First-quarter 2012 earnings reports are being released all week. What's the news for investment and how does it continue to affect homeowners and the housing market? The first-quarter corporate earnings reports for 2012 are rolling in and the week has included some surprises on both the upside and the down. With last week's news that [...]
Q: Do you ever address strategic default on rental property? I owe $135,000 and the property is worth only $65,000. A: Strategic default – hardly any topic in real estate raises hackles quite like this one. If your property is worth less than you owe, and whatever reason, you can't get a loan modification that [...]
Q: How many years should you keep your income tax returns in case of an audit? A: You should keep your tax returns a minimum of 7 years. The IRS can come back and audit you for any reason up to 3 years from the filing date, but has the right to go back further [...]
Q: I have a possible buyer for my home and am selling it by myself. There is no agent involved on either side of the transaction. What are my responsibilities as a home seller? Are there any disclosures I have to make? There is no mortgage on the house. A: How fortunate you are to [...]
Q: You had mentioned on one of your shows that there would be a refinancing program coming available for FHA homeowners who have paid on time but are underwater with mortgage value. Do you have any more information as to when this will happen and who to contact to refinance? Also, do you know what [...]
Child identity theft protection is a hot button issue as predators look to take advantage of your child's clean history and credit score. Are you checking your kid's credit report and taking the proper precautions? Also the $25 billion mortgage settlement is finally approved. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and [...]
Q: I have a fairly complicated situation but I'll make it as simple as possible. I have some debt and I'm wondering how to prioritize it. I have a second loan from a past foreclosure for $32,000. I have been negotiating with the bank (through my attorney) and the settlement price has come down to [...]
Q: This isn’t really a question. I just figured that you seldom find out how situations you're asked about actually turn out, so I want to tell you about mine. A couple of years ago I asked you if it mattered that my name was spelled wrong every year on my property tax assessment notices. [...]
Q: The Hope Hotline is for people who are trying to avoid foreclosure, not refinancing. We are not able to direct the people to any lender for assistance with HARP! You need to advise your readers and radio show listeners to wait for approximately a month to allow the lenders to get their systems in [...]
Q: How do we decide if we should do the remodel or not and how much to ask for our house? If we haven’t found a house yet, when should we put the property up for sale? My husband and I (and our two boys age 6 and 9) would like to move. We bought [...]
