DEAR BOB: My mom's part-time home health aide, who earns $9 per hour, has shared her real estate problem with me because she is a single mother who wants to go back to school to become a registered nurse to earn a better income. If she can sell her townhouse or refinance it, she can use the money to go to nursing school full-time and have enough money from the equity to pay living expenses with her son. About seven years ago, she and her live-in boyfriend bought a townhouse together. Both names are on the deed and the mortgage.  more...

Dear Barry,

Is it currently required that residential smoke detectors be hard-wired and networked together throughout a home? If so, when did these standards take effect? – Larry

Dear Larry,

Smoke alarms in dwellings must be hard-wired to the electrical system. This requirement was introduced in the 1979 Uniform Building Code. In 1991, the code was amended to include battery backup to ensure that alarms would remain operable in the event of a power failure during a fire.  more...

If you dream about designing and building your own home to your specifications, first read "Building Your Own Home for Dummies" by Kevin Daum, Janice Brewster and Peter Economy. This new book explains virtually all the details involved in developing your residence, with heavy emphasis placed on the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.  more...