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, [...]
Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their readers New Year’s resolutions for home buyers, sellers and their personal finances. These are their 2023 Home Seller Resolutions. We feel like a broken record, but 2022 was still one of the best years on record for home sellers. Despite mortgage interest rates rising at an all-time blistering [...]
Why pocket listings are a disservice to home sellers. This reader had an agent who used a pocket listing to market exclusively to a religious community. Q: I’ve been following your discussion of pocket listings with interest. I had an unfortunate experience with a broker who used a pocket listing to try to sell my [...]
Can you sell a house if you are on the title but not the mortgage? Two names were on the title, but only one was on the mortgage when one spouse died. Q: My stepfather bought a house in Miami in 1999 and he included my mom on the title of the property at that [...]
Do I have to pay a buyer’s agent commission? This home seller doesn’t feel like the buyer’s real estate agent has done anything to deserve commission. Q: I am a seller who has an agent that claims he has a buyer for my property. He wants to do a pocket listing. I am absolutely outraged [...]
What is the difference between a trust and a life estate? And is it easier to sell a home that's held in a trust or in a life estate? How do I find out if I am listed on a trust? Q: Not really a question as much as a comment on your story about [...]
Should I get an appraisal before listing my house? Pros and cons to getting your home appraised before putting the property up for sale. Q: I think you’re doing a disservice to your readers concerning listing your home with real estate agents. The best thing a homeowner/seller can do is spend the $350 or $450 [...]
How do I avoid paying taxes when I sell my rental property? This reader wants to know if they can avoid capital gains taxes without doing a 1031 exchange. Q: My wife and I are about to sell a Chicago rental property we purchased together. The house was our first home and when we moved [...]
How is real estate commission split? How real estate agents split commissions with brokerages and use it to cover expenses like Realtor association dues. Q: I’m a real fan of your column, but this article on how much commission real agents make is extremely misleading. From the way I read the column, it looks like [...]
Home buying, selling and getting a mortgage in retirement. This reader wants to know how to time selling their home and getting financing for a new one. Q: I am single and have an 800+ credit score. I plan to retire in the next year or so and move to a small town in the [...]
