Seller's presence may hamper showing

Q. My Realtor wants me to be absent from the house whenever she brings a client. Is it OK to stay in a room such as the den or computer room? This room could be shown first, the door closed, and they could explore the house together. Age is a factor in my case.

A. Falling in love with a house is like falling in love with a person, and three's a crowd. In the movies a real estate agent may chatter on with a hard sell. In real life, though, the agent who is a good matchmaker can sometimes remain so unobtrusive that you could become nervous listening to the silence.

House hunting is confusing and tiring work. The buyers are probably looking at several places within a few hours. Ideally, they like to wander and explore, trying the place on for size, perhaps pretending it's already theirs. If you're present, they may be inhibited about calling out to one another, opening closets, stroking the banister and performing all those get-acquainted gestures that are the house-hunting equivalent of kicking the tires on a new car.

An owner who is present might be emotionally upset by some random comment. Again, you could be insulted by prospects who whiz through in one minute flat. The agent is used to it. People who can see that you don't have the dead-end living room they want, or the big dining room wall for their breakfront, might just cross your home off the list and save their energy for the next place.

But if going over to the neighbors is difficult, you can certainly remain. You'd greet them at the front door (bell in working order, brass and glass polished) and say, "If you need me, I'll be in the …"

The agent will want to end up in the most pleasant room. You could be found there, seated and ready to chat - in the living room (log burning in fireplace), the kitchen (gingerbread cooling on counter) or the family room (bowl of polished apples on the turned-off TV.)

You'll be happy to answer questions. You know when the school bus arrives and you have the past year's utility bills handy. But your answer to "How firm is your asking price?" is a noncommittal, "We'll be happy to consider any written offer." If they say they need to move by September, the response is "I'm sure we could work out the details." And it's a poor idea to discuss the sale of furniture or appliances at this point.

"Are you going to leave the pool table?"

"We thought we'd decide after the sale of the house is settled."

Selling your home is an adventure, and it can be an interesting one. Yes, it's often stressful, but try to relax and enjoy the experience!

Q. My daughter bought a mobile home in a summer residence-only park. She does not own the land but has to pay HOA fees all year. She will spend only summers there, as she is a teacher. Does she get any tax breaks for owning this summer home, as she also has a regular home she lives in?

A. If you're asking about property taxes, those on her main home run for the whole year, whether she's there or not. It sounds as if she doesn't pay any directly on the mobile home.

Q. We haven't lived in our house for a full two years yet, but we need to downsize to a one-story level because my wife is mostly in a wheelchair now. Is there any exception to capital gains tax for health reasons?

A. Yes, there can be. If you need to move for health reasons, you should qualify for a tax break on part of your profit. It's wise to get a letter from your wife's physician confirming the situation.

If you had lived in the house for at least two years, as a married couple you could take up to $500,000 profit tax-free. For less than that time, those who qualify can use a fraction of the exclusion. If you'd been there one year, for instance, you wouldn't be taxed on up to $250,000 gain.

Frankly, though, with less than two years' ownership, I doubt you'll have much capital gain to worry about, by the time you subtract the expenses of selling.

This right to use part of the homesellers exclusion, by the way, can sometimes be claimed when the move is mandated not only by health reasons, but also for change of employment or other unexpected circumstances.

• Edith Lank will respond to questions sent to her at 240 Hemingway Drive, Rochester, N.Y. 14620 (include a stamped return envelope), or readers may email her through askedith.com.

© 2014, Creators Syndicate Inc.