DEAR BOB: About four years ago, my wife and I bought a three-bedroom house for our son to occupy while he was attending college. Although he was only 18 at the time, it was a great learning experience for him to become a landlord. He always had three or four "tenants" living in the house with him and paying rent. On top of the mortgage, insurance, property taxes and other expenses, he managed to clear $700 to $1,200 per month net income. Meanwhile, the house went up in market value by at least $150,000.  more...

Recently, a home seller who lived in the Montclair area of Oakland, Calif., was getting his home ready to go on the market. In the process, his dog ran away. While searching for the dog, he met a neighbor and told him that his home would be for sale shortly.  more...