| Can landlord tap rent when damages exceed deposit? |
| Q: The rental market in my city is tight, and it's common for applicants to offer many months' prepaid rent as an incentive for landlords to rent to them. ... |
| View Full Story |
 |
| Buyer beware when when home lacks permits |
| It's an all too common situation. You find a perfect home for sale in an ideal neighborhood. It's been beautifully remodeled, and it has everything you've bee... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Machismo and architecture |
| When it comes to aesthetic matters, some men seem almost embarrassed to express their opinions. That's not too surprising, considering the longstanding stereo... |
| View Full Story |
|
| No need for another tax credit |
| The federal homebuyer tax credit is fading away, and it won't be missed by all. It looked good on paper: an $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers and... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Seconds count in short sales |
| Q: I signed a contract to buy a short sale in January 2010. The owners filed for bankruptcy and I was told that the agent was a short sale specialist and t... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Roofing shakedown |
| Q: We are trying to decide how to proceed on a possible roof repair. Our shake roof is a little more than 20 years old, and one roofer said he thought it w... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Reduced fees for reverse mortgages |
| The checkered beginnings of reverse mortgages made them a difficult sales proposition to seniors. In the early years, some programs gave the lender a bigger ... |
| View Full Story |
|
| How to cancel exclusive buyer-broker agreement |
| Q: If I sign a "Buyer Representation Agreement -- Exclusive" (form), can I cancel it at a later date? --Igor, California ... |
| View Full Story |
|
| FHA has its day |
| In the heady days of the housing boom, so-called FHA loans ended up being the lonely guy sitting on the sidelines. After all, at that time the mortga... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Home at stake in bankruptcy case |
| In May 2009, Candace Booth filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. Her outstanding debts were mortgages against a home she was in the process of trying to rent... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Foreclosure notice triggers debt dispute |
| DEAR BENNY: I fell behind on my mortgage last fall due to the replacement of an HVAC system. I thought I missed two payments. I called my lender and asked fo... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Leveling with contractor over uneven floor |
| DEAR BARRY: We recently hired a contractor to enlarge our living room. But there is a dip in the wood flooring where the addition meets the original constr... |
| View Full Story |
|
| A guide for getting out of debt |
Book Review
Title: "The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts ... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Beware false promise to erase mortgage |
| "I received a confidential note from a firm claiming that they can eliminate my second mortgage. I am inclined to believe them because the value of ou... |
| View Full Story |
|
| Seller financing for today's market |
| During the recession in 2001, a strong home-sale market was instrumental in pulling the economy back on track. The opposite may be the case now. The economy, ... |
| View Full Story |
|