What happens when past homeowners have unpaid back taxes? The home may become at risk for foreclosure if the new owner skipped title insurance. Q: I bought a home back in 2013. I received free and clear title to it. However this week I was served with papers for foreclosure due to the previous owner's [...]
What do home sellers have to disclose to potential buyers? Being as honest as possible about persistent problems in the home is the best way to go. Q: A large bank of windows in our home leak from time to time. We can have very heavy rain or storm systems move through our area and [...]
Should I sign the seller disclosure if I have unanswered questions? Before you sign on the dotted line, consider the worst case scenario for each concern. Q: I purchased an older home in northern California earlier this year. We signed off on disclosures at the time of our purchase. We had a number of unanswered [...]
What happens to unclaimed good faith deposits? As this loyal reader points out, there are many options which vary depending on your location. Q: Every Sunday morning, your article is one of the first two or three that I read in my local paper. Thank you for enlightening me and the public on real estate [...]
If you want to take out a loan on an inherited home, finding the right lender and knowing your credit score can start you off on the right path. Q: My grandparents passed away years ago. Then, last year, my mother passed. My grandparents owned a home and I paid a title company to complete [...]
Does seller disclosure cover plumbing problems? If there was misrepresentation on the disclosure sheet, you may have a case. Q: Three months ago, I bought a house. I didn’t have a septic inspection. A few days ago, the septic pump failed. I had it pumped, then had a plumber come to inspect. He found that [...]
What to consider before purchasing property for friends. No matter how long you’ve known them, a detailed title and promissory note are always necessary. Q: My father purchased a fixer-upper for a friend and hand-wrote a mortgage payment plan they both agreed upon. Well, after a few payments, the buyers stopped making the mortgage payments. [...]
Is it a good time to buy a home in 2019? It just might be. It might also be a good time to sell. This morning, Fannie Mae released its March 2019 Home Purchase Sentiment Index, which is a composite index designed to track consumers’ housing-related attitudes, intentions and perceptions, using six questions from the [...]
What is a deed of trust? This document often confuses homeowners, especially after they pay off their mortgage. Here’s what you need to know. Q: Thank you for your recent article about transferring ownership of a home among family owners. My question is simpler. I recently paid off my mortgage and received a Certificate of [...]
Are you ever too old to buy your first home? Of course not! Just make sure you understand what’s required of you as a homeowner and a real estate investor before you buy. Q: I am almost 61 years old and single. I moved to Baltimore and would like to buy a small two-flat to [...]
