Choosing the right real estate agent to list your home is a big decision. Clients are often asked to enter into a long-term contract for the sale of their single largest asset with few specifics and no guarantees. That said, there are some key questions to ask candidates to help you find the right real […]
Buyers often say they would like to purchase a home over the summer and settle in before the new school year starts. Nevertheless, the majority of listings are brought onto the market during the two seasonal windows of spring and fall. In effect, the summer becomes a “dead time” in large part because of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Namely, Realtors® believe there will not be […]
In Silicon Valley, multiple offers and above-asking bids are common. In fact, it is not unusual for a home to receive 10 or more offers. Naturally, agents who are representing buyers like the opportunity to present their clients’ offers directly to the sellers so they can argue points beyond the price and terms of the […]
By Michael Repka, LL.M. (Taxation) DeLeon CEO/General Counsel “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin Though cheating death is a fool’s game, strategically and legally avoiding taxes is a game for winners. While most Silicon Valley sellers inevitably accept the large tax bills they will […]
DeLeon Insight – January 1, 2016 Michael Repka Esq., DeLeon Realty CEO, LLM (Taxation) For most California homeowners, their annual property tax is based on one percent of the amount they paid for the property, and increased by up to two percent per year. Additionally, they pay for debt service on bonds issued to benefit the property, provided that this amount does not […]
The successful sale of a home requires a listing agent who employs a strong team and a comprehensive marketing approach. The seller will rely upon the listing agent for market expertise, negotiation acumen, and reliable advice regarding various procedural and legal issues associated with the transaction. Without question, listing agents must be able to assume […]
A quick perusal of county records reveals a large number of homes are owned in trusts. Typically these trusts are creatively named something like the “John and Jane Doe Family Trust.” Almost everyone who is even the slightest bit affluent, including just about anyone who owns real property in Silicon Valley, has heard that they […]
There is a bit of a controversy in the real estate community. Many wonder whether it is fair to compare the DeLeon Team to the individual agents or small teams of two or three agents and a couple of assistants. Simply put, the DeLeon Team is unique unto itself! The first time we mailed out […]
Anyone who has ever walked down a café-lined street in an unfamiliar foreign city understands the draw of a crowd. Whether a packed restaurant or a bustling store, interest reflects desirability. A few years ago, my wife and I were in Tokyo looking for some good sushi. We had already enjoyed the guidebook’s suggestions and […]
We have all heard the expression, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Nevertheless, there are countless bitter disputes between neighbors over the location, construction, and maintenance of fences. Fortunately, the original California Civil Code §841, which was enacted in 1872 and vaguely stated that landowners were “mutually bound to maintain” fences, has been updated and clarified […]
