Category: General

Putting aside the politics of the matter, noncitizens living in the United States without a formal immigration status may buy real estate. Many undocumented workers do own their homes. And they all pay property taxes. That’s billions of dollars, supporting local schools and services. That doesn’t mean it’s easily done. It takes time to achieve…

We’re reading a lot now about a growing optimism that the United States could avoid a recession — in spite of our central bank’s aggressive hiking of interest rates. At the same time, there are other commentators who warn people not to get too hopeful about the economy. Whichever way it all plays out, droves…

If you’re buying a home, your real estate agent can help you locate the setback requirements. These requirements control the distance any structure on the property must be from the road, or from a natural feature, or from the boundaries between owners’ properties. Setbacks can also restrict the height of structures on a given property.…

Caught in a housing crunch, Duluth, Minnesota recently changed its rules to encourage the construction of tiny homes. Until 2020, developers in Minnesota couldn’t even build houses smaller than 400 square feet. This has changed. In multiple New England cities, too, policy makers are warming up to smaller houses. Indeed, this is happening all across…

In this pricey housing market, people are finding creative pathways to homeownership. Co-owning isn’t always a buyer’s first choice, but it’s one way to help buyers get homes that would otherwise be out of reach.   If you’re thinking of co-owning, how will you handle the mortgage? And how will you define the status of…

Until recently, getting a mortgage was a paper chase. Suddenly, the industry’s going digital. It’s all part of the wave to remote and hybrid work. And the rules and regulations have adjusted with phenomenal speed. Title companies now view digital closings and notary services as inevitable — especially given pending legislation to make remote online…

“When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.” ― Rodney Dangerfield Need to move? You’re not alone. Going interstate? Many people (and their kids) are doing that, too. Of all people on the move this year, nearly a fifth will move out of state. And today’s interstate buyers…

We live in interesting times. And this real estate market is doing its part to keep us on our toes. If you hope to successfully sell or buy a home in the months ahead, you’ll need to read the signs. Here’s what to look out for.

After the phenomenal real estate market of the past few years, those who’d like to sell could reap significant capital gains over and above what they originally paid for their homes. Those who sell should know how the Internal Revenue Service will tax those profits. From time to time we hear the federal government will…

The average employee’s 401(k) account isn’t what it used to be. Consider people with money in Vanguard employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement accounts. Their precious retirement savings drooped 20% (year-over-year) in 2022. A person with a balance near the median (at the midpoint of all account holders) held $27K in 2022 — about $8K less than in…

The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) lauded wins for property rights in two recent Supreme Court cases. But the two cases dealt with starkly different questions.

Home values are up. If you’re like many homeowners today, you’re sitting on a substantial sum of home equity. But you might hesitate to sell your home and buy another one. Who wants to give up yesterday’s cheap mortgages for loans with tomorrow’s high interest rates? So, if you’re “stuck” with a great mortgage, you…