's...Read more

This question has come up for many years. It seems to come up several times a week, because timing is not always simple. For those people who have the luxury of cash in the bank and are more concerned about the convenience of transition, I strongly suggest looking around and taking your time. Buying a home in this market is not always easy, ...Read more

The answer to whether your home is a teardown may not be black and white or predetermined. In other cases, it may be an easy yes or no. There are many factors that determine this. You should not be personally offended to know you live in a teardown, as it has no reflection on you.

Defining a home as a teardown has little to do with the age of ...Read more

When walking into a home or condo on the market these days, you expect to see the dining room table set with candlesticks, place mats and wine glasses; and the kitchen with stylish canisters, dried pasta displays in glass flasks and a colorful basket of fruit. I'm really being a bit facetious, because, in fact, those are not at all the true ...Read more

Mistakes can be very costly, especially when it comes to real estate. You don't want to find yourself in litigation after the close of escrow for specific performance or nonperformance, and you certainly don't want to find yourself in litigation for disclosures that should've been made. Most litigation is caused because of disclosure issues.

A ...Read more