Understanding Reverse Mortgages

With baby boomers approaching retirement age, television advertisements geared toward reverse mortgages are now more prevalent than ever.  Before entering into a reverse mortgage, it is very important to fully understand its terms and conditions, because although it can be a useful instrument, it may …

Rental Properties:  A Good Investment

After the mortgage crisis of 2007-2009 when the price of homes steeply declined, it became more difficult for borrowers to refinance their loans, and the adjustable-rate mortgage started increasing to higher rates, thereby causing higher monthly payments.  Consequently, mortgage delinquencies climbed through the roof, and …

The Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged

Last week, PSL Realty discussed one of the most anticipated Fed meetings in years, as it looked as though the Fed was going to raise interest rates for the first time since December 2008. (The Fed has held interest rates near zero percent since December …

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Mortgage Interest Rate Rises: First Time Homebuyer Concerns

Buying a home for the first time is a very exciting journey! One of the first things that a prospective homebuyer will likely do is start by looking online at listings in the area that you want to live, if you’ve living in Los Angeles …

The Appraisal Process: Why It’s So Important

A skilled appraiser in Los Angeles provides a service that should help make the process of buying and selling a home a smooth transaction.  An appraiser (not to be confused with a home inspector, who reports on the condition of the house) performs an important …

Selling a Tenant Occupied Home in Los Angeles

In a perfect world, before listing your home for sale, your tenants would have moved out of your home, you would call a staging professional, and your home would be ready for immediate showings.  But what if your tenant still occupies your home? It’s going …

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Neighborhood Spotlight: Great Neighborhoods for Families in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is comprised of nearly 300 neighborhoods[1], which makes the decision of where to buy your family home all the more daunting.  By way of this article, which is the first in a series of “Neighborhood Spotlight” installments, we hope to share some insight …

More Tips on Selling Your Home: A Virtual Tour

Last week, we discussed how to effectively sell your home in today’s market.  We mentioned how over 90% of today’s homebuyers begin their search online.  Today, we thought it would be important to expand on what a good online marketing campaign would be starting with …

Tips For Selling Your Home

When you list your home for sale in today’s market, the most effective tool you have is not the old-school “For Sale” sign in your yard (although this sign is likely to generate valuable neighborhood awareness), or a fancy advertisement in a local realtor’s magazine …

Tips for First Time Homebuyers

Many first time homebuyers try to predict the price of homes and whether they are on the rise or fall based on federal mortgage rates.  Historically, low mortgage interest rates have been an inducement for first time homebuyers who were on the fence, and the …

Property Manager: To Hire or Not to Hire

Should you hire a property manager or do it yourself?  This is the question that millions of people face when they decide to buy a second property. The expense of hiring a property manager in Southern California will substantially reduce the cash benefit of your …

Understanding Title

The majority of homebuyers are married couples[1], making title to property relativity simple.  In recent years, more and more couples are buying homes together prior to marriage, making the matter of legal title more important, including applying for a loan and refinancing.  Buying a house …

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I Want to Buy a Home: How Much Can I Afford?

You’ll probably get different answers and advice regarding what you can afford depending on who you ask.  However, a good rule of thumb is the 28/36 rule. The 28/36 rule is a benchmark used by many lenders to estimate how great of a loan they …

Benefits of Owning Your First Home

One of the primary reasons that people buy a home is to improve the quality of their lives.  When you rent, you have a place to live; when you buy, you have the stability and control over your life that you do not get from …

WELCOME TO PSL REALTY

Dedicated to Helping You Buy or Sell Your Perfect SoCal Home Welcome to my blog! I’m Paolo Lissia, Founder and Managing Director of PSL REALTY.  All my life, I have loved all things real estate – buying it, selling it, investing in it.  Thus, the …