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

How can we sell our house, when everyone is scared off by the vacant burned house next door? [more inside]
posted by leahwrenn on Nov 17, 2009 - 9 answers

Is there a word for the strategy of real estate companies who buy up properties in one area and keep the buildings empty in order to force out local businesses? [more inside]
posted by creeky on Nov 17, 2009 - 4 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 - 14 answers

Complex cost/benefit real estate question. [more inside]
posted by anonymous_account on Oct 28, 2009 - 4 answers

New York City apartment question: Is it normal for my broker to tell me I will receive hard copies of my lease a "couple of weeks" after moving in? [more inside]
posted by 2bucksplus on Oct 27, 2009 - 9 answers

What's required to become a real estate agent? [more inside]
posted by VC Drake on Oct 21, 2009 - 9 answers

Do mobile home parks always charge lot rent? [more inside]
posted by VC Drake on Oct 14, 2009 - 5 answers

The wife and I are in the process of buying a home in Houston (TX). We have/had a real estate lawyer that we were working with, but she has gotten extremely non-responsive (we just found out yesterday that she has some family issues), and the deal just got a little more complicated. [more inside]
posted by getupandgo on Oct 14, 2009 - 4 answers

What is the definition of the phrase "qualified for" in the TX Property Tax Code (section 11.13(q)(1))? [more inside]
posted by gemmy on Oct 9, 2009 - 4 answers

Help me sell my house! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 1, 2009 - 15 answers

You buy a house in California. You agree that the seller can stay up to 2 months after escrow closes (a "seller rent-back") if they make your (PITI) payments. Do you need to pay income taxes on the money they pay toward your PITI? Also, what was your "seller rent-back" experience? [more inside]
posted by unclezeb on Sep 29, 2009 - 9 answers

How does property line encroachment work when the two properties were owned by the same person? [more inside]
posted by zippy on Sep 28, 2009 - 12 answers

I'm buying a house, and the bank appraisal came back 1-2% lower than the purchase price, so I renegotiated with the seller, and had them lower the price to the appraised value. Today I was looking over the appraisal, and found an error. What to do? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 30, 2009 - 10 answers

What do you wish you'd known before buying your first apartment building? [more inside]
posted by zeoslap on Aug 27, 2009 - 5 answers

What to do about an 'under water' (financially) home? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 27, 2009 - 14 answers

Is there a way to speed up the construction of the house next to mine? [more inside]
posted by hellbient on Aug 13, 2009 - 5 answers

I've got some doubts about our current SoCal real estate agent. At first, there didn't seem to be a problem. But recent events have made me wonder if we're wasting his time. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 8, 2009 - 15 answers

I'm considering buying a place in Palm Springs as an investment property. I'm planning to get a property manager and put it into a VRBO type system and timeshare the place out. Is there a resource for gathering the info to research this? [more inside]
posted by escher on Aug 4, 2009 - 3 answers

We just came out of a real estate boom where a lot of ugly buildings were built and sold for a lot of money, some by celebrity architects. Why weren't any recent buildings built from or based on Frank Lloyd Wright designs? I'm sure the estate or the foundation or whatever would charge a lot of money for licensing, but the cachet surely would've done wonders for sale prices.
posted by moonmilk on Aug 3, 2009 - 20 answers

I feel like I am constantly swinging back and forth in how I feel about buying a house in different locations. How can I make a decision? [more inside]
posted by AnnaRat on Jul 28, 2009 - 9 answers

First time home buyer in Austin, TX. What should I know? [more inside]
posted by jstarlee on Jul 28, 2009 - 15 answers

Months ago, a seller's agent pushed me into talking to a loan officer she knows. I didn't like the loan officer much and while she gave me some valuable advice, I never really wanted to work with her. I found her pushy and felt she spoke to me like a child. However, eventually, the financing advice she gave has led to making this deal possible for me but I still don't want to work with her. [more inside]
posted by i_love_squirrels on Jul 24, 2009 - 19 answers

Any map/orienteering/surveying experts in the MetaHouse today? I need help finding my property markers. [more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 on Jul 22, 2009 - 12 answers

Is it worth it to remodel our attic into a living space? Will it increase the resale value of the house enough to offset the cost and effort? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Jul 22, 2009 - 27 answers

How hard is it for average folks to get a home mortgage in the US right now? [more inside]
posted by crapmatic on Jul 20, 2009 - 15 answers

How do we sell a house in the U.S. from abroad ASAP? [more inside]
posted by alopez on Jul 14, 2009 - 9 answers

Where to find data to appeal a real estate assessment? [more inside]
posted by justkevin on Jul 7, 2009 - 3 answers

Dads moving south and want's to give me the family home, Hurray! What is the best way to go about this, deed it over, sell, ect. we're in Ohio by the way. [more inside]
posted by Benzle on Jun 25, 2009 - 6 answers

I use Trulia for the United States and Funda for The Netherlands whilst looking for property. Anyone have an inclusive site such as these for real estate in another country? Preferably for another European country or South American.
posted by AdamOddo on Jun 25, 2009 - 7 answers

Good resources for finding livable rent-stabilized apartments in Manhattan? [more inside]
posted by jdruk on Jun 24, 2009 - 12 answers

The owners of my apartment building have turned control of the building over from the extremely reputable apartment management company that I signed a lease with to a much less reputable company. Am I legally bound to continue honoring the lease? Since my earlier question, I've done research into the law and my specific lease. My recourse isn't obvious to me. What to do? (Arlington County, VA) [more inside]
posted by charmston on Jun 20, 2009 - 8 answers

(Real Estate Title Company Experts) - Best way(s) to keep your house title off the grid for as long as possible? [more inside]
posted by coffeefilter on Jun 18, 2009 - 9 answers

ChicagoApartmentFilter: What leasing agent/company/broker/other should we use for finding an apartment in Chicago? Any other tips or tricks we should be aware of? What we're looking for below the jump. [more inside]
posted by ohio on Jun 18, 2009 - 15 answers

How can I find the owner of that abandoned lot? [more inside]
posted by gilgamix on Jun 16, 2009 - 9 answers

Looking in a "neglected" area of NYC for property to buy. My question is how to get information; on owners, and issues like back taxes owed, or even, now especially, foreclosures. The Dept. of Finance has block-by block data, but it is very time-consuming, and obviously does not include current data. [more inside]
posted by ebesan on Jun 16, 2009 - 5 answers

Does having a buyers real estate agent limit what the selling agent can tell you? Also: what are the benefits or disadvantages of having a buyers agent? [more inside]
posted by ibfrog on Jun 13, 2009 - 22 answers

I'm thinking about selling (or renting) my condo. My kitchen and bathrooms are out of date with formica counter tops, old looking appliances and ugly flooring. I know that other condos in my complex that are on the market have been updated with more contemporary looks, but they also look like they've been on the market for a while. What would cause the place to sell faster? Spending the money to update it or reducing the asking price by whatever amount I'd put into a remodel?
posted by willnot on Jun 10, 2009 - 13 answers

In January we moved across the country and put our house on the market. Our realtor is a friend of the family. I had misgivings about using a friend, but, he has helped us a lot in the last few years and I felt we should go with him. Since January he has contacted us twice, once to tell us about an open house and another time to ask a few questions from potential buyers. I email him about once a month and usually have to wait 2 - 3 days for a response. Often the response does not address our questions. Instead we get a brief personal greeting followed by what feels like a form response. I want to address his lack of communication, but, as this is the first time I've sold a house, I don't know what is reasonable to expect from a realtor. What level of communication is reasonable to expect given our location/situation?
posted by a22lamia on Jun 8, 2009 - 21 answers

The owners of my apartment building have turned control of the building over from the extremely reputable apartment management company that I signed a lease with to a much less reputable company. Am I legally bound to continue honoring the lease? (Arlington County, VA) [more inside]
posted by charmston on Jun 4, 2009 - 7 answers

Dream Home Filter: How does one go about financing the buying of land and building of a custom house? I need help with land loans vs. buying land with a house on it (to improve/tear down), construction loans vs. home loans, etc [more inside]
posted by mathowie on May 30, 2009 - 9 answers

Any mortgage professionals in the house? I have a question about lending standards for small-scale real estate investors. [more inside]
posted by Sublimity on May 28, 2009 - 0 answers

[pit bull filter]: Help me sell my house. Caveat: Three large dogs next door are scaring away buyers, including one very aggressive pit bull. I believe the way these dogs are left to roam outside may also be potentially breaking the law. [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob on May 28, 2009 - 26 answers

I will receive $30k (canadian) as an inheritance. I'd like to invest it to start getting some revenue out of it. I have a few questions. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 22, 2009 - 15 answers

I'm selling my home. I have an offer on the table, but my realtor seems a little cautious about it because it's an FHA loan. Should I be concerned about accepting the offer since my home is older? [more inside]
posted by donnagirl on May 19, 2009 - 20 answers

What are your experiences with Richmond American Homes? [more inside]
posted by Xuff on May 2, 2009 - 2 answers

Who is the best person to give me information on the housing market? [more inside]
posted by lore on Apr 27, 2009 - 15 answers

Why do people say that they don't want to waste money on rent? [more inside]
posted by Brennus on Apr 27, 2009 - 73 answers

Our landlord wants a five percent per year increase to renew our office lease for two years. Where is the data that shows the commercial market is going the other way? [more inside]
posted by gum on Apr 24, 2009 - 9 answers

What's your favorite Internet-based, one-stop source of information on real estate listings in the US? [more inside]
posted by Gordion Knott on Apr 23, 2009 - 5 answers