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Author: Monty

  • Home seller wants to cancel the home sale

    Reader Question: We signed an agreement to sell our home with a buyer two weeks ago. As the realities of the change set in, we have decided we don’t want to move. We have not yet told our agent. How can we get out of this mess, and what are our potential liabilities? Jerry and…

  • Ten open house tips for home sellers

      Reader Question: It has been many years since we last sold a home. We have agreed to an open house if it is still on the market after 30 days. Are there any specific open house tips you can offer? Don and Martha G. Monty’s Answer: Without having seen the house or knowing the…

  • Ten questions to ask when hiring a home inspector

      Reader Question: We will looking to buy a home in the near future. When thinking about hiring a home inspector, how do we pick a quality one? Randy and Mary Ann G. Monty’s Answer: Now is a good time to be thinking about hiring a home inspector. Because a home purchase or sale is likely your…

  • Ten questions to ask before hiring an HOA property management company

    Reader Question: I am trying to negotiate a contract with a new HOA property management company for our condominium homeowners association. They not only want a monthly fee for their services but they want a fee for anything extra. Also, any maintenance that they do they want to charge 10% over the cost of the…

  • Pre-closing occupancy can work

    Reader Question: We need advice about convincing the seller to give us pre-closing occupancy. The seller’s agent has advised them not to let us move in. There was an unexpected appraisal problem. The problem was resolved, but chewed up weeks and put us in a bind with our current landlord. How can we change the…

  • Three relief sources with a real estate complaint

    What to do when you have a real estate complaint.

  • A home inspection is not always enough

    A home inspection does not reveal defects that are not visible. Occasionally, additional testing can provide information you need to proceed.

  • 3 tips for a great kitchen remodel

    Reader Question: We are wondering about a kitchen remodel. My family is considering selling my mother’s home. The wood floors and bathrooms were recently redone; only the kitchen is old. Do you recommend putting $10,000 into replacing the kitchen cabinets and updating some of the appliances before selling? I have heard that the buyer often wants…

  • Make certain to include a contingency in the real estate contract

    Reader Question: We consistently told our Realtor that we wanted a swimming pool or a house where the backyard was big enough to put a swimming pool. We bought a house that had a yard big enough to put a swimming pool, and we find out from the pool company that there’s an easement in…

  • Six tips for out-of-state landlords with a trashed home

    Reader Question: We have a trashed home. My husband and I live on the east coast. Our son attended school in the Midwest, and we bought a home there. We completely renovated it like a new home. After graduation, we hired a management company to rent and oversee the home. Our manager informed us the tenant…

  • Five tips for a good buy on a home

    Reader Question: If I make an offer on a home, and don’t bring a Realtor with me, can I ask for a rebate from the agent, and if I did, how much? I live in CA and want to get a good buy here. Monty’s Answer: You are asking if the listing agent will negotiate…

  • How do I convince agents my home is worth $292,000?

    Reader Question: You have answered questions for me in the past and I found you reassuring in the complex world we live in, so here I go again. I need to sell my home for $276,000.00 net to me after commissions. So how do I present my case that my asking price is sound and…

  • Question your motives buying investment property

    Reader Question: My husband and I have the chance to purchase a second home. We value our home at approximately $265,000. We owe about $130,000 on the mortgage. Our monthly mortgage payment for our house is $1,100. That plus all of our other monthly bills comes to approximately $2,300 to $2,800 per month. We want…

  • Dad’s broken promise sours home renovation

    Reader Question: My wife and I renovated a home owned by my father under the condition that the house would eventually be signed over to both of us. He does not want to sign the house over to us now that we have completed the project. He only wants it in my name and his.…

  • The best way to sell your share of inherited property

    Reader Question: My father and stepmother have both passed away and left my stepsister and stepbrothers and me and my two sisters equal parts of the house and land. My stepsister was in charge of her mom’s affairs before she passed and she wants to do something with the property but we don’t. What can…