Gift Letter: Why You Write it Q: When I gave my son some money to buy a house, I had to submit a letter to his lender stating that the money I gave him was a gift and not a loan. Why did the lender require that? A: As housing has become more expensive and [...]
Neighbor Problems: Fences Followup If your neighbor's fence is dirty and you clean it, are you inviting a lawsuit? Rotten Neighbor Disagrees About Fence Q: I came across one of your articles where you discussed a fence problem where a neighbor was unhappy about his side of the fence being dirty. You suggested maybe he [...]
Why You Buy Title Insurance Q: A previous owner owes taxes on the home we purchased. We are trying to refinance our home and we were told that there are taxes owing from 2002. We purchased the home in 2004. Are we responsible for paying these real estate taxes? A: It’s hard to believe that [...]
Paying Mortgage But Not on Deed Children who purchased a home for their parents and are paying the mortgage, realized they are not on the deed. What should they do? Q: I purchased a home for my parents and was named on the mortgage along with them. But, I’m making the payments. My husband and [...]
Putting Assets In a Trust A reader wants to understand how to put her mortgaged home and other assets into the trust she created. Q: I created a trust so that my three kids won’t have to deal with probate when I die as I did with my parents’ home. How do I get my [...]
Home Sale Cash: Divorced Spouse Wants Her Money Q: I was divorced back in 1999, My ex-husband kept the property we bought together. I didn't get a cent when he sold it. But, I also don’t remember signing off when he sold the property. I read that I should’ve signed a special warranty deed in [...]
2025 Home Seller Resolutions Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their readers New Year’s resolutions for home buyers, home sellers and their personal finances. This year, they added their 2025 Housing Trends. These are their 2025 Home Seller Resolutions. Buyers had a little more purchasing power in 2024, but two headwinds remained: Roughly 85 percent [...]
What are your 2025 Home Buyer Resolutions? Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their readers New Year’s resolutions for home buyers, home sellers and their personal finances. This year, they've also added their 2025 Housing Trends. These are their 2025 Home Buyer Resolutions. Despite high hopes for lower interest rates, 2024 continued to be a [...]
What are your 2025 Personal Finance Resolutions? Every year, Ilyce and Sam offer their readers New Year’s resolutions for home buyers, home sellers and their personal finances. These are their 2025 Personal Finance Resolutions. Here's a look at their 2025 Housing Trends. Last year, we asked our readers whether we were in a Silent Depression [...]
Estate Issues: Transferring Co-owned Assets How estates transfer assets like brokerage accounts or houses that are co-owned Q: I just read your article in the newspaper about the parents weighing the pros and cons of sharing assets with their daughter. What do you think about brokerage accounts that are held in joint tenancy with one [...]
