Real Property vs. Personal Property
When selling or buying a home, you need to think ahead about what you are actually selling along with the property and the house.
The general rule is, "if it attached to the structure or the ground, it is real property and stays with the house."
This confuses some people, especially when selling their first house.
For example, as a renter you may have been used ...
Painting – The Do’s and Don’ts of Doing It Yourself
By Andy Grason
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of stepping back and admiring your freshly painted wall. However, the spoils of your labor will be dependent on your prepwork and choice of materials.
Have you ever heard the old saying “clothes make the man?” Well, in the same way paint makes ...
By Josh Garskof, Money Magazine contributing writerFebruary 10, 2010: 4:49 PM ET(Money Magazine) --
Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study from Remodeling magazine, the average return ...
Open House Do's and Don'ts
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide
A favorite pastime of many people -- whether in the market to buy a home or simply curious -- is to attend a Sunday Open House. In fact, checking out open houses is almost a religious experience in California. Everybody goes to open houses.
If you're wondering about the proper open house etiquette or ...
Long term care: Early planning pays off
It's best to talk about long term care early — before the need for medical or personal care is imminent. Here's help understanding, choosing and financing long term care.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Long term care is a general term used to describe various home and community-based services for people who need help taking care of themselves. If you're considering ...
After a few years of depressing information out of the U.S. housing market, this month’s data continues to be mixed. Is recovery truly in the works? Here’s what the numbers say:
Foreclosures
According to numbers from real estate data firm RealtyTrac, foreclosures in January were down, the second consecutive monthly drop. The national foreclosure rate fell to one in every 409 ...
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Real Estate,
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Interest Rates,
FHA,
Recession,
Buying a Home,
Foreclosure,
Financing,
Investment Properties,
Short Sales,
Buyers Market
Earnest Money Deposits - Protect Your Good Faith Deposit
What is an Earnest Money Deposit?
Buyers always ask how much of an earnest money deposit is required. Typically, there is no set requirement. In California, contracts must contain consideration to be valid, but that amount can be as little as one dollar. Laws in your state may be different. Bear in mind, however, that the ...
Selling When Getting a Divorce
Protecting Credit During Divorce & Selling
Protect your credit when getting a divorce and selling a home.
Even the divorces and breakups that start out amicable can eventually turn sideways -- if not completely inside out -- despite well-intentioned efforts to remain civil. Regardless of who was wronged, who was innocent, how the blame ...
This Month in Real Estate - March 2010
Buying a Home -- What’s Deductible?
Realtors are quick to point out that home ownership allows a lot of tax advantages not available to someone who merely pays rent. A homeowner can deduct points used to obtain a mortgage when buying a home, mortgage interest paid during the year, and property taxes.
Those are the basics.
There are rules and guidelines to these deductions, however. Even though ...