Total Number of News: 5482
- 11/7/2008 - Real Estate News
Rent-to-own can be full of surprises
Q: I am being transferred from a large East Coast city to a medium-size city in the South. I plan to retire within the next five years; my wife and I do not want to buy now but may be willing to retire there if we enjoy the locale and the climate, so ... - 11/6/2008 - Real Estate News
Landlord refuses to part with '70s shag
Q: I rent a small cottage and have some concerns about my carpet. It's the kind of carpet that can best be described as 1970s-style shag with all the different color browns so you can't tell where there are spots and stains. I hate to think about what ... - 11/6/2008 - Real Estate News
Demand rises for reverse exchanges
Q: We are Canadian citizens who have owned a home in Fort Myers, Fla., for four years. There is no mortgage on the property. We have put the property up for sale, and have made a down payment on a new house. We have bought and sold in the past, and I ... - 11/6/2008 - Real Estate News
Gay marriage good for landlords
Q: I'd like to know if I'm risking a lawsuit if I refuse to rent an apartment to two men who say they are married. I have nothing against gays or lesbians, but I believe that marriage is not appropriate in this situation. These applicants tell me they ... - 11/6/2008 - Real Estate News
Purchase offers: How low is too low?
Q: How low of an offer should I make on a 4-bedroom, 3-bath house in Atlanta listed at $300,000? It's not a short sale or an REO, but I searched the title records and found out that the owners paid only $90,000 for it about 10 years ago. A: The answer ... - 11/5/2008 - Real Estate News
Residents endure water hammer wrath
Q: We live in a duplex that was converted from a 1912 single-family house. The upstairs flat had a kitchen added, and doors were installed for each unit. This house is built right up against houses on either side, a typical but stripped-down Victorian.... - 11/5/2008 - Real Estate News
Why small houses makes sense
Ten years ago, architect Sarah Susanka published a coffee-table book called "The Not So Big House." The premise of the book was that we should build smaller, but nicer. It was a counterculture punch to the McMansions sprouting up in developme... - 11/5/2008 - Real Estate News
Is rate lock wise in today's market?
Loan rates have been as staccato as the stock market. After the longer process of loan approval, when do you lock the loan rate? Will your 6.5 percent fixed-rate loan go up if you don't lock it today or should you gamble on the hope of a possible tick ... - 11/4/2008 - Real Estate News
Top reason to disclose property defects
DEAR BARRY: As a real estate instructor, I teach many programs on ethics and disclosure to agents and people preparing to become agents. These same subjects are often addressed in your column. From your perspective, what can we Realtors do to enhance o... - 11/4/2008 - Real Estate News
Stock declines hit senior hard
Q: My 84-year-old father (who is not in great health) bought into a senior living community several weeks ago, just before the market crash. He must pay the balance of what he owes, about $200,000 dollars, by the end of his first month, which is withi...