Articles filed under Lank, Edith

• Heirs worry about 96-year-old with mortgage May 18, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. When my 96-year-old dad dies, will we heirs have to pay on his mortgage until the property sells? What happens if we don’t make payments?
  

   

• Father can’t take back a $15,000 gift May 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Twelve years ago, my dad, then 80, purchased a condo in Florida for himself and his live-in girlfriend. He paid $30,000 for it. The deed states that in the event of the death of one of them the other inherits the condo.
  

   

• What to ask when selecting a real estate agent May 4, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We are going to sell our condo this spring and intend to follow your advice and interview three realtors. We are not sure what probing questions to ask. Can you please advise us?
  

   

• Parents must ponder many factors with deed decision Apr 27, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. My husband and I are both in our 70s and we would like to know if it is a good idea to have the names of our four children put on the deed to our house. It is all paid for, and we want to stay in the house as long as we can.
  

   

• Only painful steps remain if mortgagees stop paying Apr 20, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We rented a home to a couple for 16 years who never missed a payment. Last year they purchased the home and pay us the mortgage. Now they have not paid the mortgage in five months.
  

   

• Was it ethical for estate to accept a lower offer? Apr 13, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We put in an $180,900 purchase offer on a house with an asking price of $175,900. We included the contingency of a home inspection. Later we were shocked to see the property transfer listed in the newspaper at $165,000. We wonder if our offer was really ever presented to the seller.
  

   

• Fix up mom’s old house or just sell it as is? Apr 6, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I am hoping for some good advice regarding the sale of my mother's home after her recent passing. My sister and I are now in the process of cleaning out 60 years of family occupancy via trashing and a household sale, etc.
  

   

• More trauma, delays with short sales Mar 23, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We have been waiting since September after placing an offer on a short sale. What should we do? Should be continue to wait? Can we send a letter to the bank stating that if they don't provide us with an answer by the end of March we will resign our offer and go lower?
  

   

• Divorce settlement has little impact on mortgage obligation Mar 16, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. My brother is going through a divorce. He wants to give his future ex-wife the house and forget about it. If he still has his name on the mortgage, is he still responsible for the payments?
  

   

• Can brother recover $400,000 investment in mother’s home? Mar 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. My elderly mother owns her home and my brother wants to buy it and move in to take care of her. If he buys the home for $400,000, that money goes into my mother's estate. When my mother passes away, would my brother then get back half of the $400,000?
  

   

• How to find a good real estate agent Mar 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. How does one go about finding a good real estate agent to sell a home and find a new one? There are so many firms with so many agents, how do you find one that would be just right for your needs?
  

   

• Some readers don’t like my advice Feb 23, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Why did you tell that man to make out a will to add his companion's name to the title on their house? Everyone knows that goes to probate.
  

   

• There’s much help available when buying a first home Feb 16, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I am 22, got my dream job and am now relocating. My parents think, since rent may be high, I should try to buy and have something to show. How do I go about getting prequalified, should I use a local bank or larger national bank or my own bank?
  

   

• No sibling competition, but still a complex issue Feb 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Is it beneficial for a widow to “sell” her house to a child for $1.00? What might be conflicts to either side? Sibling competition is not an issue.
  

   

• Readers help solve other writers’ problems Feb 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. In today's column there was an inquiry regarding a widow's joint mortgage with a deceased husband. You told her to just keep on paying it, the bank wouldn't call it in. But there is another factor she may want to consider.
  

   

• Long-distance amateurs need help selling property Jan 26, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q: I recently inherited over five acres in another state. It has a house (needs a new roof) and business potential as it is as the intersection of two highways. Realtors are more than 20 miles away so I'm not sure they would be moved to put a lot of effort into showing it.
  

   

• Real estate and rentals can complicate family matters Jan 19, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. Mom left her house to my brother and me, a modest three-bedroom with no mortgage. My brother's son has been living there since before mom died, rent-free. He promised once his business was established he would buy my half.
  

   

• Giving a house to a child is a simple legal matter Jan 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I still have a mortgage but would like to give my house to my daughter. How do I do it? She cannot buy it as her credit is bad. I’m 86 and have to do something before I pass away.
  

   

• Guaranteed sale within an hour Jan 5, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. In April, I put my house on the market with an asking price of $199,900. In June, I reduced the price to $179,000. As of today, I have had no offers. Currently, the house is vacant and I am paying for the insurance, pool maintenance, sewer/garbage and taxes.
  

   

• Many issues of joint ownership involve cousins Dec 29, 2012 12:00 AM
  Q. Four people were deeded a 1920 log cabin in another state several years ago. This cabin has been either quitclaim deeded or left through inheritance to four generations of family.