Total Number of News: 6345
- 10/28/2008 - Real Estate News
Seller's contractor can't be trusted
Q: We are in the process of buying a home. We really did our homework before we started, but we've still hit a big bump in the road. We made an offer on a lovely house that is about 80 years old. It was advertised as renovated and was even on the area ... - 10/28/2008 - Real Estate News
Homeowners burned by insurer
DEAR BARRY: Last winter, we had a house fire. The burn damage inside was relatively small, but the smoke damage was extreme. It was so bad that we had to move out for several months, and the drywall, insulation and floor coverings had to be removed fro... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
The art of counteroffers
Negotiation is back in style. It's not uncommon for buyers and sellers to have many rounds of counteroffering back and forth before they arrive at a contract that is completely agreeable to all involved. When this is accomplished, the contract is ratif... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Homeowners, be careful signing divorce papers
DEAR BENNY: I am recently divorced. We had two houses. In the divorce, I got one and he got one. We both signed quitclaim deeds to each other. However, I needed to refinance mine to pay off the bills I accumulated just to get my house back into livable... - 10/27/2008 - Real Estate News
Regulation couldn't prevent mortgage crisis
When a presidential election falls in the middle of a financial crisis, it is not surprising that we are besieged with misinformation. Much of it is finger-pointing about responsibility for the absence of effective regulation that would have stopped or... - 10/24/2008 - Real Estate News
Tool rental done right
It's a simple fact of life that every home improvement project requires tools of some sort. As a result, just about every homeowner has a toolbox -- or at least a kitchen drawer -- with a decent assortment of hand tools. But what happens when your proj... - 10/24/2008 - Real Estate News
Foreclosure puts contractor's money at risk
Q: I'm a contractor who has completed repairs on a house that was damaged by fire. The insurance company for the owner of the home sent the insurance proceeds check to the owner's mortgage company. The mortgage company has paid me for the first part of... - 10/24/2008 - Real Estate News
America's urban planning on wrong track
What if we paved over the whole state of Wisconsin? Actually, we already have. According to recent Federal Highway Administration figures, the United States has close to 240 million motor vehicles -- almost 40 million more cars than there are licensed d... - 10/23/2008 - Real Estate News
When tenants fight, stay neutral
Q: I own a rental home in a very quiet suburban neighborhood. About six months ago I rented the home to a young newlywed couple and everything was fine for the first few months. But the honeymoon is over, and lately I have been getting calls about som... - 10/23/2008 - Real Estate News
Tenant: Fumigation justifies rent break
Q: I had problems with roaches at my apartment, which came from the neighbor downstairs. They moved out three weeks ago and left a very filthy place, infested with roaches. The manager has been trying to get rid of them, by fumigating constantly. The ...