Is title insurance a waste of money? The title company handling the purchase offered it and the homebuyer wants to know if it’s really necessary. Q: Have you ever heard of an "enhanced title?" A friend of mine is buying a home and the title company handling her purchase is offering that to her. I [...]
How to approach neighbors to buy their house. This reader thinks neighbors might move out in the next decade and wants to indicate interest in buying the home. Q: I live in a suburb of Chicago and have two neighbors across the street who I have met a couple of times at block parties. Both [...]
What happens when a will and a quitclaim deed conflict? She quitclaimed her interest in the home when they split, but he never changed his will. Q: My friend prepared his will and specified that his house would go to his girlfriend. She had contributed money to the upkeep while they were together. At the [...]
Buying a house in another state: How to view the property without visiting. This homebuyer doesn’t want to make the trip if it’s not for an active listing. Q: Can you give me any advice on how to make it easier to look for a house when you live in a different state? I live [...]
Buying a house that had work done without a permit: What you need to know. This owner wants to know how they should proceed when sellers had work done on the home without a permit. Q: I've always been told that when buying a house I should ask to see any building permits to make [...]
Top 5 bathroom trends for 2021. These are the most popular styles, features and finishes homeowners are using in bathroom renovations and remodels. Millions of homeowners have spared no expense modernizing bathrooms to be more accessible, spa-like and high-tech in recent years. Between 2017 and 2019, an estimated 5.6 million homeowners spent about $37.3 billion [...]
How to resolve title issues. This reader sold one property but the closing attorney used the legal description for two and they need to get it fixed. Q: Earlier this year, I sold my house through a real estate company. I then moved next door to a rental home I own. A few months later, [...]
What to know about transferring property to beneficiaries. This reader wants to know if it’s better to transfer the title or go through probate. Q: I’ve enjoyed reading your recent article in our local newspaper on the differences between using a will and a quitclaim deed in order to pass property to heirs or family [...]
Is mortgage interest deductible in 2020? These homeowners have always deducted mortgage interest but their tax software is rejecting the entry this year. Q: Is mortgage interest still deductible on our federal income taxes? Is there something new that I am not aware of? Is there some reason to not have a mortgage that is [...]
What’s scarier than buying a haunted house? Approximately 70 percent of Americans believe in the supernatural, but most of them are more afraid of this. Halloween is just around the corner and the spooky season is in full swing. While you and your family are watching some classic horror movies (Poltergeist, The Amityville Horror or [...]
