Tag: Homeownership
-
Congrats on Closing! Now, How Will You Get Your Deed?
Closing is the last step before you have the keys to your new home in hand, and your deed is on its way. The all-important deed is a legal instrument (document) that shows the transfer of property ownership from the seller, over to you, the buyer. This document confirms your ownership status for the property…
-
When Do You Need a Warranty Deed?
Sometimes it’s best to use a warranty deed to transfer property. It’s common whenever there’s a seller and buyer who didn’t know each other before their deal. In fact, a mortgage lender or insurance company could insist on a transfer by warranty deed. But why? A warranty deed transfers a title with certain protections. This…
-
FAQ: When the Divorce Decree Conflicts With the Deed
Many couples own homes together. If they ever decide to separate, they need to know what to do with their co-ownership. They could simply sell the home to solve that issue. But after a legal separation or divorce, one of the two people may want or need to stay in the home. If the deed…
-
Workforce Deed Restrictions: How Are They Monitored?
With housing costs up (and wages not so much), some cities need to give working people a hand. As financial barriers to homeownership continue to frustrate so many wage earners, workforce housing is one way to make deeds attainable. It’s for households earning too much to qualify for standard government subsidies, but who can’t pay…
-
Here’s How You Can Teach Kids About Deeds
Many of us learn about deeds only when we receive one of our own. The power of holding a deed, like many practical things in life, rarely gets taught in school. But no one is ever too young to learn what a deed is. If you have youngsters in your life, you can use this…
-
Voters Tell Candidates: Act on Housing Affordability Now!
With absentee ballots already issued in Alabama, early voting has started. The Center for Popular Democracy ran a survey, and 84% of voters in swing states say housing is a big deal as they fill in their ballots, The Financial Times reports. So, does the 2024 election runup bring us hope that people will soon…
-
Federal Update: New Contract for Deed Rules
Contracts for deed – sometimes called installment contracts, land sales contracts, or owner carry – leave the deed until the borrower pays for the home in full. Until then, the borrower lives in and maintains the home. This is a type of seller-financed home sale – and it’s one way to avoid getting entangled with…
-
How Do Homestead Laws Save Deed Holders Money?
You’ve just bought a home. At closing, a title representative tells you to request your homestead exemption. Or maybe you bought your home and a homestead exemption form arrived (surprise!) in your mailbox. You know you should file the document in your home’s county, but you might be baffled as to why. A state’s law…
-
It’s a Crime! Deed Theft Crackdown Gets Serious
Deed theft deprives homeowners — and generations that follow them — of the precious home equity they worked so hard to earn. When someone sets out to exploit someone else’s deed, the targets are often seniors, minority households, and people who own debt-free homes in gentrifying neighborhoods. In New York, as of 2024, deed theft…
-
To Avoid Foreclosure, Which Should I Do: Deed in Lieu? Or Short Sale?
OK, it’s decision time. You’re dealing with financial challenges: a breakup, employment shakeups, or just too much debt against your property. You hold a deed, but can’t keep up with your housing costs. And you definitely want to avoid having a foreclosure on your credit history. What should you do now? A deed in lieu…
-
Looking for a Path to Homeownership? Look Again at Down Payment Assistance.
The typical person can’t afford the typical home. As property values keep rising, down payments aren’t getting any easier to make. If you know the feeling, have you looked up down payment assistance? It can be a grant, with no repayment requirement. Or it could be a loan — possibly a forgivable loan. Even if…
-
Can My Name Be Added to a Deed Without My Consent?
As a general matter, no. A deed transfer is not valid unless it’s delivered and accepted. A deed holder who is leaving a home to a beneficiary needs to talk with that beneficiary, and other loved ones. They should know what to expect for the deeds’ future. They should understand the reason the home is…
-
A Minnesota First: Twin Cities Suburb Requires Removal of Race-Based Deed Restrictions
Mounds View, Minnesota is making history with its new ordinance requiring home sellers to remove race-based deed restrictions before selling. Mounds View adopted its new ordinance on July 23, 2024. It’s official. Mounds View, a Minneapolis – St. Paul suburb, will now require the removal of racially restrictive covenants from deeds. Racial covenants (a.k.a. race-based…
-
Real Estate, Meet the Bots. Not Everyone’s Amused.
Digs, a purveyor of software for home builders and managers, is doing what many companies are doing these days. It’s revving up the artificial intelligence (AI) tools on its platform. With Digs, home builders and deed holders collaborate and store information. They make digital twins to simulate touring or working in the actual homes. Builders,…
-
Whether You’re Selling or Buying: How the Deed Works
Whether you’re about to receive the deed to your first home, or could use a refresher on all things deed-related, we’ve got you covered. A deed is a legal document (also called a legal instrument) that serves to transfer a real estate title from a current owner to a new owner. That is, the deed…
