Revocable Trust: Get It Right the First Time Q: We had created a revocable trust to hold title to a family home back in 2007. The attorney that created the trust for us has since retired. We need to make some minute, simple changes to the trust. Our son has since married and has two [...]
Timeshares 2025: Buying, Selling, Trading Up During the winter, our readers are more interested in buying, selling, or trading timeshares. It’s been a cold winter in much of the country. Snow in Jacksonville, Florida, anyone? If you’re considering one, you’ll want to read this before you go to the so-called “free” lunch. How Difficult Are [...]
HOA Complaints: Who Pays for Patching and Repainting? Q: I love your column and read it weekly. I live in a mid-sized condo building in Chicago. Last year the common roof above my unit leaked and caused ceiling damage to my unit in several large areas, which required drywall repair, patching and repainting. When I [...]
Paying Taxes on a Home Owned with Kids Q: Our daughter and son-in-law lived in and paid all related expenses for three years in a home we purchased together. They recently sold the home. Could you tell us how we can report this on our federal tax return? If not, can you tell us where [...]
Unpaid Home Loan Reader wants her fair share after siblings failed to repay loans to mother's estate Q: My mother told me directly that the home loans my sisters and brother received from her would be taken out of their inheritance. My mother passed away 10 years ago. I just found out that my siblings [...]
Selling Investment Property With a Delaware Statutory Trusts (DST) Reader wants to know whether a 1031 exchange or Delaware Statutory Trust is preferred when selling investment property Q: I read your recent response to a person who inquired about selling rental properties they own. While your response was factual you made no mention of the [...]
Retiree Co-Signing Mortgage Reader offers suggestions to retiree that won't put him on the hook for his daughter's debt Q: I am a faithful reader of your Real Estate Matters column every Sunday. I am moved to comment on your advice to the retiree who was trying to be a co-signer on his daughter's mortgage. [...]
Buying a Condo Building A reader wants to know how they could buy a condo building big enough to live with friends and family Q: I would love to buy one entire condo building, but not a multi-building complex. Then, I could have all my friends and family live “together” with me. How would I [...]
Is this Homeowners Association (HOA) Good or Bad? Q: I am writing to you in response to the article that I read "Homeowner Association (HOA) Resident Offers Potential Solutions to Board Member Shortage." I have to agree with the article. Being on the board is dangerous these days. However, I have to admit that I [...]
Is This Homeowner Association (HOA) Compliant with State Law Q: We live in a high-rise downtown Chicago. Although the building is well maintained, there are issues with transparency and perceived conflicts with state law and our homeowners association (HOA) condo declaration and bylaws. We are wondering if our interpretation is incorrect. Every time we ask, [...]
