Automobile Content Index - Page 5

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released this Q&A about the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, which was announced by President Obama on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.

Here are some answers to most-asked questions about the plan:

Questions and Answers for Borrowers about…

Some people think buying a used car is risky business - especially if you're buying it from an individual, as opposed to a dealer. It's hard to know what you're getting - whether the car is in good condition, etc. You may decide to consult a mechanic before making your purchase.

Now you can run a…

Gabriel called the show this morning. He's a car dealer who has been in the business for 20 years.

"The problem I see is lot of people don't educate themselves before buy a vehicle. Cars don't have a 50 percent markup," he told me this morning.

On American-made cars, there is an 8 to 9 percent markup…

New week, new president. Today on the show we talked about the inauguration and how the stock market dived about 4 percent that day -- the most on any inauguration day ever. Why? It had little to do with Barack Obama being inaugurated and a whole lot to do with the Royal Bank of Scotland's numbers.

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Financing a car may be a better option for some people than paying cash. Financing your car through the dealer, allows you to use the cash for other purposes. If you finance instead of paying cash there are several things to get in writing including the prices of the vehicle, the finance charge and how much interest you will pay per year.

Property setbacks are rules that describe how close to a property line a home may be built. Property setbacks often exist to improve the visual appeal of a community. If a neighbor violates a property setback, will it affect home values? It's difficult to gauge the effect of property setbacks on home values. If a neighbor disregards a property setback, it may be an issue to get the homeowners association to comment on.

If you fail to make payments on an auto loan it's possible for the auto lender to try to recover the money you owe on the car in other ways. The bank can put a lien on your home if you owe them money for another debt such as an auto loan. The lien remains on the home until you repay the auto loan debt and the lien will have to be dealt with when you sell the home. Both the bank and the mortgage lender will have to be repaid for the home sale to go through.

If you give money to a landlord to hold a rental house for you, you risk losing that money, especially if you didn't sign any documentation. The landlord is under no obligation to return the deposit put down on the house, even if there was a verbal agreement that the money was only to hold the house. To get the money back you may need to contact a real estate attorney.

What should I look for when buying a used car?

Home inspections by a professional home inspector can save you tons of money and aggravation. If you value peace of mind, it's the home inspectors who will give it to you. Every home buyer should have a home inspector inspect the new home at least once prior to closing.