A Seller’s Perspective
Selling by owner
Dear Phyllis, Our elderly mother lived in her home for more than 30 years and just passed. Her next door neighbor was very kind and did a lot of nice things for her such as taking trash cans out and in. This neighbor wants to buy her hom...
Inheriting Property
Dear Phyllis, I am my aunt’s only heir and have inherited her Glendale home. Her home is solid but looks like a Grandma’s home and while I am handy, I wouldn’t have a lot of money for fixing it up. I am excited for this opportunity...
Remodeling with an eye towards resale
Dear Phyllis, We are thinking of renovating our house over the course of the next couple of years. We hope to remain in our home for the next 10 years. Remodeling with an eye towards resale is important, it's primarily for our pleasure and c...
Disclosure Dilemmas
Ask Phyllis is a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions. Have a question about real estate? Email us here Dear Phyllis, Last year we had our home listed but we didn’t close because of an issue with the roof. After...
Selling An Empty Home vs. A Staged One
Dear Phyllis, Thank you for your column which I always look forward to reading. I will be relocating my mom from Valencia and am wondering if it's better to sell her house completely empty, or whether I should have her home staged or jus...
Realtor Responsibilities
Dear Phyllis, Four months ago, our home was in escrow and it was a nightmare. Our buyer’s original offer was a cash offer. He then opted to get a loan and the appraisal came in low. All of this developed after we had been in escrow for...
Saving On Capital Gains
Dear Phyllis, My parents moved out of state two years ago and converted their home to a rental. To avoid capital gains tax, my accountant thinks my parents should sell. Particularly as it was their primary residence for at least 2 of the...
Transferring Property Taxes
Ask Phyllis is a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions. Have a question about real estate? Email us here Dear Phyllis, Next year my wife and I plan to downsize to a smaller home or condo. We are contemplating renting our...
