The Federal Reserve has finally made its move. After keeping interest rates steady through the first five meetings of 2025, the Fed announced a quarter-point cut, setting its benchmark federal funds rate between 4 and 4.25 percent. For months, buyers, sellers and...
Ask the Realtor
Ask the Realtor
Ask the realtor: Buying a house? How not to go to jail
When you’re buying a house, you probably aren’t thinking about orange jumpsuits and courtrooms. But one of the fastest ways to land in serious trouble is something called occupancy fraud. It’s been making national headlines lately because several public figures have...
Ask the realtor: Why the best real estate agents never stop learning
I just spent a week out of the office. Was I on vacation somewhere exotic? Not exactly. While social media sometimes makes it look like real estate agents live glamorous lives filled with luxury cars, designer clothes and jet-set adventures, the truth is often much...
Ask the realtor: Why appraisals can be higher than market value — What that means for you
Every so often, a homeowner or buyer will tell me, “The County of San Bernardino shows my property’s assessed value as X – so why should I pay Y?” or “I had my home appraised for X, so why should we list it for Y?” These are fair questions, but the key lies in...
Ask the realtor: California law, multiple offers and backup position — What every buyer should know
With the real estate market doing cartwheels in certain price points, we’re seeing the return of multiple offers. Before anyone gets too excited, these offers are not usually at or above list price, but they do show competition returning in very specific price ranges....
Ask the realtor: Rates hit 10-month low — What that means for your buying power
Over the past year, many homebuyers have been watching interest rates closely, waiting for the “perfect” time to enter the market. The hope was simple: rates would drop and, with them, monthly payments would follow. But the reality has been more complicated. Instead...






