What about a handicap unit?

Q. Our bathroom needs a new bathtub/shower. We are retired and may sell in the near future due to health concerns. What are the consequences of putting in a handicapped-like shower versus a tub-and-shower unit? Of course, we are at odds with even having a new bathing unit installed or leaving as is. There is mold, hot/cold water not mixing correctly, etc.

A. If you've been reading for years, you've already seen the answer I've sent many times to people in similar situations. I can't judge because I haven't seen your bathroom, don't know the price level of your home, know nothing of your finances, and am not familiar with your neighborhood or your town's overall real estate market.

You can find excellent advice about what to do - or not to do - and it won't cost anything or obligate you. Look at nearby for-sale signs and contact three of the brokerages that are advertising. Explain that you're not quite ready to sell but you need advice in the meantime. Most agents enjoy visiting houses, even those not ready for the market. You'll receive useful opinions on how much it's worth investing in renovations, and whether a handicap-friendly unit would be appropriate.

That mold, by the way - you should disclose it to potential buyers, and it would be a real turnoff. For your own health, you might as well attend to it right now.

Q. Do you answer questions privately?

A. Yes, I do. Since the column first appeared in 1976, every question has received an individual answer, except on the rare occasions when there's no return address or an email address doesn't work. Sometimes, of course, the answer is only, "I'm afraid all I can offer you is sympathy." Occasionally, a reader does ask that the matter be kept private. Often, though, when the situation is of general interest, people agree to publication with a few of the details omitted.

Your query got me to wondering, and I did a quick calculation. Readers have sent in more than 100,000 letters, emails and postings by now. For at least one in four the answer is, "You really should consult a lawyer." Those are sometimes the most interesting, but I try to hold see-a-lawyer items to no more one per column.

Q. What's the difference between a second mortgage and a home-equity loan?

A. No difference. When you borrow money by putting the real estate up as security, you're mortgaging it. The first time you do that is probably to buy the property. If you later borrow more against the real estate, the new debt might be set up as a home-equity loan or a line of credit, but in either case it would still be a second mortgage.

Q. Will a 13th edition of Modern Real Estate Practice work for a 2015 state license exam?

A. The publishers have brought out three newer editions since the 13th. I'm not sure when that one was published (can't seem to find a copy on my shelves) but most of the legal topics - Deeds, Easements, Legal Descriptions and the like - remain pretty much the same from one edition to the next.

When we work on a new edition, many of the changes are in topics like License Law, Appraisal and Financing. Regulations on various types of mortgages keep changing and so do maximum loan amounts. Then again, some numbers and websites listed in an old edition would no longer work.

As a beginning salesperson, in most places you're required to work under the guidance of a sponsoring broker. It'd be interesting to hear what your prospective broker says about using an old edition.

Q. If a homeowner has grapes growing along their chain link fence line and the neighbors and their kids help themselves without asking picking the grapes, is this proper neighbor etiquette?

A. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to send an intriguing question. Your neighbors are legally entitled to pick the grapes that grow on their side of the boundary line, as long as they don't damage or destroy the vines. As far as etiquette is concerned - there may be more than just grapes involved. I think I'd better stay out of it.

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

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