Total Number of News: 5506
- 10/30/2008 - Real Estate News
Buyers, be careful what you sign at escrow
Q: I am about to buy a home. I have heard that I should request a copy of my closing documents several days prior to my scheduled signing. What should I be looking for, and who can I hire to help me go over them? A: Whoever told you that gave you sound... - 10/30/2008 - Real Estate News
Put extra cash into mutual fund, not mortgage
Q: My wife and I enjoy listening to your radio show on Sundays. We are both 65. I work full time and my wife works part time. We'd like to sell our house because it is too big for us now, but we know this is not a good time so we are waiting for the ma... - 10/29/2008 - Real Estate News
What happens when reverse mortgage isn't repaid?
In a recent column, we addressed the possibility of using an Individual Retirement Account to purchase investment real estate. We pointed out that one of the challenges was that an IRA-leveraged loan is made to the IRA or plan, not to an individual, and... - 10/29/2008 - Real Estate News
Scams, moving and surviving on a teacher's salary
If your budget is tight, the last thing you need to do is get scammed out of your hard-earned cash, blow it all on a bad move or spend more than you should. Three new books provide a lift for those who are trying to do more with their money, and provid... - 10/28/2008 - Real Estate News
Seller's contractor can't be trusted
Q: We are in the process of buying a home. We really did our homework before we started, but we've still hit a big bump in the road. We made an offer on a lovely house that is about 80 years old. It was advertised as renovated and was even on the area ... - 10/28/2008 - Real Estate News
Homeowners burned by insurer
DEAR BARRY: Last winter, we had a house fire. The burn damage inside was relatively small, but the smoke damage was extreme. It was so bad that we had to move out for several months, and the drywall, insulation and floor coverings had to be removed fro... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
The art of counteroffers
Negotiation is back in style. It's not uncommon for buyers and sellers to have many rounds of counteroffering back and forth before they arrive at a contract that is completely agreeable to all involved. When this is accomplished, the contract is ratif... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Homeowners, be careful signing divorce papers
DEAR BENNY: I am recently divorced. We had two houses. In the divorce, I got one and he got one. We both signed quitclaim deeds to each other. However, I needed to refinance mine to pay off the bills I accumulated just to get my house back into livable... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Regulation couldn't prevent mortgage crisis
When a presidential election falls in the middle of a financial crisis, it is not surprising that we are besieged with misinformation. Much of it is finger-pointing about responsibility for the absence of effective regulation that would have stopped or... - 10/24/2008 - Real Estate News
Tool rental done right
It's a simple fact of life that every home improvement project requires tools of some sort. As a result, just about every homeowner has a toolbox -- or at least a kitchen drawer -- with a decent assortment of hand tools. But what happens when your proj...