By Michael Repka Over the past 15 years, we have seen a shift in buyers’ preferences away from remote estates located far up into the hills and towards fine properties closer to city centers. While no group is ever homogenous, many tech buyers and buyers from large urban centers, such as New York, Boston, Shanghai, […]
by Michael Repka, Esq. When a buyer submits an offer on a home, they need to decide which, if any, contingencies they will include in the proposed contract. Naturally, the more contingencies, the better for the buyer, but an offer with fewer contingencies is more likely to be accepted by the seller—or accepted at a […]
By Michael Repka, Esq. There’s no doubt that technology has made a significant impact on the search for homes. Nowadays, many buyers do the bulk of their searching online and, often, with little assistance from buyer’s agents. That is one of the reasons why DeLeon Realty does not take any commission when the buyer finds […]
by Michael Repka, Esq. Historically, there have always been three important reasons why affluent California residents should establish a family trust. First, probate costs in California are extremely high and, if properly executed, a trust can eliminate the need to go through the time-consuming and expensive probate process. Second, trusts provide a way to distribute […]
By Michael Repka, Esq. By virtually any measure, 2018 has been a turbulent year for Silicon Valley real estate despite the general local economy doing very well. Overall, businesses have been thriving but there have been some hiccups along the way. In the spring, a variety of local tech companies found themselves answering questions about […]
by David Burckhard While more famous as the center of contemporary, high-tech achievements, Palo Alto is also rich in local history. Nothing better demonstrates that than the diverse and remarkable collection of its iconic homes. Locals and soon-to-be locals are fortunate that the presence of historically significant residences provide character and a sense of place, […]
By Michael Repka, DeLeon Listing Team When I originally got my real estate license many years ago, a manager pulled me aside and gave me what she considered wisdom. These words were really powerful because they clearly showed me what’s wrong with the real estate industry. First, the manager explained that new real estate agents […]
By Michael Repka, Esq. (LL.M.—Taxation; NYU School of Law (’01)) The federal government and the state of California provide for the deferral of tax when a taxpayer exchanges investment or business real property for other real property that will be used as investment or business property. This is commonly referred to as a “1031 Exchange” […]
by Michael Repka, Esq. Dishonesty in Real Estate — Fraudulent Marketing Techniques There are an awful lot of real estate agents out there and they all seem to be scrambling for the same potential clients. Given the low barriers of entry in the real estate industry, and the tremendously high commissions, some agents give in […]
By Michael Repka, Esq. I recently had a listing in Palo Alto, which illustrated the importance of having free legal representation as part of the listing. The facts of this war story are interesting to say the least. The home was owned by a lovely couple for nearly 50 years. They raised their children in […]
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