Reader Question: Did we make some costly homeowner mistakes? We are selling our home we bought 40 years ago. We finished the unfinished upstairs ourselves to save money after we bought it. We raised four children here. Now the real estate agents say because one of the bedrooms is accessed through another bedroom and lacks a […]
Reader Question: We are going to sell our home. We asked three agents that were recommended to us by friends and family to look at our home to establish our home’s listing price. We wanted several opinions on our home’s value. Each one of them has a different opinion, and there is a sizeable difference […]
Reader Question: How will adding solar panels to my home affect its value? Are the panels an asset or a liability? Does their value change with time? Monty’s Answer: You are asking questions that rely on science and future events that are beyond the scope of my expertise. With that qualification, here is one person’s […]
Reader Question: We will be buying our own home in the next year or so. There are numerous published articles about the hidden costs of home maintenance and caring for a home that offer conflicting information. Do you have any tips on taking care of a home? Monty’s Answer: Taking good care of a home […]
Reader Question: We are planning to sell our home and asked a handyman to give us an estimate of the costs to fix several issues that are likely to cause a buyer to offer less money. He did provide us with a detailed estimate of the cost and also offered to buy our home as […]
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 just lost a buyer over two inconsequential discoveries by the home inspector. Our agent told us the buyer was edgy, and were afraid they would inherit more problems in the future because the discovery created the impression we hadn’t taken care of the house. We have had other friends with inspection issues. […]
Reader Question: We accepted an offer on our home. The contract is subject to a satisfactory home inspection. Our agent called to set up a time for the inspection and asked us not to attend the home inspection. She asked that we not be home. My thinking is that if there is some discovery made […]
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: What must a home seller disclose and what are we not obliged to disclose? We are preparing to sell our home and want to know. What does the seller’s condition report cover and where does a homeowner’s responsibility to disclose end? Monty’s Answer: Most every state has laws and requirements for a home seller […]
Reader Question: We don’t see the value of a home inspection. We are going to be buying another home soon. In the house we sold, the buyer’s inspector missed some items of which we were unaware. It created a few problems after they moved in, but we worked with them, and all turned out well. […]
Reader Question: Our agent’s home pricing is confusing. The area we live developed with colonial style homes that all look the same. Our home is a craftsman style home that is custom-built. We built our home with branded concrete siding, expensive composite decking, and custom maple cabinets with built-ins throughout the home. We have heated […]
Reader Question: We signed a contract on a home. In reviewing disclosures, everything seemed ok. We found out a week later that the city water and sewer was confirmed to run under the house and through the middle of the back yard and also services three properties to the south. We also learned the water […]
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: I need termite fumigation. I own property in located in Florida, where termites are a big part of the pest population. I will be selling the five unit building soon, and four units are rented currently. Two of the four units have leases expiring in July. The property has to be tented to exterminate […]