So confused! My county thinks we have a condo but we thought we have a single-family home (i.e. a free-standing house on land we own). Then why does my property tax bill show that we've been taxed for the land? [more inside]
posted by ObeyScient on Nov 24, 2009 - 11 answers

Is buying a home on land contract or as a lease option ever a good idea? [more inside]
posted by howrobotsaremade on Jul 7, 2009 - 6 answers

Seattle region filter: We are new residents of Seattle, from New Jersey, enjoying our exploration of this wonderful city. We are house-hunting and have narrowed down our choice of neighborhoods. Any opinions or advice? [more inside]
posted by valannc on Jun 30, 2009 - 20 answers

We are house-hunting in the Seattle area. Looking at property with water views. Willing to pay the higher price that comes with a view. But I'm reading some horror stories about how a neighbor will build a tower in front of your view, or neighbors who refuse to trim their tall shrubs. And then your view is obscured and your property value drops. How do I research this? How can I know if the viewshed is protected or not? What sort of monitoring would I need to do over the years? I will ask my realtor to research it, but I'd like to hear from people with experience with this issue.
posted by valannc on Jun 3, 2009 - 7 answers

From what source does the authority to require building permits and inspections derive? I've dealt with this whole process before, but every time I have to, I think, "But hey - it's _my_ property! I paid for it, I pay taxes on it, and I pay for the upkeep. As long as I don't build something that could potentially damage or destroy the property of another, why do I need 'permission' from the government?" I know there are lots of issues involved, but when did we, as a nation, give up the right to do what you want on your own property, and is there a way of getting that right back?
posted by Death by Ugabooga on May 23, 2009 - 26 answers

How big is the smallest possible subsistence farm? [more inside]
posted by zvs on May 14, 2009 - 22 answers

Are there techniques or methods to determine how a city will grow and in what direction it will grow? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jan 12, 2009 - 11 answers