Trustee Not Acting in the Estate’s Best Interest Dear Phyllis, I find myself in a difficult situation. My deceased husband’s brother passed away without a spouse or children. He left 1/3 of the estate to my sister-in-law, the trustee. I get my husband’s 1/3 interest and the remaining 1/3 interest is divided between five nieces […]
Who Pays For Additional Inspections? Dear Phyllis, I am a loyal reader of your real estate advice. My daughter’s home is listed for sale. After the buyer did their general inspection, the general inspector and the termite company both had some concerns about the foundation and advised the buyer to get a foundation inspection. My […]
Should I Pay The Buyer’s Agent’s Commission? Dear Phyllis, My son will be selling his Santa Clarita condo and I believe he is no longer required to pay the buyer’s agent. He interviewed several Santa Clarita Realtors, and they gave him different advice. He and I are more confused than ever before. I told him […]
Open House Etiquette Dear Phyllis, I read your column and respect your experience and knowledge. My neighbor had her home for sale last month and I was out on a walk. I thought I would pop in to see her home and compare it to mine. I am always curious about what my home would […]
Trust Sale Disclosures Dear Phyllis, My son’s in-laws lived in San Diego and both recently passed. He will be helping his wife sell the family home. Her father passed away about 10 months ago and, because her mother was homebound, his wife spent three days a week at the home and hired caregivers for the […]
The Value of a Home Warranty Dear Phyllis, My godson purchased his first home three months ago. As part of the purchase, he obtained a home warranty. He was doing some major remodeling before he moved in, and when the walls were opened, he discovered numerous issues with the Romex wiring. The contractor working on […]
The Eviction Process Dear Phyllis, I look forward to your real estate advice. I have a new problem. My father sold his home two years ago. The buyer could not get a loan, so my father gave the buyer a loan. The buyer stopped making payments several months ago and we hired an attorney to […]
Reverse Mortgage Confusion Dear Phyllis, I enjoy reading your column and have learned a lot about reverse mortgages. I have moved in with my parents, who are in their late 80s. My father has been the one who handled all the bills and budgeting. Lately, I have noticed that he has been very frugal with […]
Dear Phyllis, I have been following your real estate column for years. I have a new subject I don’t believe you have discussed. We sold our home with the same Realtor who helped us with our purchase more than twenty years ago. Because we were relocating to South Carolina to be near our grandchildren, our […]
Proposition 19 Dear Phyllis, I am a recent homeowner in Tujunga. I subscribe to the weekly newspaper allowing me to learn the area. I read your column and hope you can help. I am trying to keep my low tax rate. I have tried without success to transfer it to my address. I have […]