Total Number of News: 5411
- 10/2/2008 - Real Estate News
Can whistleblowing rental manager be fired?
Q: I am a tenant and also the manager for our apartment building. I've just been fired from the manager's job, and given a termination notice, too. Here's what happened: The owner has been refurbishing rental units as they come vacant, having our maint... - 10/2/2008 - Real Estate News
Readers describe short-sale troubles
My mailbox is full of questions from homeowners trying to complete short sales. Here are two fairly common situations I'm hearing about: Q: I signed a contract for an alleged "short sale." The price of the house is listed online at $280,000.... - 10/2/2008 - Real Estate News
Lesser of two evils: short sale or tenant?
Q: I bought a house about four years ago, and relocated for work last year. My old house has been on the market for almost a year. I thought about renting it, but I really don't want to deal with tenants from a long distance. The place is almost fully ... - 10/1/2008 - Real Estate News
Termite damage a nightmare to fix
Q: I had a termite inspection done on my home. Now I must find a reputable contractor to do the work. The work to be done is extensive, and I feel it will be costly. The termites have damaged the rim joist, mudsill and subfloor in the subarea. Termite ... - 10/1/2008 - Real Estate News
Purchase offers are for buyers to decide
In a recent column, a seller wrote in that his agent had a buyer for his house at the full asking price. The only quirk in the deal? The seller -- not the buyer -- wrote up the full-price offer. The seller wanted to know if I had heard of this practice... - 10/1/2008 - Real Estate News
Can lender challenge loan data after closing?
The mortgage meltdown has brought a return to the process of proper verification of a borrower's assets. But just how long is the information stated on your home-loan application considered valid? If you retire or lose your job after your loan closes,... - 9/30/2008 - Real Estate News
Sellers: Don't blame us for wall rot
DEAR BARRY: We sold our house a few months ago and signed a disclosure statement that said no water problems existed. But the new owners found carpenter ants in a closet, which led them to rip off the drywall and remove the hardwood flooring. What they... - 9/30/2008 - Real Estate News
Smoking, partying missing from disclosures
Q: We purchased our house from an old lady who told us she was selling because she wants to live in a retirement community. However, she lied to us. She apparently got tired of having extremely noisy neighbors from both sides of her house, and wanted t... - 9/29/2008 - Real Estate News
When is it safe to destroy mortgage papers?
DEAR BENNY: We have owned our home since 1998 and have refinanced twice since that time. I still have the original mortgage papers along with the twice-refinanced papers. I am afraid to throw anything out but they are quite bulky and take up a lot of ... - 9/29/2008 - Real Estate News
Some borrowers get more aid than others
"Is it true that mortgage servicers will not help borrowers in trouble until they stop making their payments? I am a home retention counselor and I keep hearing from people referred to me that they have received no response from their servicer be...