Can you sell a house if you are on the title but not the mortgage? Two names were on the title, but only one was on the mortgage when one spouse died. Q: My stepfather bought a house in Miami in 1999 and he included my mom on the title of the property at that [...]
Why are pocket listings banned? Explaining the reasoning behind the National Association of Realtors (NAR) banning pocket listings. Q: You recently answered a question about a home seller paying the commission to an agent for a "pocket listing." You bypass the larger issue and the reason that so-called pocket listings are against the National Association [...]
Mortgage delinquency rates spike in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The latest loan insights show a 3.1 percent jump in overall delinquencies in just one year. Mortgage Delinquency Rates Spike in 2020 Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Having trouble paying your mortgage? If so, you’re not alone. Looking back in the early days of the pandemic, [...]
Do you need a closing attorney when buying a home? Closing attorneys facilitate real estate transactions but they can’t give legal advice on the deal. Q: I'm a little embarrassed to ask this question, but do I need to hire an attorney for closing? I'm a first-time homebuyer purchasing a new construction home and I [...]
What you should know about refinancing your mortgage before retirement. Four things to consider when refinancing your mortgage before retirement. We recently received a long comment on one of our questions regarding a homeowner who was deciding whether to refinance their home before retiring. Our correspondent is a mortgage industry veteran of many years and [...]
Utility costs by state: what state has the highest average utility bills? How much electricity, natural gas, water, cable and internet costs in each state. If you’re thinking about moving to a different state to lower your cost of living, there are a lot of factors to consider. Typically, people look at the weather, school [...]
Should you postpone condo board elections during COVID-19? This reader is hesitant to proceed with condo board meetings and elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Q: I live in a condominium building with around 100 units. We have seven board members and we are supposed to vote on some new board members this fall. Residents will [...]
Does a quitclaim deed override a will? This reader wants to know which document is used to determine who inherits the property of a friend who passed. Q: My friend filled out a will before she married her last husband. She owned a house and when she married she did a quitclaim deed with her [...]
Housing market trends: top 10 hottest ZIP codes in 2020. Homes in these ZIP codes get the most page views and are off the market in less than 20 days. The housing market has been a bright spot amongst the chaos that has dominated 2020. And, there are some very valid reasons for that, including [...]
Do I have to pay tax on property sold overseas? This reader wants to use funds from the property sale to invest in real estate in California. Q: I own a piece of real estate overseas and I’ve owned it for quite some time, even before I became a U.S. citizen. I would like to [...]
