My flat has been on the market forever, and nothing has worked out. Advice and encouragement requested. [more inside]
posted by Ziggy500 on Sep 11, 2012 - 13 answers

Are foreclosed homes cheaper? And how would you go about buying your very first home? [more inside]
posted by Danah_78 on Jan 14, 2012 - 11 answers

I am buying a house and the roof is questionable. There were missing tabs all over. A roofer came out and did minimal repairs at the current owners' expense but he says the roof has "2 to 5 years" left, maybe, depending on weather (we live in the midwest). Would it be reasonable to ask for a reroofing allowance in purchasing this house? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Nov 29, 2011 - 16 answers

I need to get a boundary survey on my residential property in Toronto. I've called several surveyors but have only heard back from one, who says it'll cost $900 and take two weeks to perform. Is this normal? Seems pricey and lengthy for an 18' x 100' rectangular lot. Any recommendations for surveyors in Toronto?
posted by krunk on Nov 4, 2011 - 3 answers

Since Google Maps ended its real estate search function in February 2011, have any of you found a good replacement? I can't find anything like it. [more inside]
posted by resurrexit on Aug 18, 2011 - 13 answers

Should I buy a house in Bristol, UK, or wait? I have a 100k deposit, and a 100k mortgage in principle. Should I buy a house or flat in Bristol UK? I am single, 32, more or less happy renting, and have no reason to buy other than a sense of cultural obligation, boredom with renting, and available cash. There is nothing tying me to Bristol, if you have any golden location tips I'm willing to travel.
posted by choppyes on Jun 13, 2011 - 12 answers

What are the possible consequences of correcting the age of my house on the deed? [more inside]
posted by look busy on Feb 14, 2011 - 6 answers

How to deal with the guilt of leaving a spouse with a house they can't afford? [more inside]
posted by catfood on Feb 3, 2011 - 42 answers

I'm thinking of buying a one bed flat for around 130k in Brighton or Bristol, UK. I have a 50k deposit. I am not committed to any area (or country for that matter) and I have no emotional need to own a house. But if it makes financial sense, I am in a position to do it. But does it make financial sense to buy? Everyone apparently says yes, but I don't understand the maths. If prices stay flat, for instance, would it not make more sense to rent and invest the money elsewhere? I'm really thinking short term, would I be up in, say, 10 years, if everything stays fairly steady. I can't really make the mental leap to factor in the benefit of owning the house in 25 years....
posted by choppyes on Aug 26, 2010 - 29 answers

Help me verify the existence of hongza - are the "Unlucky Houses" of Hongkong for real? [more inside]
posted by Omnomnom on Feb 18, 2010 - 2 answers

Are there un-buildable lots? I have read up on a similar question but that was about how expensive the known-to-be-buildable lots are. My question is if I see a lot listed that is "virgin" vacant never had a srtucture on it, how likely is it that no one could build on it? [more inside]
posted by markhu on Dec 17, 2009 - 13 answers

Say I want to buy some cheap land in the Los Angeles area: where would I find such a listing online? [more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 on Nov 11, 2009 - 15 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

After 14 years living in our small farm house a once-agricultural town in Connecticut our family has had to move on. Despite the markets leaning we did make a profit and would like to reinvest it as quickly as possible. As far as what we desire out of a location, we wouldn't like to go any farther north but have no real desire to stay in the state and would consider moving out of New England for the right reasons. [more inside]
posted by jofuu on Dec 30, 2008 - 4 answers

What the heck is a "Schedule A" in real estate? [more inside]
posted by crazylegs on Jul 23, 2008 - 4 answers

Are there any agencies to help people exchange properties / relocate in the US (i.e. from one state to another)? Do large organizations HR help their employees? Is it something the Government does to help out? [more inside]
posted by Dub on Mar 21, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm planning on buying a house with my SO. We will contribute different amounts to the down payment and the monthly payments. How do we calculate how much of the resultant property each of us owns, especially when we don't know how the property will (or will not!) appreciate? [more inside]
posted by iknowizbirfmark on Dec 7, 2007 - 29 answers

UKPropertyFilter: I'm in the process of buying my first house. Can anyone offer the wisdom of their experience of employing a conveyancer? Specifically I'm interested in using a local firm of solicitors/conveyancers vs. using the cheaper on-line alternative. [more inside]
posted by brighton on May 24, 2006 - 6 answers

I'm interested in stories about living in apartments where something bad has happened. Apartments with gnarly histories. Murders, suicides, 'haunted' apartments, whatever. Did it affect the value? Did you learn about it only later? Did you hire an exorcist? Did a new paint job suffice? etc. Anyone have such stories, or know of such?
posted by Hobbacocka on Feb 6, 2005 - 16 answers