What can you do about a nightmare condo owner who refuses to follow condo rules? Start with a review of board rules, then call a lawyer. Q: Our condo building has had a problem with one particular owner ever since he purchased his unit in the building and moved in. Initially he didn’t get permission [...]
What happens to your taxes when you co-sign a mortgage for your child? It all depends on how you decide to hold title on the home. Q: If I co-sign a mortgage so my son can buy a house, how will that affect my taxes for the profit when it is sold? He will make [...]
Trees, neighbors and insurance coverage: What you need to know when nature strikes and your homeowner's insurance gives you the runaround. Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a number of letters on our recent column about trees, neighbors and insurance coverage. A reader wrote in that a tree fell on his neighbor’s garage and [...]
With an underwater mortgage, this senior homeowner is desperate for help. Thanks to the Great Recession, this older homeowner is struggling with selling at a loss or staying in their home. Q: My mother is 90 and needs to soon move from her condo to an assisted living facility. She bought her condo at the [...]
What happens to the good faith deposit when the homebuyer backs out? If the buyer doesn’t ask for it back, the seller needs to take control of the situation. Q: We accepted an offer on our house a year ago. Unfortunately, the buyer walked away at the eleventh hour – the night before the moving [...]
How much personal information do you have to give to the HOA? Basic household information is understandable, but what if they go too far? Q: Recently my homeowner's association distributed a request for additional information. They asked me to provide information about who I am and the people who live with me, including their names, [...]
What happens to your taxes when you let a family member rent-to-own your property? The IRS has specific definitions to help, but they can get complicated. Q: I rented our old house to my daughter and her spouse as a rent-to-own property. I told them when they paid enough money I would sign the property [...]
Why did my real estate agent take my house off the market? The answer lies in the listing agreement. Q: Can my broker dump my listing without notice? I found out my house was off the market by looking online. I was never notified by the broker. It this a violation of ethics code? A: [...]
What’s the best way to hold title on your home? A real estate attorney and an avid reader offer their take on how to title your home. Whether you’re single, coupled up or married, deciding how to hold title is one of the most important decisions home buyers make. The ramifications of that decision might [...]
These are the Hottest Houseware Trends of 2019 directly from the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. Which ones will you take home? As we walked the halls of the 2019 International Home and Housewares Show at McCormick Place earlier this month, we were surprised by how much hasn’t changed. Yes, we know this [...]
