Getting Rid of a Timeshare A reader has tried some common recommendations for getting rid of a timeshare, but is running into a brick wall. Q: I frequently read your column/advice in my local paper. I’ve read your advice about getting rid of timeshares. I tried one of your recommendations about calling the timeshare and [...]
Do Solar Panels Help Sell a Home? Q: We're thinking of moving to a senior living development in a few years, so we'll be selling our house. We've gotten quotes for solar and think it's the thing to do regardless of whether we'd use it long enough to pay off the initial investment. I thought [...]
Trusts: How to Handle a Home in a Trust Q: My mom's home is in a trust. She passed away towards the end of last year. She lived in the home for over 20 years. Her trust lists her six grandchildren as the beneficiaries of the trust. We’ve found a buyer for the home who [...]
Parents selling home to children: Is this the right move? Q: My ex and I are thinking of selling our paid-off home to our two children. Then, both of us would purchase our own places. We would give them a much better deal than they could get on the open market. What are the pros [...]
Should I sell my home in "as is" condition? Q: I recently came across one of your columns on using a company to sell your home on an “as is” basis. You pay no real estate commissions, you get a fast closing and easy terms. Why don’t more people use them? Does the math work [...]
Should I Put Inherited Property In LLC? Reader wants to know if using an LLC to transfer property ownership after death is the best way to avoid probate Q: I inherited a parcel of land upon my father's death. His wishes were for the property to remain in the family for my children. In order [...]
2024 Home Seller Resolutions Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their list of New Year's Resolutions for home buyers, home sellers and financial resolutions for everyone. Have you made your 2024 home seller resolutions yet? The last few years have been an unprecedented gift for home sellers. With few homes listed for sale, home prices [...]
Passing Inspection Before Sale A reader wants to know how to avoid a village-required inspection that will require updates to their property Q: This may be a question for Sam. We live in a village that requires us to purchase transfer stamps in order to sell our home. But for us to get the stamp, [...]
Calculating capital gains. You'll want to keep receipts to make sure keep your capital gains as low as possible. Q: I read your recent article on capital gains and how to calculate them. Here’s my issue. I thought I could shred a whole bunch of receipts accumulated during my ownership of my home. I see [...]
Q: I am a homeowner in my early 70s. We purchased our current home a little over a year ago in a rural area of Wisconsin. We are considering going solar in order to better control our electric bills. There are tax and rebate incentives that make the upgrade to our home lucrative on paper [...]
