Have buyer? Cut commission

DEAR BARRY: We have been using a Realtor on and off for the past nine months to find a home. She has been great and recently found a home that we are buying. Meanwhile, we were planning to have her sell our current home, but our neighbor decided to buy it, so there seems to be no need to give our Realtor a listing and pay a commission. Should we feel obligated to give her a listing after all the work she has done for us? --Kathryn

DEAR KATHRYN: You are under no legal or ethical obligation to list your home with your agent if you already have a buyer. However, real estate transactions are very complicated, with many legal twists and turns. The smallest mistake in the paperwork can create terrible complications and liabilities. Having an agent to handle these details is definitely worthwhile, and most agents will handle this part of the transaction for a reduced commission, as they do not have to spend time and money on marketing.

You should ask your Realtor if she would be willing to do this.

DEAR BARRY: I think my heating contractor is trying to rip me off. I hired him to clean my forced-air furnace, but he wants to sell me a new one. My furnace makes a few cracking noises after it turns off, but it's done this for years. The heating guy says this indicates a cracked heat exchanger.

He measured the carbon monoxide level in my home at 7 parts per million and said that levels above 1 part per million are extremely unsafe. He advised me to evacuate my home or I could die. What do you think about his findings? Does my furnace really need to be replaced? --John

DEAR JOHN: There are two problems with the heating contractor's evaluation: ...CONTINUED

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