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FHA home inspection sure to raise eyebrows

By Barry Stone, Monday, April 30, 2007.

Dear Barry,

Before we bought our home, it was evaluated by the FHA home inspector, but he missed every important defect. Since then, we've spent lots of money on repairs, including a leaking shower, a rotted bathroom floor, three defective windows, a faulty furnace and problems with the electrical wiring. How could the inspector have been this negligent? --Melinda

Dear Melinda,  more...

Survival guide for landlords

By Robert Bruss, Monday, April 30, 2007.

Editor's note: Robert Bruss is temporarily away. The following column from Bruss' "Best of" collection first appeared Sunday, April 16, 2006.  more...

Home sellers: Carry back mortgage and profit

By Robert Bruss, Monday, April 30, 2007.

Editor's note: Robert Bruss is temporarily away. The following column from Bruss' "Best of" collection first appeared Sunday, April 16, 2006.

DEAR BOB: My husband and I are avid readers of your columns. We own a townhouse that we bought as an investment. Now we are considering selling it. If we agree to owner financing and retain title until the loan is paid, can the buyers deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes on their income tax returns? --Melana W.

DEAR MELANA: Yes.  more...

Smart home sellers opt for pest inspection

By Dian Hymer, Sunday, April 29, 2007.

No one wants to buy a house that's riddled with termites. So, a termite inspection -- technically an inspection for damage by any kind of wood-destroying organisms -- is usually done at some point during the course of a home sale.

Loosely referred to as a termite inspection, an inspection for wood pests covers such organisms as dry rot, fungus, wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants -- to name a few -- in addition to termites. Who pays to repair the damage varies, often depending on market conditions.  more...

Adjustable-loan shocker hidden in fine print

By Jack Guttentag, Sunday, April 29, 2007.

"I have recently heard advertisements for mortgages with the disclaimer that the 'payment rate is not the interest rate.' How does that work?"

The interest rate is the rate used to calculate the amount of interest the borrower owes the lender each month. The payment rate is the rate used to calculate the amount of the payment the borrower is obliged to make each month. On most mortgages, they are one and the same, which is why it may be confusing when they are different.  more...

Housesitter's to-do list: Squat and conquer

By Robert Bruss, Sunday, April 29, 2007.

Editor's note: Robert Bruss is temporarily away. The following column from Bruss' "Best of" collection first appeared Sunday, April 16, 2006.  more...

Masonry saws handle any cut

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

If you've got a piece of wood to cut, chances are pretty good that you have a saw sitting in your garage that's more than equal to the task. But what about those pavers for the new patio? Or the bricks for the walkway, and the ceramic tile for that new bathroom floor?

For those tough jobs, you need the specialized power and accuracy of a masonry saw. Masonry saws come in a variety of sizes and styles, from small portables to bruisers capable of slicing through 10-inch concrete blocks in one pass, and can be purchased or rented depending on your needs.  more...

Home for sale: Rose garden not included

By Robert Bruss, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

Editor's note: Robert Bruss is temporarily away.  more...

How much worse can housing get?

By Lou Barnes, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

The slow drift downward in long-term rates stopped this week, the 10-year T-note at 4.69 percent, mortgages settling just above 6.25 percent.

Once again, good economic news dampened recession hopes in the bond market: orders for durable goods were very strong in March, up 3.4 percent, double the forecast, and February's orders were revised up half-again the initial report. Orders for durable goods trend along with capital spending by business, and weak business spending during the winter was thought to prove economic weakness spreading from housing and autos. But, not yet.  more...

The neighborhood eatery

By Alison Rogers, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

Like many newlyweds, I feel as though I have very few close friends. The wonderful intimacy of sharing every day's sorrows and joys with the same person, while simultaneously trying to get dinner on the table and not stab him with whatever sharp object might be at hand, tends to crowd a lot of things out. (Plus, to be fair, I am not that easy to live with, so I spend some time trying to dodge the sharp objects that are near at hand to him).

Anyway, I have only three or four people with whom I am really close, so it is rare that I have to run to someone's side within minutes.  more...

Three signs you're a poor negotiator Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

(This is Part 2 of a six-part series. Read Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6.)

Good negotiation skills are akin to having a Global Positioning System, or GPS, in your car.  more...

Not your usual anti-car diatribe

By Arrol Gellner, Thursday, April 26, 2007.

The U.S. Department of Transportation tells us that, as of 2004, there were more than 243 million passenger vehicles registered in the United States. That's very nearly one car for every man, woman and child in the nation. In fact, it's some 13 million more cars than there are licensed drivers to drive them.  more...

Low rent at risk if apartment building sells

By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, April 25, 2007.

Question: Four years ago, my landlord agreed in writing to a $350 rent reduction on my one-bedroom apartment. The landlord is now very ill and there is a good chance the building may be sold. How do I ensure that I will continue to be able to pay my current rent and not have the new owners hold me to the rent agreed to on the original lease or otherwise raise my rent?

Property manager Griswold replies:  more...

Pitfalls of co-signing for real estate loan

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, April 25, 2007.

Editor's note: Robert Bruss is temporarily away. The following column from Bruss' "Best of" collection first appeared Sunday, May 7, 2006.

DEAR BOB: About five years ago, I co-signed a home mortgage for my niece so she could buy a condominium. All went well until about four months ago. She lost her job and refuses to take another job that doesn't pay as much. The result is she is now four months behind on her mortgage payments. Frankly, there is no way she can catch up, even if she does find her perfect "pie in the sky" job.  more...

Why second home's a better investment than stocks

By Tom Kelly, Tuesday, April 24, 2007.

Ted Jones never has tried to keep up with the Joneses. The senior vice president and chief economist for Stewart Title drags his own huge net to filter financial data and often offers opinions that are over the top compared to his housing brethren.

When it comes to second homes, he really heads back to basics and suggests potential buyers do the same.

"My definition of a second home is one that is purchased with no intention ever to sell it," Jones said. "If you sell it or even intend to sell it, it's an investment. Period.  more...

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