I bought a house with problems not disclosed, now what? This new homeowner found out about a major insurance claim for tornado damage after closing. Q: My husband and I bought a home two years ago and we had a multitude of problems. First, the real estate agent forgot to offer us a walk-thru until [...]
What does a home inspector do? This home seller thinks the requests a buyer made after the home inspection are unreasonable. Q: I enjoyed your column today in the Sunday Chicago Tribune. In your experience, have you come across buyers trying to use their home inspector to assert that there are many problems with a [...]
Is my real estate agent doing a good job? This reader feels like their agent didn't fully explain the process of selling their home and all their options. Q: I sold my dad’s house late last year and feel like I was taken advantage of by my agent and my real estate attorney, who was [...]
What are the tax implications of joint property ownership? This reader is on their mother’s home title and wants to know how their taxes will be affected. Q: When my mother purchased her home 10 years ago she put me on the title with her. I do not live in the home. She did this [...]
How to transfer utilities from seller to buyer. What happens when a buyer fails to transfer leased utilities like solar panels into their own name? Q: I’m confused about when sellers are supposed to shut off utilities and how these get transferred. I thought that typically, within a day or two post-settlement, the buyers would [...]
Real estate market 2019: Where are homes selling fast? Realtor.com looked at areas where homes had the most page views and the fewest days on the market. We’re in the middle of the 2019 real estate market and homes in these neighborhoods are selling much faster than the national median of 56 days on the [...]
Seller didn’t disclose water damage, now what? These homeowners moved in and found themselves with flooded basements from cracks, leaks and clogged drains. From time to time, we get a series of questions on the same topic. This week, everyone seems to have water on the brain. Literally. We’re running some of the questions and [...]
What does a listing agent do? This reader wants to know how listing agents generate interest in a property and if it benefits the home buyer or home seller. Q: In the Washington, D.C. real estate market, it’s common for real estate agents to price a listing low in order to generate the maximum number [...]
What do home sellers have to disclose to potential buyers? Being as honest as possible about persistent problems in the home is the best way to go. Q: A large bank of windows in our home leak from time to time. We can have very heavy rain or storm systems move through our area and [...]
Should you hire a family member to be your listing agent? A reader is concerned the house isn't being sold fast enough but is it her family member's fault? Q: The listing agent for my mom's beach house is my brother-in-law, so I'm stuck. He doesn't seem to either know how to market the property [...]
