Blog
Identity Fraud Liability
Identity fraud is often used in mortgage fraud schemes in order to hide the identity of the perpetrators or to obtain a credit profile that meets lender guidelines. Lenders give loans based on a borrower’s credit profile, and fraudsters often use stolen identities as ...
Rental Application Rights
A landlord renting a property has rights in selecting a tenant. Tenants also have rights about the factors that can be considered in selection. While most landlord-tenant issues are governed by states and localities, Federal fair housing laws apply to tenant selecti...
Neighborhood Noise Levels
There are a number of factors that home buyers should consider when scoping out potential new homes. Number of bedrooms, floor plans, kitchen amenities…there are many things you need to look at to make sure the house has everything you want. But what about things that...
What If My Seller’s Deal Falls Through?
When you’re in the midst of a real estate transaction, you hope for a smooth closing process that ends with you happily moving into your new home. And in more cases than not, the seller takes the money that they make from the closing to purchase a different home to mo...
Inspection and Appraisal: What’s the Difference?
You’ve skimmed every online checklist. You’ve listened to every piece of advice your relatives have felt inclined to give you. You’ve nearly done it all and yet you’re still confused about certain components of your real estate experience. For instance, what is ...
How To File Bankruptcy
United States law allows courts to declare individuals and businesses bankrupt, allowing them to settle debts without full payment. Filing bankruptcy is a legal action asking the court to make this declaration; deciding to file should account for:
Debts...
Net Sheet Calculators: Calculate Closing Costs With Ease
Seller’s net sheets and buyer’s cost sheets are helpful tools that allow buyers and sellers to see and understand the costs of closing. Net sheets are customizable documents that calculate costs and create an itemized list of the fees associated with buying or selli...
Do I Need Title Insurance On A Newly Built Home?
Construction of a new home can raise special title problems for the lender and even the owner. You may think you are the first owner when building your home on a purchased lot, but there were most likely many prior owners of the unimproved land.
To know for ce...
Homeowner’s Associations: How They Work
Homeowner’s Associations (HOA) were first developed in the 1980s as a means to help retain order and visual appeal in new communities that were being developed. To this day, HOA rules and regulations determine things like the color you can paint the home's exterior, r...
Understanding Wills and Trusts
A will is a written document that defines how your assets will be distributed after you die. Trusts are legal arrangements that involve a separate legal entity to hold and distribute assets -- during your life, after your life, or both. As an alternative to wills, t...