What happens if my husband dies and the title is only in his name? This reader is on the mortgage but not the title and hasn’t had any luck fixing it. Q: My husband died in 2013. After his death I learned that the title to our home we purchased when we got married was [...]
Do I need a real estate attorney to buy a house? This reader can’t find a residential real estate attorney and wants to know how to proceed without one. Q: I have a goal of becoming a first-time homebuyer soon. I picked up Ilyce’s 100 Questions Every First-Time Homebuyer Should Ask book and found it [...]
Do you need a closing attorney when buying a home? Closing attorneys facilitate real estate transactions but they can’t give legal advice on the deal. Q: I'm a little embarrassed to ask this question, but do I need to hire an attorney for closing? I'm a first-time homebuyer purchasing a new construction home and I [...]
What can you do when the seller won’t leave the new home that you’ve already closed on? First, take a look at the closing documents, then call your lawyer. Q: We just closed on a house but the sellers have not vacated the property on our agreed terms. They were supposed to be completely out [...]
How to fix an error on your home deed: Even if the home deed error seems minimal, spend time to correct the error quickly. Q: My deed contains an error. Instead of one of the property lines being described as running "south westerly 146 feet,” it reads "south easterly 146 feet." For purposes of selling [...]
Seller disclosure laws don't cover every issue you find with a house after you buy it. If a homeseller isn't aware of an issue when they sell, the homebuyer likely can't take legal action. Q: We purchased a home and farm equipment on approximately 20 acres in rural Georgia this past January. The owners told [...]
Who owns the water on my land? What are water easement rights? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX5GO0eu77c It's important to document who owns the water on your land. In this question, the homeowner wonders who owns the water easement rights for land that his parents owned for 40 years but has changed hands several times since. Q: [...]
What can you do if your lender backs out of the mortgage commitment? A lot of buyers might want to sue the lender because it is difficult to close if, at the last minute, you're scrambling to find a new lender. There are advantages to working with recommended lenders (such as in incentives other lenders [...]
How clean should you leave your house when selling? That's what this new homeowner wants to know after the sellers left a mess for her at move-in. Q: I want to know how clean should a seller leave a house after the closing? My husband and I recently took possession of our new home this past [...]
Buying a foreclosed home through an auction may get you a great deal on a house, but it may also come with some unusual complications--like the former owners still living inside. While the foreclosed owners do have to leave eventually, every new owner fears the worst: They may be tempted to do a little damage on [...]
