Do you know the 1031 exchange requirements? It's up to you to know the requirements of a 1031 exchange and have a back-up plan. Q: During the process of completing a 1031 exchange, my mortgage broker told us the day before our 180 day limit for closing on our purchase that our lender didn't approve [...]
Wondering if your lender allows mortgage prepayment? Most lenders today have stopped carrying out mortgage prepayment penalties. Q: You recently answered a question about a rental property owner deciding whether to refinance into a 15-year vs. a 30-year loan. I bought my house in 1976 for $70,000 with a 30-year loan where the mortgage payment [...]
If you want to buy a building, then you should check out these five ways to successfully invest in real estate. Home buyers and real estate investors have been in a good mood for years, since around 2007, when the housing crisis began. And why not? Historic low interest rates combined with home values that [...]
Retiring by the time you turn 40 might sound impossible, but it most definitely can be done. With some careful retirement planning and creative savings strategies, you can begin your retirement while you are still young and spunky. Getting started on your retirement savings as soon as possible is most important. The longer you have [...]
Want to know your options for an underwater mortgage refinance? Here's what to do when you can't refinance your underwater mortgage. Q: I built my home in 2006 for $750,000. I have a loan with a balance of about $525,000 and an interest rate of 6.625 percent. I have been trying to refinance my mortgage [...]
When going through a divorce and breaking up your mortgage, a mortgage loan assumption might be an option that could help. Q: I read your recent column in my local paper titled “Giving up interest does not free you from mortgage obligation.” The ex-wife was willing to give up her claim on the home to [...]
Ilyce Glink gives her advice on how to avoid common mortgage refinance scams in today's Real Estate Minute. If you don’t pay your mortgage, it’s much more likely you’ll fall victim to a refinancing scam. When you fall behind on your mortgage payments, your lender files a notice of default. This makes your financial problems [...]
Getting a new mortgage after a short sale or foreclosure is now possible for many Americans who lost their homes during the housing crisis. Even if you've gone through a foreclosure or a short sale, you can still buy a home. Here’s some good news: Hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their homes in the housing [...]
After years of drowning with underwater mortgages, American homeowners are starting to swim toward the shallow end as the housing market recovers. Rising home values and increased home equity are spelling relief for many people. Here are four signs that the housing market is recovering: 1. Unemployment is falling. In order to have a strong [...]
Ilyce Glink explains how to avoid paying taxes on forgiven mortgage debt if you've done a foreclosure or short sale in Real Estate Minutes. If you go into foreclosure or complete a short sale, you could wind up owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS on your forgiven debt. But there’s a way [...]
