When you get a low appraisal in a hot real real estate market, it could kill your deal. But there are a few things you can do before having to lower the list price or kill the deal. Q: I heard Ilyce recently on WBEZ radio. I'm moving to Chicago from Minnesota and was blown [...]
Old mortgages that have not been properly discharged might derail a home sale. What steps can they take to have the lender recognize the mortgage has been discharged? Q: I’m trying to sell my home and recently found out there is an old mortgage on the property from 20 years ago. The loan was never [...]
Is a home seller on the line for fulfilling inspector recommendations? They just might be if they really want the sale to go through. Q: My agent is insisting that I hire a licensed, bonded contractor to pump water from my crawl space. The inspector "recommends" this. I didn't have a license bonded contractor do [...]
Is now the right time to sell your rental property? We may be in a seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get the most bang for your rental property buck. Q: As always, you give us a lot of good real estate information in your columns. Here's a question regarding my rental home in [...]
Estate planning and capital gains taxes: What you need to know before selling high value property that could be inherited. Q: My parents are elderly and live in Virginia. They own a rental house in California. Since they bought it, the home has increased greatly in value to about $1 million. They are trying to [...]
How to save money on your property taxes when moving within the same state. A tax assessment under your municipality's laws may help you save big bucks. Q: I thought you’d find the following information relevant concerning one of your recent correspondents. In that question, a homeowner was relocating within California and the reader wanted [...]
Can you sell a tax sale property back to the city? Probably not. But here are a few tips to make the most of your investment. Q: My son bid on a property at a tax sale in Philadelphia back in 2010. He found out after he bought it that the property had no value [...]
Can selling inherited property affect your healthcare subsidy? Depending on the value of the property, it could. What you should consider before selling. Q: When my mother purchased her small condo 20 years ago she put it in my sister’s name and in my name. She passed away a few years ago and my sister [...]
Tax rules when buying a condo for your college student can get complicated, especially with capital gains taxes. Here’s what you need to know. Q: We bought a condo in our name and paid for it with cash. Our son moved into the unit and paid no rent for 18 months. He was working on [...]
How the new tax law affects retired homeowners will vary greatly depending on the state the homeowner lives. These are the basic rules retirees need to know before buying or selling. Q: I am a regular reader of your column for many many years. I am a senior, widowed and have some retirement income and [...]
