First, there’s the school wrapping paper sale. Then Girl Scout cookie sales. Then the big spring gala. They are all worthy causes, of course, but how do you budget for seemingly constant school fundraisers, especially if you have multiple kids in different schools? As shrinking state and federal budgets take their toll on schools, parents [...]
Remodeling your home can be a daunting task, and it’s not just about the money. Whether you’re giving your entire home a facelift or you’re focusing on a single room, a remodeling project will take a great deal of time and effort. What do you want the finished product to look like? What are your [...]
After years of drowning with underwater mortgages, American homeowners are starting to swim toward the shallow end as the housing market recovers. Rising home values and increased home equity are spelling relief for many people. Here are four signs that the housing market is recovering: 1. Unemployment is falling. In order to have a strong [...]
Ilyce Glink explains how to avoid paying taxes on forgiven mortgage debt if you've done a foreclosure or short sale in Real Estate Minutes. If you go into foreclosure or complete a short sale, you could wind up owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS on your forgiven debt. But there’s a way [...]
Do you know what a seller disclosure is? Home buyers should go over the required seller disclosures before making an offer. As a buyer, you’ve got find out everything you can about the condition of a home before you even make an offer. Seller disclosure requires a home seller to tell you about any defects [...]
Ilyce Glink Show on WSB Radio: Giving real estate and personal finance advice. From refinancing your mortgage to finding the right real estate agent to your investment choices and your every day decisions on money, you can rely on Ilyce to give you the best advice on real estate and personal finance. Whether you’re thinking [...]
Quit claim deed tax implications can come in many forms. Selling a house with multiple owners can be tricky when paying taxes. Q: I own a house with my brother that we bought for $243,000. We now plan to sell it for about $323,000. My brother lived in it until last year and then rented [...]
Thinking about selling your home to a family member? Get a home value estimate first to double check your home's real market value. Q: Our parents left their home to me and my two sisters. The home is located in Oklahoma and was appraised at $49,000 three years ago. The home has a mortgage with [...]
Should you use retirement funds to buy a house? Borrowing from a 401(k) to buy a house can be a bad move. More in today's Real Estate Minute. If you have to borrow money from your 401(k) or other retirement accounts to fund your down payment - don’t do it - it’s just not worth [...]
When determining value of a commercial property, know the different methods available of how to value commercial property properly. Q: Our bank came in with an appraised value that is about one-third of what we originally borrowed from the bank in 2006. Our loan is coming due (we had a balloon loan) and we need [...]
