Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [real-estate]

A tag for questions on real estate or property.

  • This tag should be used for questions about real estate and property.

  • Real estate is defined as the land and any permanent structures, like a home, or improvements attached to the land: whether natural or artificial.

  • Read more about this on Wikipedia.

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Tenant claims they paid rent in cash and that it was stolen from a mailbox. What should I do?

I own a duplex, live in half, and rent out the other half to college students. I have just made a mistake that cost me $750. One of my tenants was late paying her rent. I'd thought it was still late, but she informed me that she put it (roughly $750…
Anonymous
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How to deal with the credit card debt from family member that has passed away?

My father recently passed away and had some considerable amount of debt on his credit cards. House and credit card were in the deceased’s name only. The state that is happening in is New Jersey. In terms of monetary assets, he doesn't have any.…
user
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Are my parents ripping me off with this deal that doesn't allow me to build my equity in my home?

When I bought my condo with cash for $155k, I paid $40k of my own money and my parents lent me $115k. Our agreement was that when I eventually sold the condo, my parents would get 75% of the gross sales proceeds. I pay my parents $500 every month…
ksjdalskndosd
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How is early-and-often home buying as "get rich" advice feasible?

I am being told by this guy that the following is a guaranteed-to-work way to become rich and retire early. He says to start early. 20 years, or near that age. Buy 1 house a year. Rent it out. Start selling these houses after 15+ years. He says…
Okaei
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11 answers

Why does it seem the best way to make a living is to invest in real estate?

I can't get past the idea that, if you work well in your job, you may get laid off or fired, and companies do not like to hire you when you get past the age 45 or 50. But if you invest in some houses or rental properties or fixer-upper, a lot of…
nonopolarity
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8 answers

Should I deplete my saving and buy a house with cash, or should I rent?

My wife and I are very frugal. We've been living abroad for several years and saved a decent amount of our salaries. We've decided to move back to the US this year. We've found a modest home that needs some work, but has good bones and is livable.…
krayziesensei
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Why would a home seller ask a buyer to offer LESS?

My brother-in-law is looking to buy a house. The house he wants has been on the market for a long time, and it's in pre-foreclosure. The owners are underwater on it. He submitted a lowball offer, waited a long while, and then talked to the listing…
user278411
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When is it better to move - before or after a housing bubble bursts?

My husband and I currently own our home and are looking at upgrading to a bigger house in the next year or two. The housing market right now in our area (US East Coast city) is doing really well, and our home is valued much higher than it was when…
David K
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Are there any financial disadvantages to living significantly "below your means"?

By living "below" your means I'm asking about spending significantly less than you could, rather than living "within" your means which of course is sensible if you are able to do it! So for example: Buying a house that's much smaller / in a worse…
seventyeightist
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Will I lose my paid-in-full property?

I paid cash for the land I put a modular home on which I financed. My husband is terminally ill and I am afraid I will soon be foreclosed upon. Will I lose my free and clear land which has been paid for in cash years ago? It is owned by us and we…
user84632
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10 answers

Is it true that real estate prices mainly go up?

My father once told me that real estate was a good business because the population is always going up, therefore more housing is needed, and the space on earth remains the same, so house/apartment prices go up. Is this true? Edit: Maybe population…
SushiCraft 99
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When buying a property, is your agent's incentive contrary to yours?

My understanding is that buyers agents are typically paid half the overall commission of a property sale, which itself is some percentage of the sale price. That means that as the sale price goes up, so does the commission the seller's agent. This…
Alexander
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When buying a property without using a realtor as a buyers agent, can you build a discount of the buyer's agent commission into the contract?

I want to buy a home, but I'm not interested in using a realtor as a buyer's agent. I know that in MLS systems, when a realtor lists a house they specify what commission a buyer's agent will be paid. Since I am the one who is bringing a qualified…
BCG
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Invest $50,000 in cash or borrow $100,000 and get a mortgage?

I have $50,000 saved and I'm paying $760 on rent right now. All my relatives are telling me to get a mortgage so I don't "throw money away on rent", but I just don't like the idea of getting in debt and not being able to move any time soon. I'm 28…
Nikolay Dyankov
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8 answers

How do you invest in real estate without using money?

I saw some infomercial with Than Merrill, a businessman, which claimed that anyone can, and I quote, "Invest in real estate and reap big money -- even without using a penny of your own cash." I know this is broad, but this isn't a scam -- it's a…
Sinkon
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