Solar Panel Roof Replacement Costs Should you replace the roof before you add solar panels? Q: Five years ago we contracted with a solar panel company to install a system on our house. We now find out we will need a new roof in about two years, after getting three opinions. We’re surprised by this. [...]
Who owns the house? When you add kids to a deed and then remove them, it may be tough to know exactly who owns the house Q: My boyfriend's mother died two years ago. Back in 2007, she added her kids to the deed to the home and created a life estate for herself. Then, [...]
How to record a quit claim deed without hiring a lawyer Reader doesn't understand why recording a quit claim deed to transfer title is to complicated Q: I wanted to record a quit claim deed to transfer title of our home into our respective living trusts in order to avoid probate. Our plan was to [...]
Bad Home Inspection: How do we report him? Q: We had a bad home inspection before we sold our rental property. Our buyers’ inspector came out to our property to do the inspection. I don’t live near the home and wasn’t there for the inspection. I went to the house a week later. I discovered [...]
Renters: Who owns home the home we're renting? The home two renters are renting was recently sold in a sheriff's sale. Now they're wondering, who actually owns the home and what does it mean for them? Q: Let’s assume someone has a mortgage. Their home sells for one dollar at a sheriff’s sale. Who owns [...]
Thinking of buying a vacation home with IRA Funds? Watch out for higher fees when purchasing a vacation home in a self-directed IRA I listen to you every Sunday morning on WGN and I have a question. I'm thinking of buying a vacation home with IRA funds. Can I do that? A: The short answer [...]
Home Inspections: home inspectors make mistakes A reader wants to know if home inspectors make mistakes when doing home inspections. Q: My home inspector did an inspection of my home before I purchased it. The home inspector made mistakes: The inspector missed that there was a hidden water line problem. He also missed a false [...]
Does Paying Property Taxes Give Ownership of the Home? Q: Someone paid my deceased uncle's property taxes before I could pay them. Does this mean that person now owns the property? The property has a mortgage on it. What should I do next? Does paying property taxes mean you own a home? A: Here’s the [...]
Do we owe tax on the sale of our parents' home? Paying tax on the sale of your parents' home can be costly if you don't plan ahead. Q: My parents gave their house to their children but continued to live in it and pay all expenses related to the home. Life happened, and my [...]
Can you put an offer on a house that is under contract? Also what is the difference between under contract and contingent. Q: I’m interested in a property that is under contract but is also under a contingency. I find it odd that this house has been contingent for over six months! I want to [...]
