Real Estate

How Much Should You Pay a Buyer's Agent if You Are Selling Your Home Yourself?
How Much Should You Pay a Buyer's Agent if You Are Selling Your Home Yourself?

Selling your home "For Sale By Owner" increases your profit and decreases the amount you owe at closing. Even though selling FSBO saves you the listing agent's fee, you still may end up paying a buyer agent's commission, especially if she brings a ready, willing and able buyer ...

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Assignment of Deed of Trust Vs. Deed or Grant Deed
Assignment of Deed of Trust Vs. Deed or Grant Deed

Property rights in real estate are valuable and invariably the subject of a legal document called a deed. To transfer ownership rights in real estate, a grant deed is commonly used. When a loan is ...Read More

How to Buy a Property at a Tax Sale
How to Buy a Property at a Tax Sale

A property tax sale may present a financial opportunity to an investor or anyone looking to save money on a property. Local governments use property tax sales to collect overdue real estate taxes. ...Read More

When Can Mortgage Insurance Be Dropped?
When Can Mortgage Insurance Be Dropped?

Lenders typically require you to pay for mortgage insurance when you don't put down at least 20 percent on your home to protect the lender in the event you default on the loan. If you took out your ...Read More

How to Figure House Equity When Settling an Estate
How to Figure House Equity When Settling an Estate

When property changes hand due to the death of the owner, there is plenty of paperwork involved. The trustee or executor needs to value the assets to determine if estate tax is due. Heirs may want to ...Read More

Tax Planning and the Sale of a Beach House
Tax Planning and the Sale of a Beach House

Homes on beaches aren't treated differently from a tax perspective than any other house. However, if your beach home is a second home or an investment property, its sale could be subject to ...Read More

How Long Do You Pay Mortgage Insurance on an FHA Loan?
How Long Do You Pay Mortgage Insurance on an FHA Loan?

Private mortgage insurance premiums on an FHA loan are based upon the amount of the loan and the amount of your down payment. How long you pay the premium will also depend upon these factors. Some ...Read More

How to Calculate the Qualifying Ratio for a Home Loan
How to Calculate the Qualifying Ratio for a Home Loan

One of the main factors in qualifying for a mortgage loan is the debt-to-income ratio. All lenders have slightly different guidelines. Different loan programs also recommend higher or lower ...Read More

Tips on Buying a Short Sale Property
Tips on Buying a Short Sale Property

Many buyers look to short sales as a way to purchase a home at a steeply discounted price. A short sale occurs when the seller's lender accepts less than the full amount owed on the mortgage — a ...Read More

Transferring a Deed of Trust to a Granddaughter
Transferring a Deed of Trust to a Granddaughter

The deed of trust is a document provided by your original mortgage lender to secure its interest in your property by placing it into a trust. Because the deed of trust serves as evidence of debt, is ...Read More

Check List for a Short Sale
Check List for a Short Sale

Short sales accounted for approximately one-quarter of home sales in late 2011, surpassing foreclosures, according to Bloomberg. A successful short sale transaction benefits the seller, lender and ...Read More

How Is Rental Income Taxed in a Duplex?
How Is Rental Income Taxed in a Duplex?

Rental income from a duplex is taxed as regular income. You pay according to your ordinary state and federal income tax rate. The Internal Revenue Service, however, doesn't tax your gross rental ...Read More

What Is a Residential Mortgage Credit Report?
What Is a Residential Mortgage Credit Report?

When you want to buy or refinance a home, lenders request a residential mortgage credit report, or RMCR, which differs from a typical report. When you apply for a personal or auto loan, the lender ...Read More

How Does Homestead Exemption Work?
How Does Homestead Exemption Work?

Claiming a homestead exemption can provide property owners with an opportunity to save money on their property taxes. In the event of unfortunate financial circumstances, such as bankruptcy, these ...Read More

How to Sell House in Slow Market
How to Sell House in Slow Market

More than 4.2 million homes sold in 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors, but the sales weren't evenly distributed over all geographic markets. Selling your residence in a slow ...Read More