Total Number of News: 6182
- 8/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Refi canceled after surprise changes
Q: I was going to refinance the loan on my house. The day I was going to go to the office to sign the closing papers, I asked again what the loan amount and monthly payment would be. Well, it had changed and was higher than what I was told originally. ... - 8/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Don't rely on agent's choice for loan, title services
Real estate agents are clearly the most influential persons in every real estate transaction and their power is not reserved for buyers and sellers -- it extends to all professionals involved. That position of influence becomes magnified in a slower h... - 8/26/2008 - Real Estate News
Home inspection nightmare: Attic access denied
DEAR BARRY: When we bought our home, the sellers prevented our home inspector from inspecting the attic. They simply told him that there was no access, and he merely confirmed this in his inspection report. We later discovered that the access was on th... - 8/25/2008 - Real Estate News
Not married? Buy home as tenants in common
DEAR BENNY: My daughter and her boyfriend are thinking about buying a house and she is putting more of a down payment than he. Is this a good idea? --Doug DEAR DOUG: I don't see any real problem with this arrangement, so long as your daughter and her f... - 8/25/2008 - Real Estate News
Must I contract with agent showing open house?
Buyers often find the house they ultimately buy on their own at an open house. Do they have to use the agent that was showing the open house? Buyers should work with the agent of their choice. However, complications can arise when there is confusion ab... - 8/21/2008 - Real Estate News
Would-be tenant has specific parking needs
Q: I manage a mid-sized apartment complex, and have recently been asked by a prospect who uses a wheelchair for a parking space next to the unit she is considering. We can do that, though we have a waiting list for parking, but it will involve reassig... - 8/21/2008 - Real Estate News
Afraid of taxes when selling inherited home?
Q: My father recently passed, and my siblings and I sold his house and split the profits according to his will. What would be the best way to keep from paying taxes on this gain? It's approximately $14,000. If I put it in a Roth IRA or regular IRA wo... - 8/20/2008 - Real Estate News
Option ARM fallout to surpass subprime mess
In a recent column, shortly after Washington Mutual announced it would no longer offer its option adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) to home buyers, I noted that the program was a benefit to our family because it allowed us to adjust our monthly payments ... - 8/18/2008 - Real Estate News
When mortgage is sold, strange things can happen
"I bought my house in June. In October, I made my mortgage payment to XYZ Mortgage as usual. A few weeks later, the payment was returned with a note saying that my mortgage had been sold to ABC Mortgage. However, when I contacted ABC, they said th... - 8/18/2008 - Real Estate News
Don't wait until selling to make repairs
Home maintenance ranks low on many homeowners' priority lists. When the washing machine breaks, you might fix it to keep from having to go to the Laundromat. But, if there's no pressing need, home maintenance chores are often put off. In the current so...