How to Pick a Home Inspector Q: I need to know how to pick a home inspector. On your website, you stated that people need to research the person they hire to do a home inspection. Can you please provide the methodology and resources with which to do this. Most websites are populated with 'ringers' [...]
Estate Plan Mistake Q: I'm wondering if my husband made an estate plan mistake. He died without a will. We have one son and when my husband passed, my son and I signed an agreement that said if I sold any of the properties, we’d both need to agree to the sale. When I sold [...]
2024: Worst Year for Home Sales? Just before the election, the National Association of Realtors announced that 2024 would likely be an even worse year for home sales than 2023. It could wind up as the worst since the late 1990s. Existing home sales fell one percent in September to a seasonally adjusted rate of [...]
Avoiding Capital Gains Tax When Selling Vacation Home Q: We are selling a vacation home. We were told that we should put some of the money from the sale of the property into a 1031 to avoid paying a 28 percent tax on the sale. Is there another way to avoid paying capital gains tax? [...]
Joint Financial Accounts: Pros and Cons Q: Could you explain the pros and cons of having joint financial accounts with a daughter? I also own my home with her as well? My husband has passed away. I have a will and other needed documents. A: We’re sorry for your loss. We understand how having joint [...]
Co-Signing a Mortgage? You'll Need These Docs Q: My daughter is buying a home. The mortgage company wants me to submit a ton of information in order to be her co-signer. They want all pages of my bank statements for the last three months and my tax returns for the last two years. They also [...]
Zoning: Splitting Lots Q: I have a zoning question. My daughter and son-in-law bought a cabin as their second/vacation home near Seattle a couple of years ago. The property is actually two lots (with two separate tax parcels). And, the cabin on one of the lots. But there is only one deed and one mortgage. [...]
Buyer Agency Gives Home Buyers Pause Q: My young adult children are thinking about buying a house. And, they're confused about some of the new rules and regulations concerning buyers agents. We're all a bit befuddled by the new rules regarding commissions for buyers agents. I am giving Ilyce’s "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer [...]
Life Estates and Lady Bird Deeds Q: My lawyer can’t seem to get the title cleared on my Florida condominium. My mom and stepdad received title to my grandmother’s condominium as tenants-in-common from my grandmother back in 1995. My stepdad died without a will about 20 years ago. His estate was never probated as my [...]
Square Footage: Sizing Up a House Correctly Comment: I read your article on how people buy homes and use the square footage of the home to compare one home with the other. I wanted to let you know there is an ANSI standard for measuring square footage of a residential unit though few in our [...]
