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There are two sides of every real estate transaction, buying and selling. Learn both.
Everyone who has bought or sold a home can remember that one moment when it seemed like there was too much to consider, worry about, remember, and respond to. It’s true that the purchasing of a home is a significant investment and you probably should give it time and attention. Equally as important for those looking to sell your home, you want to everything within your educated power to get the most fair value out of what is probably your largest asset. To help make the process more reasonable, DearMonty organizes both the home buying and home selling experience into twelve distinct steps, or stages.
The best thing that you can do is to equip yourself with knowledge and information. A home sale transaction is a big deal! This website is intended to be a straightforward resource to help shine some light on one of the most important times in many people’s lives. But we are just one voice of many and we at DearMonty.com strongly support learning as much as you. Good luck and let us know if you have a question you couldn’t find answered LINK or if we can help you find a local agent LINK
Reader Question: We are considering a home in a rural area. Much of the housing stock consists of 1920-30’s homes. How can we determine if there is a buried fuel oil tank somewhere on the property? Monty’s Answer: According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), 5.7 million homes heat with fuel oil today in […]
Reader Question: I have found a home, and I want to make an offer. There are stories about why and why not it is a good idea to use the listing agent. What are the pros and cons of going directly to the listing agent to make an offer? Monty’s Answer: Some homebuyers never realize […]
Reader Question: I blacktopped my driveway and turnaround area to my garage. My house was for sale, and several people objected to the gravel drive. The house went under contract as soon as the work was completed. It looked great, and the buyers loved it. No issues. A month after closing the new owners contacted […]
Reader Question: They paid $20K more for the property than it was worth. My daughter and her husband purchased a home for $145,000 and found out a few weeks later, the appraisal was only $125,000. Neither their agent nor the lender advised them of it. Who should have? Monty’s Answer: There are several considerations […]
Reader Question: Can we fight city hall? We live in a 75 lot development completed in the early nineties. We do not have an HOA. Our problem is we are on our own for upkeep and repair to communal areas. We have garage sales and take up collections and pitch in when the need arises. […]
Reader Question: My real estate taxes went up over 100% this year. Is it legal to raise taxes so high in one year? Monty’s Answer: For real estate taxes to double in one year would be extremely rare. One has to wonder if any community in the United States has ever experienced such a […]
Reader Question: I recently had my lot surveyed, and it turns out one neighbor’s fence is three feet over my property line, butted up against the back of my garage. The neighbor to the side has a fence that is about five feet inside their property line. I have someone cut my grass and don’t […]
Reader Question: My name is not on the deed of our home. My spouse put the house up for sale after 22 years. Am I entitled to half the profits of the deal? Monty’s Answer: Ten states embrace marital property law. During a marriage in these states, all assets and debts acquired are “community property.” […]
Reader Question: We sold our home and moved to a different state. Our old agent helped us find an agent in our new city. We have gotten to know this agent and become friends. He told us our former agent made the connection for a fee. He called it a referral fee. Our old agent […]
Reader Question: Back in 2001-2002, we remodeled our home without a permit. We didn’t know it was required. Now we want to sell, and the question is on the seller condition report. Is there any way to overcome that issue now? Monty’s Answer: Permits can be a challenge for several reasons; ordinances change over time, […]
Reader Question: We are not selling our home anytime in the foreseeable future. We are wondering how much the value of our property will increase if we invest in blacktopping our gravel driveway? Monty’s Answer: Blacktopping your driveway may or may not increase the value of your property. Because certain variables impact the desired outcome, […]
Reader Question: We own a 24-unit apartment building. We have an eighty-eight-year-old tenant with no next of kin according to him. When he passes on, what are we to do with his belongings? He has nothing of any value; his biggest asset is a twenty-year-old car. Whom do we notify? He seems healthy and active […]
Reader Question: I found a great parcel of land I want to buy. It is landlocked, but the seller is an estate and willing to sell it way below market if I buy it as is. They want to settle the estate quickly. I am leaning towards taking a chance because the price is so […]
Reader Question: We own a 45-year old home in a development. The house is well-built, with a full basement and sits on more than a half-acre of land. We have made some significant renovations, and the house is in great shape. The major problem we have is a leaky basement when it rains very hard, […]
Reader Question: If we paid our good faith money to the agent, and the deal doesn’t go through, do we still get that money back, or do we have to go to court? Monty’s Answer: This question is a potential landmine. Real estate law varies from state to state, contracts are often poorly drafted, so […]