Melissa Zavala: San Diego County Broker, Speaker, Author

What's the most common short sale question asked by agents and short sale sellers? That's easy. Hands down, the most common question is: "Will the bank come after me for the amount of debt forgiven?" California homeowners who are considering a short sale will really like the answer to this quest...

I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, “It’s better to give than to receive.” Well, believe it or not, that turn of phrase may not apply to the use of yard signs for selling homes. When placing a sign in the yard, that sign has a dual purpose: it is meant to give information and also to receive (l...

In my neck of the woods, there are several real estate teams whose For Sale signs seem to be on every corner. Because lots of signs are an indicator of a successful business, agents are prompted to ask, “What’s this team thing all about?” “Is joining or creating a real estate team something I sho...

When the bank forecloses on a property because the owner has not made mortgage payments, one of two things will happen: The property will revert back to the bank and the bank is now the owner. The property will be sold at auction to a private party. If the property reverts back to the bank, then ...

Books Real Estate Agents Should ReadBack when I was in junior high and high school, we used to receive a summer reading list. Everyone grunted and groaned when the teacher passed out the summer reading list. Usually it consisted of a minimum of three books (two of which were usually going to be b...

Have you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Currently number #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List (How-To Category), it’s a tiny little book that talking about ways to remove clutter from your home. While we would all like our property listings to appear less cluttered, the larger me...

Gorgeous Victorian Estate in Vista Overview Maps Photos Market Stats $1,400,000 Single Family Home Main Features 4 Bedrooms4 Bathrooms1 Half BathroomInterior: 5,000 sqftYear Built: 1965MLS #: 150043876 Location 1779 Elevado RoadVista, CA 92084USA Melissa Zavala Broadpoint Properties(760) 839-383...

If you are a Realtor® or a real estate agent in California or beyond and you are working on a real estate transaction, there are certain parts of the process for which you need to plan ahead—especially with respect to Homeowner’s Association HOA Documents.Generally, when you are involved in a rea...

According to The Power of Visual Storytelling (Walter and Gioglio), the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Keeping that in mind and knowing that more and more millennials are purchasing homes, wouldn’t it make sense to focus your advertising on videos and photography? A ...

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you already know how I feel about email. Simply put, it’s a super effective marketing tool and a great way to send quick informational messages, but it is not an appropriate way to negotiate anything… especially the details of a real estate transaction...