Have real estate questions? Here, you’ll find helpful articles and other resources that cover issues related to real estate, buying, selling, financing, refinancing, credit and debt, insurance, second homes, vacation homes, real estate investment, new construction, and renovation.
Ilyce Glink Show – Rebuilding American Homeownership in Five Steps – February 24, 2013
WSB Radio’s Ilyce Glink Show. Rebuilding American homeownership; setting, controlling and managing your personal financial goals and future in five steps. We are rebuilding American homeownership on WSB Radio’s Ilyce Glink Show by learning how to reclaim ownership over our home, personal finances and small business. Today I want to emphasize five rules homeowners need [...]
Ilyce Glink Show – Rebuilding America One House at a Time – February 17, 2013
We're rebuilding America one house at a time, recovering the housing market by homeowners working on their own personal finances individually. This is how we'll get through the Great Recession. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show on February 17, 2013 at 11:00am Eastern [...]
Gifting a House to a Relative
Gifting a house to a relative will affect your income tax and real estate property tax. Know the consequences of gifting vs. inheriting. Q: I thought you might have said on your radio show that you didn't advise giving a home away. My uncle is thinking of giving me an old house, but I didn't [...]
Should I Prepay My Mortgage?
You'll often hear people ask whether they should prepay their mortgages, and for many it makes sense to prepay. Q: I hear and see so many financial advisors and experts recommending that people pay off their mortgages by making an extra mortgage payment each year. The reality is that it would be easier for the [...]
Why Buy Title Insurance On a House When You Pay Cash For the Home
If you are making the largest investment of your life, wouldn't you want to make sure you are protected by obtaining and buying title insurance? When you buy title insurance on a house, a title company gives you certain guarantees that you are the rightful owner of the home and certain other title protections. Title insurance does not protect you against future title problems that might develop nor does it protect you from fire or other casualties. But if you are paying cash to a seller are you certain the seller will give you good title to the home?
Auctions Sell Homes Quickly In Tough Housing Market
If you're eager to sell your home in a tough housing or real estate market you may want to try an auction. Unlike lotteries, which are illegal, using an auction is an acceptable way to quickly sell your home. To auction your home you need to use a real estate auction company or a website such as eBay.
Avoid Capital Gains Or Gift Tax On Real Estate Investment
What's the best way to pass a second home on to heirs? If you don't want to pay capital gains tax on a sale or a gift tax you should give your heirs an ownership share of the home gradually. If you give an amount of the real estate investment equal to the amount that's not subject to gift tax you can avoid gift tax. Right now you can give people up to $13,000 a year tax-free. That protects everyone from paying capital gains tax or gift tax on this real estate investment.
Avoid PMI By Getting A Piggy Back Loan
Sometimes new home buyers do not have 20 percent of the purchase price for the down payment. First time home buyers often have to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI). A piggy back loan can help first time home buyers or anyone who is short of cash for a down payment.
Bank May Put Lien On Home For Bad Auto Loan
If you fail to make payments on an auto loan it's possible for the auto lender to try to recover the money you owe on the car in other ways. The bank can put a lien on your home if you owe them money for another debt such as an auto loan. The lien remains on the home until you repay the auto loan debt and the lien will have to be dealt with when you sell the home. Both the bank and the mortgage lender will have to be repaid for the home sale to go through.
Basement Needs Fire Exit
Building codes vary from municipality to municipality. But in many places, if you have a basement that is used as a bedroom, building codes may require that you provide a fire exit, either a window or a door.