Can my landlord terminate my lease during COVID-19? This reader wants to know if it’s possible and how much notice they’ll be given. Q: If you rent on a month-to-month basis, can the owner terminate the lease during the COVID-19 pandemic? And, if the landlord does notify a tenant that the landlord elects to terminate [...]
Where are people moving in 2020? Americans are moving away from big cities, building new homes in smaller cities, suburbs and more rural areas. In 2020, Americans are looking for a reprieve from expensive, crowded mass metropolitan areas by relocating to smaller cities, suburbs and more rural areas, according to the latest quarterly Home Building [...]
Pros and cons of buying your parents’ house. You can buy it if they can’t afford the mortgage, but then they lose the equity in the home. Q: My parents owe about $500,000 on a mortgage and home equity loan for a property that’s worth around $900,000. They want to stay in the home, as [...]
Can a non-citizen buy a house in the U.S.? Yes, this is how a non-citizen can buy a house in the U.S. and a few things they should consider. Q: I am not a U.S. citizen, but my daughter is married to a U.S. citizen and will have her green card shortly. Another one of [...]
What to do about a water meter reading error. This reader received a huge water bill after closing on their home but the math and timing of it just don’t add up. Q: We sold our house in Ohio in March and moved to the west coast. We informed our water department that we needed [...]
How do you change a deed from tenants in common to joint tenants? This homeowner also wants to know if it will trigger any adverse tax consequences. Q: My wife and I purchased a home over 40 years ago. The original deed is titled as John Smith and Sally Smith. This defaults to tenants in [...]
Top 5 home remodeling trends 2020. Take a closer look at remodeling activity and the projects and features homeowners are trending towards. What are the top home remodeling trends? The annual Houzz & Home Study, the largest survey of residential remodeling, building and decorating activity, answers that question, and more. Not surprisingly, given the strength [...]
Should I refinance to a 15 or 20 year mortgage? This reader wants to live mortgage-free and both refinanced term lengths offer significant interest savings. Q: We took out a mortgage in 2011. It’s a 30-year with an interest rate of 5.125 percent. Our expected payoff date is 2041, but we’ve been paying biweekly. We [...]
Enforcing no smoking rules in condos. Condo boards can amend the rules and regulations to prohibit smoking, but how can they enforce the new rule? We continue to receive questions and comments about our recent columns on smoking (here and here) as well as the rules that condominiums and other associations are putting into place [...]
Understanding COVID-19 homeowner relief resources. How to find coronavirus relief for homeowners offered by mortgage lenders, banks and the government. There’s a lot of confusion about what types of coronavirus relief resources are available for homeowners and who’s eligible for them. Over 60 percent of homeowners have no knowledge of COVID-19 resources or are unsure [...]
