Month: October 2020

  • Who should have caught this condition problem?

      Reader Question: I bought a house a year ago with some permitted room additions. However, the flipper replaced the electrical box from 100 amp to 200 amp non-permitted. This work was not disclosed to me or caught in the homeowner’s inspection. So now, I have been experiencing electrical issues at my house. The utility…

  • Nine steps to take when pricing a home for sale

      Reader Question: We are planning to sell our home. In researching the subject, the standard advice is to call a real estate agent. We get that, but from a potential seller’s point of view, that is very simplistic advice. What do you suggest someone do when pricing a home for sale? Monty’s Answer: You…

  • What’s wrong with the real estate industry?

    Reader Question: What’s wrong with the real estate industry? We have a large family by today’s standards—five grown children with children. At a recent family reunion, we discussed real estate and ended up taking a poll. Transaction number ten started the conversation. Together they have concluded nine transactions, with number ten now pending. Only one…

  • Is Our “Buyer Agent” Legitimate?

      Reader Question: We recently purchased a home. We used a buyer agent because we understood that a buyer agent works for the buyer instead of the seller. Our friends also bought a house recently, and they used a buyer agent. We just learned that our friends signed a buyer agent contract when they started…