Monty’s Answer: I’m sorry to hear this story, and I will publish your account. The five-year rule in real estate states that first-time homebuyers should generally live in a home for at least five years before selling the property. If they sell earlier, they risk losing all or part of their initial down payment. Your story […]

The best way to negotiate is to create a fair “win-win” agreement between buyer and seller.

Dear Monty: My house is for-sale-by-owner. I want to avoid the commission. I got a call from an agent who wants to show the house but wants to know if I will pay the buyer’s commission. For all I know, the customer may be someone I have already shown the place to. I have had […]

Dear Monty: We are going to buy our first home this year. We are investigating using an agent or buying directly from a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO). Some friends have used agents, while others have not. We want more information on any required contingencies and how real estate negotiating works. Do you have a checklist of contingencies […]

Dear Monty: I recently listed my home for sale. There have been several showings. Yesterday I had a showing that made me worry about safety. A couple came through with their agent. I thought it was unusual the way they looked at the house. While the agent asked me questions, they took it upon themselves […]

  Dear Monty: My dad needs help with the tax map for his property. There is a term that no one can tell him what it means. The word is fisher. Someone told him he has that on his property. Could you help us with this question? Monty’s Answer: I have been unable the find […]

Reader Question: Is a do-it-yourself major remodel a good idea? We have outgrown our home as our children are growing up and need more room. We want to add about a twelve-hundred square foot addition and a full bath, plus update the kitchen and bathrooms with cabinets, plumber, and flooring. My husband worked construction in […]

Reader Question: Do open houses help find a buyer? We recently put our home up for sale. The presentation was very professional, and we both liked the agent. The emphasis was on how much the real estate business has changed. She mentioned the difficulty of keeping up with technology. She explained how their company was […]

  Reader Question: A recent article you authored titled “What’s wrong with real estate” was insightful. The overview described conditions that contribute to the real estate sales environment. We will be selling our home soon and feel that expanding on the agents would help us understand real estate agent motives. Can you drill down to […]

Reader‌ ‌Question:‌ ‌We‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌ ‌the different‌ home ‌pricing‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌when‌ ‌selling a home‌.‌ ‌We‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌selling‌ ‌our‌ ‌home‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌spring.‌ ‌We‌ ‌have‌ ‌had‌ ‌an‌ ‌appraisal,‌ ‌two‌ ‌agent‌ ‌opinions,‌ ‌and‌ ‌done‌ ‌research ourselves.‌ ‌There‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌range‌ ‌between‌ ‌the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌lowest‌ ‌estimate‌ ‌of‌ ‌40K.‌ We‌ ‌do‌ ‌not‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ […]

  Reader Question: Can Real Estate Agents Legally Go Door-to-Door? Last night, about 7:30, a local real estate agent rang our doorbell to ask if we wanted to sell our house or knew anyone who wanted to sell. I was always under the impression that this sort of solicitation was considered inappropriate by real estate […]

A brief overview of the issues involved in rising home prices in new developments. Is America pricing the middle class out of home ownership? Zoning is a fractured and complicated issue.

Our reader wants to know if he can use a quitclaim deed to buy property from a sibling. He can likely do so, but needs to educate himself about the cons of doing so.

Families are the main sources of oral real estate transactions. Mom stiffs son-in-law is not uncommon. Brothers, sisters, cousins, grandpa; no one is immune. The advice to “get it in writing” is as or more important in families.

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, […]