3 holiday spending stress relief tips for gift giving in 2019. It is possible to show appreciation for your loved ones without overspending this holiday season. My favorite part about the holidays is gathering with the people I love most to celebrate the end of another year. Exchanging gifts and visiting with family is a [...]
How is real estate commission split? How real estate agents split commissions with brokerages and use it to cover expenses like Realtor association dues. Q: I’m a real fan of your column, but this article on how much commission real agents make is extremely misleading. From the way I read the column, it looks like [...]
Are exclusive buyer agents better than traditional real estate brokers? Weighing the pros and cons of each and how to decide which to use when homebuying. Q: My wife and I have been reading Ilyce’s book, 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and one of the big things we took from the book [...]
How do you protect yourself when selling a house? This home seller thinks a buyer might be taking advantage of them after a home inspection. Q: I would appreciate your advice on how a seller can protect themselves from being taken advantage of by a buyer. When I put my house up for sale, a [...]
Home buying, selling and getting a mortgage in retirement. This reader wants to know how to time selling their home and getting financing for a new one. Q: I am single and have an 800+ credit score. I plan to retire in the next year or so and move to a small town in the [...]
Top 5 bathroom trends 2020. Homeowners are after high-tech features, eco-friendly flooring, spa-like styling, modern medicine cabinets and more. Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about renovating your master bathroom into a relaxing sanctuary with a spa-like feel? Or is it just me occasionally browsing through before and after photos of bathroom remodels admiring the [...]
Using an LLC to transfer property from parent to child. This reader wants to know how to avoid future gift taxes transferring property to their son’s LLC. Q: We are subscribers to Ilyce’s Expert Real Estate Tips YouTube channel. Thanks so much for sharing such good advice and tips. We jointly bought a rental property [...]
Can condo associations ban cannabis smoking in units? This reader wants to know how cannabis smoking can be prohibited if cigarette smoking isn’t. Q: I recently received a letter from my condo association about a proposed amendment to our condo declaration to ban cannabis smoking in our units. The letter states "The Condominium Act states [...]
How much commission do real estate agents make? Research shows a lack of commission rate transparency and negotiability at traditional real estate firms. Please note that this story has been updated to add in additional information that shows how real estate commissions get split between brokers and the real estate agents who work for them. [...]
I received a property tax bill after selling the house, now what? What happens when real estate taxes are still in the seller’s name years after closing? Q: I owned a house for six years and then sold it. It appears the new owners never put the home in their names. Three years later I [...]
