How to contest property taxes. How the value of your home is determined and how to contest property taxes if the assessment on file is inaccurate. Q: I recently watched one of Ilyce’s video on YouTube on contesting real estate taxes. It really got me thinking, and I'm doing more research on my property taxes. [...]
What you should know about pocket listings. Who does this real estate market trend benefit most and why is this reader annoyed by it? Q: I’m annoyed with some of the things I see going on in the real estate market, including pocket listings. Sellers should avoid brokerages that list properties internally before they are [...]
Buying a flipped house: nightmare. This homebuyer discovered a host of expensive repairs right after moving into their new home. Buying a Flipped House: Nightmare Q: My question relates to buying a house that was flipped. I searched Ilyce’s website and only found articles for those who were flipping houses, not for buying what turns [...]
Real estate insights on commission splits and exclusive buyer agents. Real estate market insiders give their take on trending topics. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had several responses to columns that have run, especially the one that explained in greater detail how real estate agent and broker commissions work. Real Estate Insights on Residential [...]
First-time home buying tips for 2020. A look at the real estate market heading into 2020 and four tips for homebuyers in the new year. In a few days, we’ll start a new decade. Rarely has a decade produced the kind of wild swings in residential real estate prices as we’ve seen over the past [...]
How to leave property to a child. This reader wants her daughter to inherit her home, but doesn’t want her to have to go through probate. Q: I am a 77-year old widowed woman. I have a house with a mortgage that I purchased a little over a year ago. At the closing, I asked [...]
How are capital losses deducted? This reader wants to know how to go about claiming long-term capital losses on income taxes. Q: My wife and I sold two adjacent properties via quit claim deeds this year. We originally bought the properties in 1994 for $20,000, ($10,000 each) as an investment. We thought we’d build rentals [...]
Gen Z home buying preferences in 2020. They want to become homeowners by 30 and they’re realistic about the housing market challenges they’ll face. Gen Z (ages 14-23) has high hopes for homeownership. According to research by Freddie Mac, Gen Z has a more positive perception of what it means to own a home than [...]
Who is responsible for recording a deed? This reader wants to know how a home can be titled in the previous homeowners' names 20 years after the sale. Q: I’m writing to you regarding your column relating to when you get a tax bill for a home you no longer own. There is actually a [...]
What happens when a seller lies on a disclosure? This home buyer discovered damage they believe the sellers’ purposely failed to disclose. Q: When Do You Have Enough Evidence to Pursue a Seller Disclosure Case? We purchased a "remodeled" home early last year. We have recently discovered after doing some deep property cleaning that the [...]
