TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE - THAT IS THE QUESTION

In a recent LA Times piece, the very common question from condo owners (and single family owners as well) came up. Is it worth it to buy earthquake insurance? Take a look at this...

Question: I'm president of a 44-unit homeowner association in the Torrance area. Every year we purchase earthquake insurance, which carries a 20% deductible and a premium for each owner of about $350 a year on a $12-million policy for the association. Many owners don't want to pay the premium, preferring no earthquake insurance because the deductible is so high. I calculate that each homeowner would have to come up with about $54,500 as a deductible before insurance kicks in. In the event of a catastrophic earthquake, I'm not sure owners will be able to come up with such large deductibles. How can we handle this?

For some of you, the answer will make your stomach turn... READ MORE HERE

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The See-Saw Home Buyer Who Will Never Buy A Home

As a Realtor, I meet all types of buyers. There are the ones that are scared to death of the process. There are the ones who are fearless. And then there are the in-betweens. I can counsel all three types to a successful conclusion. Meaning, they will buy or sell a property, once I explain the process and walk them through the steps of placing an offer, getting accepted and into escrow, inspections, and finally closing escrow and handing them the keys.

But then there is the see-saw buyer. One day they are up and excited to buy a new home, the next they are down and finding every reason under the sun to not move forward on a home purchase. You don't want to be the see-saw buyer, because the see-saw buyer will NEVER buy a home. The see-saw buyer will talk themselves out of buying a home every time they begin the process (the telltale sign of a see-saw buyer is one who has gone through the process of searching for a home with one or more Realtors prior to meeting their current agent). I don't want to work with a see-saw buyer, because they will NEVER buy a home.

What is a see-saw buyer? You ask.