We often get questions about prepayment penalties and whether the penalty period will apply if a homeowner sells the home rather than just prepays the mortgage. Q: I just signed a contract on my house with a closing at the end of next month. I also bought a new house with same closing date. I [...]
When you live in a home owned by a family member, transferring the home title from owner to tenant can be complicated. Just because you've been living in a home for an extended period of time and paying the expenses (as in this case), that doesn't make you the homeowner. Q: How do we get the [...]
Resolving a title conflict between joint homeowners can be difficult and often emotional. This is especially true when one homeowner relies on the other for support. Q: My mother and I are both on the title to our house. The house is paid off. My mother is also abusive and I am disabled. She has [...]
How much home can you afford to buy? Not as much as last year, it turns out, as existing home sales fall due to affordability and lack of inventory. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales declined 3.7 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.48 million units. Economists polled [...]
If you own a home, you're probably thinking about the top tax benefits of homeownership. But you may not know how your single biggest asset (your home) can help you save on your tax bill. You probably already know that your biggest asset could also help you save on your taxes. It's the "how" that's [...]
How clean should you leave your house when selling? That's what this new homeowner wants to know after the sellers left a mess for her at move-in. Q: I want to know how clean should a seller leave a house after the closing? My husband and I recently took possession of our new home this past [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8wstP5PxlY Extreme weather and water shortages are convincing people to change their home landscaping plans, leading to fewer lush yards but more long-term benefits for homeowners. After the severe water shortages in California, water usage restrictions have gone into effect for homeowners in certain parts of the state. In Texas, homeowners have seen the [...]
It feels good to close on your first home. But once you’ve got everything moved in, you become a homeowner and that means lots of homeowner responsibilities and sometimes spending money on those responsibilities. From the moment you move in—actually from the home inspection—you should consider how to maintain your home in order to avoid [...]
Major damage to your home can also do damage to your wallet, and homeowner’s insurance is intended to help manage some of that cost. However, simply having insurance doesn’t mean that you should file a claim every time something goes wrong with your house. “Insurance isn’t meant to be a home warranty program,” says Colt [...]
Are you looking for ways to save money on a home remodeling project or renovation? And what’s the best way to pay for that project? Get answers to these questions by listening to this week’s episode of the Ilyce Glink Show. You can click the audio link below to listen to the full show, or [...]
