Steve Tytler answers your real estate questions in his weekly column. Send him your questions by mail to The Herald, P.O. Box, Everett, WA 98206, by fax questions to 425-339-3435 or by e-mail to economy@heraldnet.com.
Novice real estate investors can lose their shirts Question: I have always done most of my own remodeling work. With so many foreclosures and bank-owned homes for sale, I’m considering buying and refurbishing old homes and selling them for a profit. I know a lot about building and plumbing,... [More] November 22 Proof of home ownership lies with the title Question: My parents purchased a home and rental house in Arizona in 1996. They paid cash for both. My father has since passed away. On a recent visit to my mother, she asked me what proof she had of ownership of these two pieces of property. I... [More] November 15 Forecast for 2010 housing market: slow decline Every year at about this time I write my annual housing market review and projection for the coming year. First, let me recap my record over the past two years: [More] November 8 What you need to know about types of liens Question: I want to know what are the rules for putting a lien on a piece of property. [More] November 1 The better plan: Tear house down, start anew Question: After getting an architect to draw up remodeling plans and talking to builders, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’d be better off to tear down our house and start over. One problem is convincing my husband that I... [More] October 25 On reverse mortgage taxes and deductions Question: What are the tax consequences of getting a reverse mortgage? There are no monthly or annual payments required on a reverse mortgage, so what about the mortgage interest deduction? Do I have to pay income tax on the money I... [More] October 18 How to ensure title is clear Question: My wife and I are finally about to realize our life-long dream of paying off our house. Before we burn the mortgage to celebrate, we want to make sure that we have done everything correctly. I remember reading your column in the past about... [More] October 11 Here's the lowdown on deductions and rental property Question: Now that prices have dropped so much, my husband and I would like to purchase some real estate for tax write-off purposes. Should we purchase a small condo locally, or acreage east of the mountains, which we would use for recreation? We'd... [More] October 4