Reader Question: We want to be avoiding emotional relocation turmoil. A job-related move to a new community is in our near future. We have friends that made such a move, and with some bad advice they ended up in a marginal neighborhood. What can we do to prevent a similar mistake? Monty’s Answer: There are […]

  Reader  Question: We are home buyers who want to check a well and septic system. We know nothing about them. We have city sewer and water now, so we have no responsibility beyond using them. Are there different methods for due diligence, plus care and maintenance after the purchase? Can you help us get […]

Reader ​Question: ​Are there any benefits to paying cash for a home worth $200,000?​ Monty’s Answer: This is an issue to which you would receive different answers depending on the disposition of the person answering the question. Leverage is the gold standard for most real estate investors. Many non-investors believe their home is not an […]

Reader Question: We are looking for homes we can afford through online real estate websites. We are not married. We have extreme anxiety about actually contacting real estate agents and starting to look “for real.” ➢   I have money to buy or down payment – she doesn’t. We could afford up to $600,000. I have […]

Reader Question: How do we find a new church location? We have a long-standing fellowship group in a large established congregation. We have decided to break away and start a new congregation. Monty’s Answer: There are a variety of ways you can go about finding a new home for your flock. While there are often […]

Reader Question: ​An acquaintance who lives in our neighborhood proposed to sell us her home. We have been in the house a few times for neighborhood parties. She bought a home on the west coast and now wants a fast sale. She is in her 50s, divorced for some years, and has always been cordial […]

Reader Question: I am considering buying a home with a co-worker. We both have good jobs, and employment has been stable. The idea of deductions for interest and real estate taxes is appealing. The big appeal is that by buying a home together, our monthly housing expense will decrease dramatically because we currently do not […]

Reader Question: My wife and I are considering building a dome home on an acre we own free and clear. The estimated cost of construction would be around $100,000. All the other homes near us are aging double-wide (1990’s) manufactured homes. My research indicates we would be the only one within 100 miles. We are […]

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 […]

Reader Question: I signed a contract with a buyer agent. We found a house and made an offer. The house failed the inspection, but the seller had the right to cure. I was not comfortable and walked away. Now my agent wants to enforce the buyer agency agreement. I talked to my attorney, and she […]

Reader Question: I signed a contract with a buyer agent. We found a house and made an offer. The house failed the inspection, but the seller had the right to cure. I was not comfortable and walked away. Now my agent wants to enforce the buyer agency agreement. I talked to my attorney, and she […]

Reader Question: What are the differences between a one family home and a two family home? We are first time homebuyers and know zero about real estate. We prefer not to involve our families, as we want our successes and failures in life to be our own. Shaun and Josey B. Monty’s Answer: Many of […]

Reader Question: A seller and I agree on two-hundred thousand dollars for a home. I want to install a thirty-five hundred dollar heat pump. Is a cash kickback legal? We agree to raise the price a like amount and the seller brings thirty-five hundred dollars to closing? Another option would be the seller installs the […]

Reader Question: We are looking for a home. We are seeking information about the term “neighborhood” as we have heard several different descriptions. What is a neighborhood? Monty’s Answer: The word neighborhood is a word that means different things to different people. To some degree, opinions about what constitutes a neighborhood are related to a […]

Reader Question: We are first-time homebuyers. We are excited about buying a home. In gathering information about what we should (and should not) do, contradictory information abounds from people we know, what we read, and real estate agents. This discovery is causing us concern. We don’t want to make any mistakes. We want a healthy […]