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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.

  • 1031 Exchange - When a real estate investor wants to defer taxes on a sale, he might opt for a 1031 exchange. In a 1031 exchange, the investor purchases a similar investment property to replace the original property, and is able to defer any taxes owed. The proceeds from the sale of the original property are held by a 1031 exchange company. 1031 exchange companies are not regulated and some have stolen taxpayers' funds. You can use a 1031 exchange for other kinds of investments, including artwork, antique cars, and valuable baseball cards. How can you find a reputable 1031 exchange company? 

  • Easement - A property buyer asks about easements in a subdivision. An easement allows a second party, such as a utility company or neighbor, access to property. Easements are legally documented and it’s helpful to consult a real estate attorney to understand them.  

  • Real Estate Listing Agreement - A real estate agent asks about the length of a real estate listing agreement, which governs how long he can take to sell a home. The real estate agent says 90 days is too short a duration for a real estate listing agreement. How long should the real estate listing agreement last? Does Ilyce agree with the real estate agent about the real estate listing agreement? 

  • Real Estate Investment - An investor asks about buying a real estate investment. The investor has calculated the return on investment for the real estate investment properties he’s considering. But has he considered other real estate investment issues such as tenant demands and property maintenance? Taking those costs into account may change the investor’s mind about buying a real estate investment.  

  • Lease Purchase - If you’re trying to sell your home in a tough housing market you might consider offering a lease purchase. In a lease purchase the seller rents the property to a tenant who may later buy it. The tenant puts down a non-refundable option fee which goes toward the purchase of the home. Learn about how lease purchases work and if it’s the right choice for you. 

  • Credit Card Companies - Learn about the business practices of credit card companies. How do credit card companies change credit card limits? What reasons do credit card companies gives for changing credit card limits? How can you protect yourself when using a credit card? 

  • Credit Card - Credit card companies may change the terms of your credit card at any time. What kinds of changes can credit card companies make? Does your behavior affect what action a credit card company takes on your credit limit? 

  • Designing A Container Garden - If you’re short on space consider a container garden. Designing a container garden includes selecting your container and the types of plants. A Chicago Botanic Garden expert offers tips on designing a container garden.  

  • Electric Shock - Learn about the risk of electric shock in your home. Electric shock can occur when electrical and extension cords aren’t properly managed. Do you risk electric shock by using an indoor extension cord outside?  

  • Electricity - Electricity powers much of America yet it can still pose a danger. Learn about managing electricity using extension cords. Before buying an extension cord be sure to calculate how much electricity you need managed and how much electricity your electrical appliances use.  

  • Credit Card Rates - What promises do credit card companies make about credit card rates? What factors affect credit card rates? Can your behavior affect your credit card rates? Can factors out of your control affect your credit card rates?  

  • Home Inspection - Home inspector Jamie Dunsing describes what to expect during a home inspection. You should get a home inspection before buying or selling a home. Find out what issues a home inspection can bring to your attention. 

  • Planting A Container Garden - How should you plant a container garden? When planting a container garden you should start by picking your container. The next step in planting a container garden is selecting the plants. Learn the steps to planting a container garden.  

  • 1031 - If you own a property and want to avoid paying certain taxes when you sell, consider a 1031 exchange. When you do a 1031 exchange with a qualified intermediary, you can defer the payment of taxes. Find out how some key points for 1031 exchanges here.  

  • 1031 Exchange - If you own investment property and want to sell it and cut your tax bill, consider a 1031 exchange. A 1031 exchange allows you to defer paying taxes. Which taxes can be deferred using a 1031 exchange?  

  • Container Garden - Container gardens allow you to change your plants with the seasons. Learn what kind of container to use for your container garden. And find out what plants work best in container gardens from a container garden expert.  

  • Basement Inspection - A basement inspection should be part of a home inspection. When home inspector Jamie Dunsing inspects basements he looks for gas leaks such as carbon monoxide and radon. Learn what else may be found during a home basement inspection.  

  • Attic Inspection - When a home inspector conducts an attic inspection he will look at the attic’s insulation, air conditioning and more. Addressing problems found during attic inspections can save you money on heating and cooling. Learn what’s included in an attic inspection.  

  • Tenancy By The Entirety - A home owner asks about how to title his home with his wife, who works in medicine. Ilyce describes tenancy by the entirety as the best option. Tenancy by the entirety means both of them would own all of the home and would have to agree with most choices having to do with the ownership and sale of the home. 

  • Renter's Insurance - If you rent your home you should have renter’s insurance. Less than half of renters have renter’s insurance according to Allstate. Why is renter’s insurance important? What does renter’s insurance cover? Good renter’s insurance will help you replace your belongings in case of a disaster. Learn how to document your property for renter’s insurance.  

  • Credit Counseling - An elderly couple asks about managing credit card debt. Ilyce suggests getting credit counseling from a non-profit organization. During a credit counseling session, they can receive coaching on how to manage their debt. Depending on the debt load, credit counseling can help you learn how to pay off your debt.  

  • Quit Claim Deed - A woman asks about changing a quit claim deed. She signed a quit claim deed to remove her name from the title when she went through bankruptcy. Now, despite the quit claim deed and five years later, she wants to add her name back to the title. Learn how she can add her name back to the title using another quit claim deed.  

  • Landlord - A reader asks if now is a good time to become a landlord. How can the potential landlord learn about the rental property market in his area? If you’re considering becoming a landlord you should educate yourself about foreclosures, local rental information and investment properties. If you become a landlord you will become a real estate investor.  

  • Quit Claim - An adult child asks what happens when her stepmother signed a quit claim deed. The adult child’s father dies and now she wonders what that means for the quit claim deed. Is the quit claim deed still valid? What happens to the property on which the quit claim deed was signed when there are adult children involved? 

  • Closing - A reader asks who legally owns a home on the day of closing. The party who possesses the home on the day of closing varies depending on where you live. If a seller stays in a home beyond the day of closing, the buyer should charge the seller substantial rent to assure the buyer that the seller will move out in a timely manner. It’s important to be clear on possession at closing.  

  • Cancel Short Sale - A buyer asks whether he can cancel a short sale purchase. He doesn’t want to lose his cash in escrow if he cancels the short sale. He needs to check the details of his contract before canceling the short sale. To find out how to cancel a short sale he should contact a real estate attorney.  

  • Divorce Advice for Women - A woman going through divorce says her name is not on the house deed. She’s asking for divorce advice for women. One important point of divorce advice for women is seeing a divorce attorney. A divorce attorney provides advice for women going through a divorce.  

  • Lien Waiver - A woman writing on behalf of her sister asks what release form states a supplier or builder has completed his work, received payments and releases any interest in the property. The form she wants is a lien waiver. If her sister was working with a builder, it’s the builder’s job to obtain the lien waivers. Make sure to get lien waivers signed before making payments.  

  • Loss Mitigation - A home owner asks how long the loss mitigation process takes. Ilyce advises to be in constant contact with your lender during loss mitigation. The loss mitigation process may be able to help you save your home.  

  • House Selling Tips - Are you selling your house? Learn some house selling tips from Ilyce. When selling your house you have to think like a buyer. Perhaps these house selling tips can help you sell your house faster. 

  • Breaking A Real Estate Contract - A home seller asks about breaking a contract with his real estate broker. In this case, the real estate broker owns the agency. Does the seller have to do something different to break this real estate agreement with his broker? 

  • Relationship Advice - What relationship advice should a man follow when he’s ready to sell a house but his female companion is not? The relationship advice concerns the form of his relationship and how much money the woman put toward the house and their lifestyle. Is he trying to end the relationship by selling the house? 

  • Quit Claim Deed - A woman asks about giving her home to her sister using a quit claim deed. She wonder whether creditors can reverse a quit claim deed. Can they put a lien on the home if she executes a quit claim deed? 

  • DIY Brass Polishing - Whether you are getting your house ready to sell or just want to spruce it up, consider polishing your brassware as an easy DIY home improvement project. Polishing your brass doorknobs gives your home a new look. 

  • Quit Claim Deed - A woman asks about what it means to sign a quit claim deed. She signed the quit claim deed when she was newly married and now she’s separated. Her name was not on the mortgage. What effect does signing a quit claim deed have on her rights to the home?  

  • Quit Claim Deed and Mortgage Assumption - A woman says she signed a quit claim deed so that her brother could get the home. He assumed the mortgage after she signed the quit claim deed. Now, he has signed a quit claim deed to give the home to his son, her nephew. The nephew has stopped making mortgage payments and the woman worries about foreclosure. What can she do? 

  • Community Design Trends - Learn about community design trends from master plan developers. What are the trends in community design that will affect the future? Community design trends come from what residents want and how they use their community’s amenities. What are some community design trends for recreation and proximity to work? 

  • House Mold - A reader asks about mold in a house she bought in “as is” condition. Who can she hold accountable for the house mold? Should the real estate agent or home inspector have pointed out the house mold? Does she have recourse for house mold when she buys a home “as is?” 

  • Cohabitation - What rights do people have with cohabitation? A couple moves in together but the woman’s name is not on the deed or the mortgage. Does she have property rights from cohabitation? What impact does her financial contribution have on what she would get if the cohabitation ended? 

  • Foundation Cracks - A homeowner asks about foundation cracks and who should pay to fix them. Can the seller be liable because he did not reveal the foundation cracks upon selling the house? Should the builder pay to fix the foundation cracks? Or will the homeowner have to pay to repair the foundation cracks? 

  • Home Improvement - When you’re getting ready to sell your house you should make a list of the home improvement projects that will make your home more appealing to buyers. You can do home repairs yourself or hire a handyman to help make home improvements. What kind of home improvement services does a handyman offer?  

  • Finding A Real Estate Agent - Three real estate insiders offer their advice on what the average seller or buyer should look for in a real estate agent. Following their tips will help you find a real estate agent. 

  • Tax Software - If you like using technology, tax software may be right for you. You can use tax software to do your own taxes. You may want to consult with a tax advisor to see if tax software is right for you. 

  • Estate Planning - A reader asks a question about estate planning. In this case, incomplete estate planning leads to some family members not receiving money after a house is sold. Thorough estate planning ensures that the people you want inherit your estate. Without estate planning, the laws of your state govern your estate when you die.  

  • Community - How does a master planned community get designed? How do developers know what to include in a master planned community? Creating a sense of community means including amenities to foster community. Developers try to allow for community as populations age.  

  • Townhouse - A reader asks whether a having a pool in a townhouse community raises the value of each townhouse. This depends on whether other local townhouse communities have pools. A pool will cost townhouse residents more in fees and upkeep, but if it’s the only pool in the area it can help increase your townhouse’s value.  

  • Erosion - A buyer wants to buy a home that’s threatened by water erosion. In addition to the risk of more erosion, the home needs other repairs. Is it still worth it to buy the home when it could be further damaged by erosion? The seller has offered to drop the home’s price to compensate for the erosion, but is it enough? 

  • USDA Rural Development - A reader says that the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, offers other loans than guaranteed loans. The other loans are USDA rural development loans. To find out more about USDA rural development loans visit USDA’s Web site.

  • Quit Claim Deed - A condo co-owner says he signed a quit claim deed to give full ownership to his father. The condo co-owner signed the quit claim deed after being sued. Can the parties suing him still try to get the condo after he signed the quit claim deed?  

  • Mortgage - Learn about mortgage basics including two common types of mortgage loans and what it takes to qualify. Your credit score will have an impact on what kind of mortgage loan you can get. Being informed about your credit score and your options will help you get the right mortgage for you.  




















































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