What does a home inspector do? This home seller thinks the requests a buyer made after the home inspection are unreasonable. Q: I enjoyed your column today in the Sunday Chicago Tribune. In your experience, have you come across buyers trying to use their home inspector to assert that there are many problems with a [...]
Buyer representation agreements: how do they work? This reader points out that some states have real estate laws that regulate buyer agency agreements. Q: I saw your recent article on exclusive buyer agents and buyer agency agreements that discussed an agent that required the homebuyer to sign an agreement for the showing. I feel your [...]
Home renovation costs for 2020. Here's how much home projects like kitchen remodels, cabinet refacing and deck construction will really cost. Homeowners are grossly underestimating home renovation costs. It turns out, home renovation costs for 2020 are skyrocketing. In a recent survey by Discover Personal Loans, nearly 80 percent percent of Americans underestimated how much [...]
Dealing with financially irresponsible family members. This reader’s sister’s house has a lien on it and her credit cards are maxed out, again. Q: I enjoyed Ilyce’s radio show for many years when she was on the air in Atlanta. I’ve also signed up for Ilyce’s informative newsletters. Unfortunately, my sister is the one who [...]
Is a condo or townhouse a better investment? These readers want to buy property in San Francisco they plan to rent out when they move in a few years. Q: I just read the AMA Ilyce did on Reddit about a year ago on buying a home. Thank you for all the information that you [...]
What can I do if my landlord doesn’t return my security deposit? My landlord sold the unit after condo deconversion but never gave the deposit back to me. Q: I am a tenant in a building that was recently deconverted from condos to apartments. Prior to the deconversion, I had rented the condo from the [...]
Is my real estate agent doing a good job? This reader feels like their agent didn't fully explain the process of selling their home and all their options. Q: I sold my dad’s house late last year and feel like I was taken advantage of by my agent and my real estate attorney, who was [...]
Peak hurricane season 2019: are you prepared? As Hurricane Dorian and Tropical Storm Fernand bare down Gabrielle strengthens over the Atlantic. Peak Hurricane Season 2019: Are You Prepared? Most hurricane seasons to date have had six hurricanes, but this year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts five to nine hurricanes in the Atlantic [...]
What are the responsibilities of a condo association? This reader says rodents are all over the property but the homeowners association board won't act. Q: Are there laws that govern rodent control for condos? My neighbor feeds birds 50 pounds of bird food at a time and now I have squirrels in my unit. Mice [...]
Is the real estate market slowing down? What's happening with the housing market and what happens when the real estate market turns from hot to cold. Recently, we came across a headline in a local Chicago news outlet about an expensive home that had been for sale for a while: “Spec House Sells For Two-Thirds [...]
