DEAR BOB: I currently own a rental condo. If I move into it for 24 months, I believe I will not be liable for any capital gains tax. But I would like to sell the rental condo and purchase another rental property using the Internal Revenue Code 1031 tax-deferred exchange you often discuss. How long would I have to rent the condo I purchase before I can convert it into my personal residence? – Richard W.  more...

Although all the key real estate negotiation components are important to every negotiation, it's time to focus on the other key components of any negotiation. Remember, all these components apply to every negotiation, whether you are buying or selling real estate, a car a refrigerator, or anything else.  more...

Along with her husband and daughter, Luz Maria Gonzalez went to Sam's Club to shop about 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday. While she was walking in the parking lot toward the store, she tripped and fell when her feet became tangled in an approximately 2-foot-long strip of white plastic rope that was lying on the pavement.  more...

DEAR BOB: My wife and I are over 60. We are trying to decide whether to buy a condo at around $300,000 or invest that amount and rent at $1,600 with utilities paid. We would invest the money from the tax-free sale of our $600,000 home – Jack S.

DEAR JACK: You have a wonderful problem. On an out-of-pocket financial basis, it appears renting the $1,600 apartment is the best deal. But today's low rent won't remain fixed. Neither are the costs of owning a condo guaranteed.  more...

DEAR BOB: My husband died last March. He held title to our house in fee simple. But he didn't have a will. After I got over the shock of his unexpected death at age 49, my high-school-age son told me I had to probate my husband's estate to get title to the house. He said he learned about this in his "Business Law" high school class. I then consulted a lawyer recommended by a friend. Because my husband didn't leave a will, he said the estate had to go through local probate court.  more...

Dear Barry,

The home next door belongs to an absentee owner who allows the property to sit vacant and become increasingly dilapidated. Indigents occasionally break in to sleep and are known to use drugs on the premises. I've made offers to buy the place, but the owner is not interested. Meanwhile the property becomes ever more run down. It looks horrible on the outside, gives a "slummy" appearance to the neighborhood, and worse, has become a local breeding ground for roaches and mice.  more...