Couple could lose home after erroneous money depositBenny KassInman News® DEAR BENNY: We moved to Jacksonville, Fla., in 2010, but still own a home in Pensacola that we are renting to some friends. We got a check in the mail for an alleged overpayment from escrow. I remember telling my wife that the home insurance [...]

How to handle payment demands when leaks persistBarry StoneInman News® DEAR BARRY: Last summer, we hired a contractor to put a new roof on our leaky garage. When he was finished, the final cost was higher than the original estimate because the contractor had to remove the old layers of roofing. Months later, the first [...]

Book Review: ‘Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing …’Tara-Nicholle NelsonInman News® Book Review Title: "Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (By Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too" Author: Chris Camillo Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 2011; 240 [...]

In some areas, home prices could fall another 10%Dian HymerInman News® It wasn’t long ago that some economic forecasters anticipated a turnaround in the home-sale market by 2012. When the economic recovery stalled and the housing market showed no sign of turning around quickly, projections for a housing recovery were pushed out two, three and [...]

Mood of the MarketTara-Nicholle NelsonInman News® Whether you consider yourself a more or less avid pop-culture observer, chances are good that by now you’ve seen at least one of the videos, Twitter accounts or articles chronicling the phenomenon we’ll just call "Stuff Girls Say" (hereafter "SGS," with "Stuff" being my G-rated substitution for another word [...]

Don’t assume loan officer has your best interest in mindJack GuttentagInman News® Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series. Last week I discussed a new integrated calculator on my website that uses current and personalized mortgage price data to help borrowers select the type of mortgage that would minimize their net costs. [...]

Space-optimizing homeowners may fancy cornermount varietyPaul BianchinaInman News® If you’re thinking of remodeling your bathroom anytime soon, you might not realize just how many bathtub options you have. In addition to an amazing palette of color choices, you also have options in materials, sizes, design, jets, controls and installation methods. Let’s take a look at [...]

REThink Real EstateTara-Nicholle NelsonInman News® Q: We bought a house this year! We put $33,000 down and the bank financed $28,000. Can I write this off on my 2011 taxes? How much of it? A: First things first: Congratulations! You’ve become a homeowner, and seem to have done so using an enviable financial arrangement. But [...]

Rent it RightJanet PortmanInman News® Q: My tenant has asked that I repair the dishwasher as soon as possible, and I’ve agreed to do so. But she is insisting on 48 hours’ notice of the repairperson’s entry. The repair shop says they can "work me in," but that may mean that they’ll call at the [...]

Will this be the year housing bottoms out?Tom KellyInman News® The most popular question since the mortgage meltdown and subsequent dive in home prices has changed in the past 12 months. It has evolved from "Where’s the bottom?" to "What’s the new normal?" The reasons for the change vary, but they lie somewhere between a [...]