My dad sold his home after living there for 20+ years and bought a condo. 6 months later he sold that condo and bought a bigger condo for slightly more money (no capital gains at all with that sale). He’s now lived in this last condo for 2 years but needs to sell it because we have to move him into assisted living. (He’s lived by himself for all this time). We were told by his accountant that he would avoid the capital gains tax if he occupied his home for at least 2 years. But I’ve read some articles that say one has to own the home 5 years and occupy it for 2 of those years. What’s the right anwer??

We have redone the wiring and roof recently, but were wondering, after watching shows like “House Inspector”, whether we should have our home inspected for potential other concerns as it is over 100 years old? We had a general inspection done 4 years ago before moving in, but wonder, if we try to sell in a year’s time, would it be worth having an inspection done today to prepare for the future sale? Or, would whatever the inspector said 4 years ago still hold true in most cases? Our inspector missed the fact that our roof had leaked and was about to fall to pieces due to snow on the roof (he couldn’t see the roof so skipped that part!) and also that some plumbing needed updating. It made me nervous that he may have missed other things. Comments?

An experienced real estate attorney can usually help out with any real estate transaction, but a real estate attorny might be especially useful if you are selling your own home. When completing a FSBO sale, a real estate attorney can help protect you and make sure everything is done right, according to the law. Don’t get tripped up on contracts and the legal aspect if you’ve already made a successful FSBO sale.

I am interested in a house and contacted the real estate company online to schedule a showing. The real estate agent told me that the listing agent is an independent through the same company, but that I should not contact the listing agent directly, because they work for the seller not the buyer, and that they won’t have my interests in mind. My reasoning for going with the listing agent is that the seller would have to pay less commission and may be more flexible with their asking price. I live in NC, if this matters. Was it ethical for the real estate agent to tell me that? and is it true? What should I do?

Just trying to get an idea-we have some neighbors who are having problems and their house has gone up for foreclosure twice with them getting out of it both times. Yes I know I am being nosy, but I kinda want to know if I need to prepare for new neighbors! LOL I hate new neighbors!

Anyways, how do people stop the forclosure sale of a home?

I want to buy this bank owned property that I found. This is my first time buying a home and never used a realtor before. The home is listed for more then I want to offer buy it for, so I want to offer a lower price. I know a realtor who is really aggressive and I think he could get me the house for what I want it for. But I think there will be a few offers on this home.

So would it be better if I were to just use the agent who is representing the bank and put my offer in? Would he have more power to negotiate with the bank rather then an agent not representing the bank? I’m not too sure how it works when you use a real estate agent to purchase a home that they are not listing. I know they get a 50/50 split on the commission when the home is sold. I really don’t care who I use, I just want to be able to buy the home for the price and terms I want it for.

The seller and myself have agreed on a price. I have now been waiting on the bank approval for almost 6 months. I’ve been extremely patient but it is running out quick.

Is there a maximum amount of time the bank can take in providing an answer, yes or no, before the agreement with the mortgage holder and myself is considered void? My main concern is losing my earnest money check if I back out now.

From alcohol to open heart surgery. Today we explore a variety of topics and discuss why you may want to seriously consider having a realtor on your side when you go to sell your home.