Where is the safest city in America? On the east coast, in a smaller metropolitan area with lower home prices, a boon for home buyers and investors. After comparing more than 180 cities across 39 key indicators of safety (like assaults per capita and road quality), WalletHub determined that Columbia, MD is the safest city [...]
Making the most out of the sale of an underwater investment property can be difficult, especially in a competitive housing market. Here’s how to get started. Q: I bought a home as an investment for $450,000 with several partners back in 2006. We intended to buy it, knock it down and redevelop the property. That [...]
What can you do when the seller won’t leave the new home that you’ve already closed on? First, take a look at the closing documents, then call your lawyer. Q: We just closed on a house but the sellers have not vacated the property on our agreed terms. They were supposed to be completely out [...]
These homeowners want to know how their homeowner association fees are determined for a large neighborhood that restricts access to some areas the association maintains. Q: Hi, I enjoy reading your column in our local newspaper. I live in a homeowner’s association that is aggressive. We have around 250 homes and some of the homes [...]
How do you decide if a home equity loan is right for you? An honest look at your current debts and a talk with your mortgage lender may be able to help. Q: We’re thinking that we don’t want to move forward with a home equity loan we applied for. We’re pretty far along in [...]
When’s the best time to buy a house? ATTOM Data Solutions analyzed over 18 million single-family home and condo sales over the past 5 years for the answer. If you plan to close on a home purchase soon, you’re in luck! Seven of the 10 best days to buy a house are in December. The [...]
Why do you need to shop for your mortgage lender? Whether you have reservations or the rate feels too high, shopping around will help get you a better deal. Q: I applied with my daughter for pre-approval on a loan with a mortgage company. I applied several months ago and the lender never notified me [...]
How to fix an error on your home deed: Even if the home deed error seems minimal, spend time to correct the error quickly. Q: My deed contains an error. Instead of one of the property lines being described as running "south westerly 146 feet,” it reads "south easterly 146 feet." For purposes of selling [...]
When rental property investors violate home-sharing regulations, depending on where you are, city violations on short-term rentals can get costly. The city of San Francisco recently reached a $2.25 million settlement with a couple who violated the city’s short-term rental regulations when home sharing on Airbnb. Darren and Valerie Lee were sued in 2014 after [...]
What you need to know about being a condo owner: from the condominium association to voting on assessments, what’s expected of the owners? Q: As a new condo owner for last two years, I have enjoyed your recent column in our newspaper on condominium issues. I own a small condominium in a mid-sized building in [...]
