HOA Board Member Causing Trouble Q: We have a new HOA board member who is very troublesome and off the wall with regard to rules and regulations. I am a board member along with one other person. The actions and language of the new board member with vendors and the other owners are offensive. We [...]
Do Solar Panels Help Sell a Home? Q: We're thinking of moving to a senior living development in a few years, so we'll be selling our house. We've gotten quotes for solar and think it's the thing to do regardless of whether we'd use it long enough to pay off the initial investment. I thought [...]
Condo Reserves A Growing Issue: Part I of II It’s expensive to own any type of home. You’ve got the mortgage, homeowners insurance, property taxes, maintenance and upkeep. You may also, if you buy in a subdivision, have some sort of homeowner’s association fee to pay. In an era where affordability is an issue, with [...]
HOA Problems After suing his HOA, a reader wants to know if he's really been banned from contacting HOA management or the Board. Q: I know you’ve answered a lot of questions about HOAs in the past. But I haven’t seen you address my particular situation: Would a lawsuit against our condo association, whether I [...]
Signing Legal Documents Whether you're signing a mortgage or a trust, you might need an original signature. Q: Just read your story where the writer said that his/her mother wants to put her house into a living trust. Excellent article! I’d like to add one thing that I’m sure that you know, but many people [...]
Open Floor Plan: Not Everyone's a Fan What if you want to find a traditional house that isn't one big room? Q: I know this isn't your usual type of question, but when on earth are people going to stop tearing down supporting walls in their houses in the quest for an open floor plan? [...]
HOA Didn't Repair Air Conditioner: Now What? Homeowner contacted HOA to repair a leaking air conditioner drainage line but it still hasn't happened. Q: My homeowners association (HOA) agreed to fix a leaky air conditioning drainage line that ran between floors. It causes flooding in my unit every summer. They set up a repair date [...]
Where Do I Find a Transfer on Death (TOD) Instrument? Q: After my husband's death, my daughter went to pick up the deed to our house. There was a quitclaim deed that our old mortgage lender put in place with my signature on it. Also, I can't find the transfer on death instrument (TODI) either. [...]
The Pitfalls of Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship Stepmother leaves her father, but stays on title as joint tenants with rights of survivorship Q: My father passed away and my stepmom said that I could have the house. My father and my stepmom were married when he died but she left him over seven [...]
How To Find An EV Charger Station Installer Condo building has owners with electric vehicles and wants to install an EV charger station Q: I am on the board of directors of a homeowners association (HOA) in Evanston, Illinois. The board is gathering information about installing electrical vehicle (EV) chargers on our HOA property. The [...]
