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Last month, I was featured on the podcast, First Generation Success Stories. I spoke with my close friend and host, Jasmine Hernandez, about my childhood in El Salvador, my family’s treacherous journey to the US, and the challenges I faced before becoming the founder and owner of PLF Real Estate Solutions. The interview was thoughtful and oftentimes personal, and I’m grateful to Jasmine for sharing my...

PLF is literally growing - in space and in employees. We grew from a staff of four in our beloved small office in Pico Rivera to an incredibly accomplished team of 30 in our new offices in Downey. While we continue along this upward trajectory, we are excited about PLF’s future.  As we recruit new agents, it’s important to acknowledge the talent and commitment of our current staff - from...

As we prepare to open the doors to PLF’s new building for our grand opening, I can’t help but think about what it took to get here. While buying this building is an incredible achievement for our company, the actual journey in acquiring it really encapsulates what makes PLF stand out in real estate. The series of events that led up to us setting roots in Downey were challenging lessons that really...

When it comes to the housing market, history isn’t repeating itself Growing worries about a potential recession have many people concerned about the state of the US economy. Warnings of a housing crash are abuzz, sparking fear and trepidation, as the country cools off its hot housing market fueled by the pandemic. The headlines have people asking: is today’s housing market in the same crisis as the...

Every real estate transaction has challenges. Even the smoothest of deals may have a problem to be solved - whether it’s helping your client decide between lenders, a discrepancy in a financial document, understanding a specialized home buying program, or peeling paint found during an appraisal. Sometimes, one issue will snowball into another and the process becomes more complicated. Here’s a story of...

Nightmarish isn’t exactly the word you want your real estate agent to use when describing your home buying process. Unfortunately, that’s the word that comes to mind when I think about a client I helped back in 2018. Gina was a 45-year-old single mother who had outgrown her 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom home in Lakewood. She was ready to graduate to a Craftsman-style home with a giant fireplace in Long...

Seventy-five dollars. It’s the cost of a round-trip ticket from Miami to Chicago. A romantic dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant. An on-sale cashmere sweater.  For Julian Sanchez, it was the amount that kept him from purchasing his dream starter home.  The year was 2013. While the economy showed signs of bouncing back from the worst recession in modern history, the real estate...

What’s the next step? Congratulations!  Your offer was accepted, now what?  Between contract acceptance and the closing date, there are many things that need to be completed.  In a nutshell, after an offer is accepted, generally any inspections will be completed.  After the inspections, you complete a formal mortgage application and last but not least, the...

How much should I offer the sellers? When buying a home, you are the only one who can determine how much you should offer a seller.  Certainly it’s suggested you ask for your REALTOR’s® advice and thoughts, but ultimately you are the only person who can determine how much you should offer. What is an earnest money deposit? An earnest money deposit is also frequently referred to as a...

What is a short sale? Before getting involved with a short-sale, it’s important you understand exactly what it is and what to expect from a short sale.  The easiest way to understand a short sale is the sale of a home in which the proceeds from the sale are less than the balance of debts secured by liens against the property and the home owner cannot afford to pay the liens in...