Brian Read's (brianread) Blog

The allure of purchasing a "handyman special" property, which requires some work to be livable, can be quite enticing. Commonly referred to as a "fixer-upper," this term is widely used even for the most dilapidated and damaged houses. In this article, we will delve into the advantages and disadva...

Relocating can be a challenge.  It is never an easy task to pack up all your belongings and move to another home.  Across town is difficult, but across the country is even more daunting. Now imagine if you are 90 years old and live alone.   This was the problem for Jane.  She wanted to move acros...

The first place most potential home buyers will start their search for a new home is online.  Whether it’s on a well known real estate website like Zillow or Redfin, or even if it’s through local Multiple Listing Service links sent to buyers by their agents, the first place that buyers will start...

The real estate market tends to have its own cycles throughout a year.  While it may be more obvious in other parts of the country where the weather can have an impact on everyone’s ability to do things, generally speaking it’s harder to sell your house in the winter time than in the spring and s...

Rob had accumulated a few rental properties over the course of several years.  With the combination of rental income, property appreciation, loan amortization and some additional tax write offs, the benefits of investing in real estate were appealing and proved to be everything he had hoped for. ...

I could tell by the sound of the ring.  It was just the normal ringtone, but something about it - maybe the fact that it was coming at dinnertime on a Saturday on a long planned vacation with my family.   Upon picking up the phone to check the caller ID it was confirmed - a tenant call.  Given th...

With the high cost of real estate in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California, many people are looking towards other states when deciding to purchase a home or raise a family. Taxes, Jobs and Cost of Living California has one of the highest state income taxes in the country, so that alone i...