Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
How accurate are Zillow’s values
Dear Phyllis,
My daughter is selling her Pismo Beach home because her husband got a job transfer. She contacted the Realtor who s...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Buying a fixer
Dear Phyllis,
My niece and her husband are in escrow to purchase their dream home. It’s a 1920s Spanish home that, while charming, needs a lot of w...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Home inspection problems
Dear Phyllis,
I am self-employed and work sixty hours a week. I don’t want to buy a home that needs work. Last year, I was under contract...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Completing Disclosures on a long-term rental
Dear Phyllis,
My cousins and I own an Orange County home inherited from our grandparents. One of the cousins passed awa...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Appraised Values
Dear Phyllis,
I enjoy reading your real estate advice and don’t recall you addressing appraised values. My daughter recently took a second mortga...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Understanding the Buyer's Brokerage Agreement
Dear Phyllis,
My wife and I are in a two-story home, and we think the time is nearing for us to move to a single-story...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
How important are interior photos?
Dear Phyllis,
My mother is currently in rehab, and once she recovers, we plan to move her to an assisted living facility cl...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Listing a home that needs updating.
Dear Phyllis,
I had my home listed last year. The agent I hired asked me about the infrastructure of my house. After telling him...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Should I Sell or Rent
Dear Phyllis,
I love your real estate column. My wife and I will be moving to Texas next year and the home we will buy will likely be in the $40...
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
When is it time to drop the price?
Dear Phyllis,
My daughter has a home in San Pedro. It has only been on the market for a month. Her Realtor had an expression, “...