 Owned by MTV/Logo, NewNowNext is Logo Digital’s hub for the latest in music, TV & movies, fashion, design, travel, beauty and health. They've smart, quirky, sassy contributors scattered around the globe feeding the site new articles and videos on a daily basis....including Hermanity!
Catch all my Real Estate & Design tips right here.
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Another fabulous LogoTV viewer pops Hermanity a question. I love hearing from you guys! Question: I'm selling my house soon. Should I do a pre-inspection? Answer: Yes! It's like getting tested at the clinic. No one likes surprises! Trust me, it'll save you a lot of heartache & pain down the line. A pre-inspection gives a seller a chance to correctify any outstanding repairs, gives the buyer a more clear picture of the house's condition and helps mitigates negotiations in escrow. Has a pre-inspection ever saved your deal? I wanna hear!  LogoTV viewer asks Hermanity:
Question: We want to build an in-law unit, but money is tight. Should we just use a handyman and bypass permits? Answer: Handyman for dinky jobs is fine, but doing a major project without permits will come back to bite you. You can get sued, fined or be forced to tear it down. Plus, it can affect your re-sale value too. Did any viewers out there ever get in trouble for a big renovation without pulling permits? Would love to hear your story! I'm really enjoying interacting with LogoTV viewers about their real estate/design probelms. Another LogoTV viewer pops Hermanity a question:
QUESTION: We offered $600k on our dream house, but it appraised for $590k. What to do? ANSWER: You can 1) invoke your appraisal contingency & walkaway from the deal 2) convince seller to reduce price by $10k 3) bring in the $10k yourself to bridge the gap. BOTTOM LINE: If this is truly your dream home, the place you will live in til the day you die, then what is $10k in the grand scheme of life? Besides, amortized over 30 yrs, you're paying a few dollars more per month. Just sayin'!  Not a shabby way to kick off the weekend! So flattered best-selling author & speaker Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame mentioned me on Twitter! And of course, I always appreciate my peeps at MTV Network's LogoTV. Thx!  Question: My bff & I share an apartment and the lease ends next month. She asked her boyfriend if we could stay at his house (we would pay rent). He said yes but last minute reneged when he found out her roomie was a gay man (me). Is this housing discrimination? -Homeless Will & Grace Answer: Hey Will, What a creep! He was all gung-ho when he thought 2 hot gals would be parading around his house all day in see-through nighties. No wonder he was so quick to agree to this. He thought he was Jack & you two would be Janet & Chrissy…..but instead he got Janet & Chris. Oops! Read why this is not housing discrimination in my weekly Q&A column for LOGO here.  Speaking of Three's Company (one of my all time favorites sitcoms!), did any of you see Justin Timberlake & Lady Gaga's song on SNL, It's Not Gay, If It's a Three-way, where they parodied Three's Company?! Hilarious! And catchy tune too. LogoTV Question: We're re-doing our kitchen. How do you feel about granite countertops? Hermanity Answer: (Yawn) Been there, done that. They are SO over did. Give concrete or recycled glass a try. More eco & budget friendly! Watch me enumerate with my trademark sass & sagacity the reasons why this viewer should skip granite counter tops!
What do you think? Are granite counter tops here to stay? Or have you discovered some great alternatives? Please share! Viewer Question: Should we get rid of our plastic wood panel walls?
Hermanity Answer: Yes!...unless you're filming a '70s porno Watch my hilarious & helpful response to a LOGO TV viewer whose husband wants dark dingy plastic wood panel walls in their basement. Bless his heart, but some men are just clueless! (That's why they need us!) Have you ever had design disagreements with your boo? How did you resolve it? Is it true what they say: Happy Wife, Happy Life? My latest video response for a viewer from MTV Networks LOGO's 365Gay site:
QUESTION: Should I sell my apartment to a friend? ANSWER: Only if you can afford to lose your friendship! Have you ever sold/bought a house from a friend? If so, how did you get through the awkward moments, like negotiations, repairs, pricing etc? Like, your friend sends you a $5,000 termite repair bill, which you swallow for the sake of your friendship. (I mean, she DID let you copy of her homework in 7th grade, so according to her, you owe her for life!). Can business & pleasure really mix? Spill your guts. Don't hold back :-)  Question: A fellow realtor posted a homophobic Facebook post. What to do? - Jason Feinman, Pennsylvania Answer: Drop by his open house in a rainbow flag! Read the rest of my advice column here.  It never ceases to amaze me how myopic some people are about their remodel choices. Making a home too customized to your own needs & tastes can often backfire. What adds value in your mind may in fact detract value!...as this LogoOnline (aka 365Gay) viewer finds out from me here. What is the worst thing you've seen a garage converted into? I'd love to hear!  LogoTV showing Hermanity some love again! Thx!
 Ever come across a helicopter seller? Hovers over you in each room, chirps in your ear non-stop , praises their house to high heaven? Give it a rest! Q: Whenever a buyer makes a private appointment to see my house, I make sure I am there to answer all their questions. After all, I know my house better than anyone! Well, a buyer asked for a second visit, but he just wants himself and his agent there and not me. What is up with that?! -Jonah A: Sometimes a seller and buyer will meet briefly during a showing – but personally, I prefer they don’t! Read the rest of my sassy sage advice here   Depending on who you ask, mixing business with pleasure is sometimes called networking....and sometimes it is called a train wreck! There are definite pros and cons to using a friend for business. Read my advice column for this reader on 365gay LogoTV Online.
Question: For our loan, should we use our banker down the street? We’ve known him for years so we trust him. But should we still shop around? – Jillian in Alabama Have any of your friendships soured over a business deal? Let me know. Gimme the gossip!  QUESTION
Hello Herman, I am totally insulted that my agent won’t show me any more homes until I get pre-approved for a loan...It’s not any of her business yet. Shouldn’t we find our house first and then work on a loan? -Abbie ANSWER Abbie, simmer down! No need to be insulted. Everyone is being very cautious nowadays.... Read the rest of my no non-sense advice for MTV's site 365gay. Tell me when & why your realtor nagged you! I just wrote an offer for my buyers on a townhouse that was For Sale By Owner (FSBO). The deal didn't come together because the sellers significantly overpriced the house (duh, no surprise there!) They came up with a price based on the amount of money they owed on the house and how much profit they needed, when they should have based it on the current market and recent comparable closed sales. They might learn eventually...but only after wasting everyone's months of time, money & effort.
I dread FSBO's because
  Some of my clips are up on Logo's site. It definitely feels great to be in a space where I can be myself! A lot of strides have been made, but there is a still a dearth of LGBTQ peeps in the media. Very appreciative of LOGO / MTV Network's efforts!
 Alvin in San Francisco has a staging dilemma. Mom wants to decorate it for families....but it is a modern sleek loft!? My response may be caustic, but I say it with love. Really I do!
EXCERPT: And if you don’t mind me saying Alvin, it’s time to stop being a mama’s boy! This is your property. You bought it. You own it. You’re selling it. You are a grown ass man who can stick up for himself. Say, “Mom, I love you but your staging advice, albeit well intentioned, is without taste.” Go ahead, stab her in the heart! Read the rest here. This is a commonly asked question I get from buyers, and I am sooooo glad I got a chance to answer this for LOGO's viewers.
VIEWER QUESTION: We're buying a new construction house. Do we still need to do an inspection? HERMANITY ANSWER: I don't get this. People are willing to spend 1/2 a million bucks for a house, but can't bear to spend couple hundred dollars for an inspection. It's small price to pay for peace of mind folks.... Want to learn how an inspection can get you more from the builder/developer? Watch til the end of my clip for my hot tip! Have you ever waived an inspection and lived to regret it? Post your comments here or on LOGO's site here.  The salacious photo of the cowboys was not my doing, I promise! Logo did it!...although if that's what Southwest living is all about, I will move in a heartbeat.
Q: I miss the warmth of Florida, but I couldn’t find banking work there . I want to relocate again soon because I cannot stand Cincinnati and the cold winters here. I am considering the areas from Texas to Arizona – can you advise me on which towns both have the lowest unemployment rate and the largest GLBT population? -Doug, CT Read my recommendations here. Do you agree? Meanwhile, if you gotta question for me, LOGO says "Ask YOUR real estate question!" Boy oh boy do I hate answering these kinds of emails! I usually like to be the bearing of good news, as everyone's favorite ball of sunshine. But alas, today I am Grumpy Guss & I gotta burst this man's bubble with bad news. Let me know if I let him down easy! Comment on the site directly here.
On a more professional note, I sometimes get asked about the effectivenesss of those federal and state tax credits. They were touted as the saving grace for the struggling real estate industry. Yet I always felt that, as well intentioned as they were, they were merely a short term band-aid solution. It certainly did not jumpstart the real estate market to recovery. It was a temporary device to artificially prop up the housing market. Did they really think it was gonna be that easy to un-do all the subprime loans & predatory lending entrenched on Wall St?! Band-aids are for treating cuts and bruises.... not for herroraging amputated limbs!  Hey Hermanity Fans!
Here's my latest column for LogoOnline's 365gay site. Buying a house w/ a view? It might not be there forever. Views aren't guaranteed. Read why in my new column for "Ask The Expert" This poor guy in Long Island comes home from college to find a monstrous McMansion erected next door. Aside from being an eye-sore, it totally blocks his view! I break it down for this viewer here. My favorite video for LOGO thus far! "We Broke up! What to do about our house?" Please share with any friends heading for splitsville. With 61% of Californians getting divorced (at least once!), you can bet your bottom dollar people are going through this!
By the way, if you like my LOGO videos, do me a favor and comment on the actual site (you can log in with your facebook account if you want). The more reactions there are, the more they will let me do!  I hope you enjoyed my video response last week for LogoOnline / 365gay.com. We are alternating between video and written response. This week will be written.
Read my latest real estate Q&A for Ask an Expert Column. Ari and his partner bought a house during school. With graduation around the corner, one of them may get a job relocation and another may go to law school. What should they do with their house? Rent it? Sell it? My first video for TV cable channel LOGO's website dropped tonight! I'm giddy to partake in Ask An Expert (By the way, I love the company I am keeping below!)  |
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