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Articles By Ilyce

Ilyce Glink is an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist, television reporter and radio talk show host who is widely known for her expertise on trends and issues in real estate and finance. Her syndicated column REAL ESTATE MATTERS offers common sense information and practical insights for anyone thinking about buying, selling, rehabbing or refinancing a home.

  • Finding Yourself In Seller's Shoes Doesn't Mean A Perfect Fit - If you don't like the way your broker describes potential properties, you should sit down with him or her and explain that you'd prefer to hear the "truth" about each property.

  • Getting Your House Ready for Sale - Getting your house ready for sale? Spring comes early when you're a home seller. It's time to spring into action, do some spring cleaning, and maximize the value of your home. 

  • Noise in Condominium Upstairs - What can you do if you own a condo and your upstairs neighbor suddenly gets more noisy than usual? Ilyce Glink and real estate attorney Samuel Tamkin help out a reader who just can't stand the noise anymore.

  • Developer Misleads Buyers - A developer misleads a buyer regarding the empty lot next to their new home. Now they are faced with buying the lot to avoid a new home being built. Ilyce suggests always getting agreements with developers in writing.

  • Detecting Synthetic Stucco - A potential home buyer is wondering if the home is covered in synthetic stucco. Ilyce explains that synthetic stucco feels quite different than conventional hard-coat stucco.

  • Determining Ownership Of A Home And Mortgage - A reader has a question about home ownership, mortgages and quit claim deeds. Ilyce explains that a quit claim deed only removes you as owner of the property and does not release you from the mortgage.

  • Fixing Credit Score To Refinance - A reader wants to refinance his home but is worried about his credit score. Ilyce discusses how to make corrections to credit history and how to work with lenders.

  • At A Loss For Words: Limited Descriptions Turn Off Buyers - If you don't like the way your broker describes potential properties, you should sit down with him or her and explain that you'd prefer to hear the "truth" about each property

  • Agreeing To Agree: Buying A Home Proves Stressful For Many Couples - Brokers say buying a home is often one of the most stressful things couples do together. It can put your marriage or friendship to the test. It can bring out the secret monster that lives inside your spouse.

  • How Long Will Your Home Live? - Criterium Engineers, a nationwide network of registered professional engineers who specialize in building inspections, recently published the results of a study which estimate the typical life expectancy for many common building components. How long your home lasts depends a great deal on the conditions to which it is subjected, including use, climate and temperature.

  • Taxes On Sale Of Inherited Property - A reader inherits cash from the sale of a property that was in the family. Ilyce thinks that tax would only be paid on the capital gains after the sale of the property and suggests that a little bit of planning may save everyone a lot of money when tax season comes around.

  • Straighten Out Home Ownership For Children - A reader wants to assure a home for his disabled son and grandson. Sam and Ilyce offer advice about estate planning and how to purchase real estate with the future of his family in mind.

  • Impending Nuptials Require Real Estate Moves - A reader and her fiance have both purchased condos within the past year. Ilyce suggests that going forward, the reader and her fiancé should lay their financial cards on the table and set up a framework in which major financial moves are openly discussed throughout the marriage.

  • Always Shop Around For Best Home Mortgage Rates - Even if you're self-employed and looking for a no-doc loan, shopping around will get you the best rate.

  • Determining Capital Gains On Florida Condo - A reader is anticipating selling a condo that has greatly appreciated in value. Ilyce discusses how to determine their tax liability and suggest that a 1031 - Starker Trust may be a good strategy.

  • Finding a Vacation House - Ilyce talks with Christine Karpinski about starting a vacation home rental business.

  • Home Office: What To Look For When Your Work And Your Life Are Located In The Same Place - For those of us who work out of our homes, there are several issues to keep in mind when looking for the right property - size of the home, the neighborhood and local ordinances.

  • First Offer or Last Offer – An Offer Is Best - There seems to be an unwritten rule in selling real estate: Your first offer is usually your best offer. But many sellers have trouble accepting their first offer, especially if it comes within a few days or weeks after the property is listed.

  • The Bottom Line for Home Buyers is Still Buyer Beware - A buyer should do everything in his or her power to make sure that the property is sound and the deed valid. Why? Because at the end of the day, it's the buyer's money that's been plunked down on the bottom line.

  • Mortgage Broker Demands Fees After Cancelling Loan - A reader has trouble with a mortgage broker and cancels the loan. Now the broker is insisting on payment for his service. Ilyce encourages the reader to write a letter to the mortgage broker informing him that you know he has violated many of the laws under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

  • Subdivide Property And Use 1031 Tax-Free Exchange - A reader is subdividing their current property but would like to avoid a heavy tax bill. Ilyce suggests using a 1031 tax-free exchange and finding a good real estate attorney.

  • How To Raise Credit Score To Prepare For Mortgage - A reader is considering buying their current rental property but is aware that their credit score is low. Ilyce gives tips about how to raise the credit score and how to plan for the purchase of property.

  • Getting the Most out of a Showing - When you go to see a house, the idea is to take a step back and look at it as objectively as possible. Sure, you’ll want to react to the lovely artwork or perfectly awful carpet – but the idea is to react intellectually rather than emotionally.

  • How To Remove A Mortgage Lien From A Title - A reader wonders how to have and old mortgage lien removed from a title. Sam and Ilyce warn that over the last several years, lenders have become overwhelmed by the refinance boom and some have failed to keep up with the documentation. Some never send out the release deeds or release of lien letters.

  • The Ins-and-Outs of a 1031 Exchange - A reader wonders if they can use a 1031 exchange but move into the home less than one year after the purchase. Ilyce and Sam explain that the IRS has not set hard and fast rules as to how long you have to keep the new property as income-producing. Some practitioners say that if you change your mind after the sale and make it into your primary residence you will be fine while others believe that the only safe route is holding it for two years.

  • Reality Check: Using A Reality List To Help You Begin Your House Hunt - Once you've decided to buy a home what do you do next? Make two lists: A wish list and a reality list.

  • Clarifying Pre-Approval Versus Pre-Qualification - A reader helps to clarify the issue of pre-approval letters versus pre-qualification. Ilyce continues to hear about sellers in some areas of the country who have been requiring buyers to submit copies of their credit reports and credit scores along with their offer to purchase.

  • Clear The Decks: Preparing Your Home For Sale - Most buyers have a difficult time visualizing what a home will look like with their furniture in it. Your furniture, artwork, and knick-knacks, become distractions that many buyers' imaginations will have to work overtime to surmount. Buyers who have to work that hard trying to picture how they'll live in your home won't buy it.

  • The Importance of Being Earnest Money - Want to show the seller you're seriously interested in buying his or her home? Brokers say the best way to get that message across is to attach a large check – part of the earnest money – to your offer for purchase.

  • Your Home Is A Castle: Make It A Safe One - There are two things to consider when looking for a safe place to live: The neighborhood and the home.

  • Tax Break For Installment Contract - A homeowner sells their home using an installment contract and wonders if they need to pay capital gains taxes on the balloon payment. Ilyce suggests that they may have to pay tax on the interest paid if the home was sold via an installment contract.

  • Unexpected Private Mortgage Insurance Billed After Closing - A reader receives a payment coupon for a new mortgage that includes PMI. At the time of closing, no PMI had been included. Sam and Ilyce explain to thoroughly review the mortgage agreement before signing any new documents.

  • Get A Fixed-Rate Home Equity Loan When Refinancing Is Unavailable - A reader wants to save money by prepaying their mortgage. Ilyce thinks the homeowner can save more by getting a fixed-rate home equity loan and paying extra each month.

  • First Time Buyers Need To Keep Information To Themselves - A reader has already told their broker how much money they are willing to spend on a home. Ilyce explains why it is best to keep this information to yourself.

  • The Credit Score Connection - Ilyce knows how this is a tough time of the year to open your credit card bills. She gives advice on how to enter the year with a plan for a good credit score.

  • Landlord Keeps Deposit On Apartment - A landlord does not return a deposit that was put on an apartment. Ilyce states to always have a clear statement from the landlord what would happen to a deposit if a rental agreement is not made.

  • Selling Home And Getting Tax Break - A reader wonders if they have missed an opportunity to receive tax breaks when selling their home. Ilyce explains that current IRS tax law states that as long as you have lived in your home for two of the past five years, you can keep up to $250,000 in profits tax free when you sell the house.

  • Closing Up: What Can Go Wrong at a Refinance Closing - Avoid problems with refinancing: Be organized, plan out the money, change your homeowner's insurance, arrange for new conditions and title.

  • Relocating - When relocating to a new city, should you buy or rent? Ilyce Glink provides helpful personal finance advice and real estate advice to one of her WSB radio show listeners

  • Home Warranty Programs - Is getting a home warranty program a good idea? Usually, the answer is no. Ilyce Glink advises a reader to save their money and self-fund any repairs they may need

  • From Castle to Condo: A primer on the different types of homes available - Here's a quick rundown on what you might expect if you purchase a condominium, coop, townhouse, or single family house.

  • Dealing with Synthetic Stucco Homes - Do you have synthetic stucco problems? Ilyce Glink provides helpful real estate advice to one of her WSB radio show listeners who is working through problems associated with synthetic stucco homes.

  • The Comparative Marketing Analysis: A Useful Tool for Sellers - Sellers who choose to list their property with a broker should ask for a comparative marketing analysis (CMA). A CMA looks at all the variables in a home: number and size of rooms, number of bathrooms, number of square feet, lot size, location, and any special amenities the home may have.

  • Retirement Accounts Questions - Retirement Accounts Questions

  • Home Buying Questions - Home Buying Questions















































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