Dana Graham

Real Estate General Info Category

July 2014 Newsletter

July, 2014 Dear Neighbor: After about 8 months of frenetic activity, the real estate market has slowed somewhat, which you may remember I predicted a few months ago.  Prices have risen significantly in the last year or so but, at some point, affordability plus some sellers over-shooting the mark on price causes the sort of slowdown we’re now seeing.   This will be picked up by the media in about 60 days, so you can expect to still hear breathless reports of huge...Continue Reading!

May 2014 Newsletter

May, 2014 Dear Neighbor: Despite what you may have heard on the news, the local real estate market is still very active.  I have a very nice 4 bedroom 3 bath one level home coming up in Rolling Hills Estates in the $1,250,000 range, so call me if you know anyone who would like to see it before the rush. Some of the myths in real estate make “Elvis is in the building” look credible.  One holds that you should price your house...Continue Reading!

How Realtors Get Paid

I guess since I'm in the business, I just think everyone understands how Realtors get paid.  Every so often something happens to make me realize that's not true.  So if you don't spend your free time worrying about this, here's how it works: When you list your house for sale with a Realtor, he becomes the "Listing Agent".  You will notice on your Listing Agreement that there is a spot for the commission you agree to pay him.  This normally represents...Continue Reading!

Why other agents don’t do the extras . . . that I do

If you read my stuff, you know that I regularly do a lot of extra things for my clients that other agents wouldn't think of doing.  Things like plumbing, roof, or electrical repairs, fixing windows, fixing clocks, selling cars, shopping for loans -- the list is too long to recite here or even recall.  I'm a reasonably handy guy, and so it just makes sense to me to make the repairs I can, rather than call someone in who will charge you...Continue Reading!

November, 2013 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor: The real estate market in Palos Verdes (and the South Bay, for that matter) continues at about a 5 on a scale of 10 activity-wise.  It feels slow compared to last Spring, but those of us who have been around for decades have seen this movie before.  The interest rate rise of last June acted as a speed bump, slowing the market to a more normal pace. Whether you’re in the real estate market to buy or sell, or not,...Continue Reading!

The Company You Keep

How do you pick a Realtor?  I can tell you one thing that should be pretty far down the list:  the company the agent works for.  I am with Prudential, but I used to be with Coldwell Banker, and Century 21 before that.  While you clearly want an agent active in your area, their company affiliation is nearly irrelevant. The real estate business is unlike most others in that the agents are independent contractors, not employees of the broker.  In the...Continue Reading!

What Your Kids Don’t Know Can Hurt Them

If you've raised your family, the kids have moved away, and you are now just enjoying life in the same house, you might want to make sure the kids know what your wishes are when the time comes.  I know this sounds obvious, but having lived in Palos Verdes since 1947, many of my schoolmates, in addition to dealing with myriad issues at an emotional time,  are faced with selling the family home.  The problem is that, especially if they've moved out of the...Continue Reading!

Show Me Your List(ings)

When you're interviewing agents to sell your house, one the best things you can do is to ask them for a list of homes they've actually sold in your area.  If you're in Palos Verdes, a list of sales in the 90274 and 90275 zip codes would be appropriate.  Any others would be nearly irrelevant.  As explained below, the agent you're interviewing may not really be active in your area and/or may be starting with you.  If the agent isn't active...Continue Reading!

Property Inspections

Obtaining a property inspection is a crucial step in the buying process and a popular subject for TV shows.  As a veteran of those type of shows, I will just tell you that what ends up on the screen often bears little resemblance to what actually went on.  But I'm getting ahead of myself. While you want to have an inspection by a disinterested, but qualified, 3rd party (please be there for it), there are aspects of property inspection that may not...Continue Reading!

September 2013 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor:  In my July newsletter I mentioned that interest rates had just gone up about 2% (which is huge – 4% to 6%) about a week before I wrote it.  They have now settled to just under 5% now (loans over $729,750 are somewhat higher), but the predictable effect has transpired:  whereas in April when the market was absolutely berserk, there were as few as 112 homes for sale on the Hill; there are now 168, give or take.  For...Continue Reading!