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Dealing With Unresponsive Contractors

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: I live in a condo in Florida. In 2021, I had electric hurricane screens installed that came with a five-year warranty. The screens have never worked properly, and while the company has attempted to resolve the repair, the screens remain inoperable. They have been to my property about 10 times -- and still, inoperable. I have asked ...Read more

8 Steps in New Home Construction

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: With the shortage of housing currently available, we are considering building a new home. What are the steps in the actual construction process?

Monty's Answer: The construction process transforms a vision into a tangible structure. The steps are in a logical order and each step takes time to complete. The steps below assume you ...Read more

3 Easy Resources When Buying Directly From the Owner

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: We recently got to know a couple who purchased a house directly from the owner. They managed to do this online without using a For-Sale-by-Owner website. Initially, they tried using an FSBO site but quickly realized it was merely a lead generator for real estate agents. They also mentioned that many do not disclose the buy-side ...Read more

Solving Contractor Dispute Takes New Twist

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: My wife and I invested nearly $1 million in a home renovation. Our yearlong warranty expires in May. I just received a note from my contractor that his company has gone out of business and cannot help us, and he "apologized for the inconvenience." However, we found that he opened a substantially similar business under a ...Read more

Information Drives Home Sales Progress

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: As a former real estate agent, you don't have any idea what you're talking about. Yep, there are good and bad agents, but all listings are on the internet. I don't know where you get your info or what experience you have, but you're spreading totally off-base information. As far as commissions, the listing agent pays for all of the...Read more

The 6 Indiscernible Flaws in Real Estate Agency Law

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: You believe that agency law does not work. All 50 states have agency laws for real estate. Several of your articles, including "Is Real Estate Agency Law Working?" suggest the real estate agency does not work. What is the problem with real estate agency law?

Monty's Answer: In Wisconsin, 238 businesses require a license, far more ...Read more

Options When Dealing With a New Home Defect

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: What should I do if my new house has a defect or foundation issue? Our brand-new built house started to have flooding in our garage. With heavy rains in the state I live in, this brand-new garage started to flood. Water was seeping through the cracks in the foundation. We think it's a foundation issue. We feel that this house is ...Read more

Consider Options When Exposing Fraud in a Divorce

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: What could someone do to hide the source of funds used to purchase a house with cash? They are potentially breaking the law. My ex-husband declares no income, avoids maintenance and bought a million-dollar home with cash with his new wife. He could claim it is her money, but I know that is false. Is there a way he could get away ...Read more

7 Reasons To Be Wary of MLS

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: Our home is for sale. Our agent called to set a co-broker appointment. At the appointed time, the doorbell rings, and the buyer is at the door with no agent. I invited them in to wait. We quickly determined they would not buy our house. They needed a large lot, and we had a small backyard. About 20 minutes after they left, the ...Read more

Preparing for Real Estate Photos

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: We are planning on selling our home soon. We want to hire a professional photographer to create a virtual presentation. Do you have any tips for preparing a home for the photographer?

Monty's Answer: A widely accepted theory is that using professional photographers specializing in home sales is the best way to increase showings. ...Read more

9 Reasons Selling a Home Is Easy

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: We are selling our home in 2024. We know of your involvement in PropBox. You state that selling a home with PropBox is easy. A real estate agent has argued that selling our home on our own is complicated and risky without a real estate agent. Having control and saving money sounds good, but what does the word "easy" mean? What ...Read more

Plan For Closing Surprises When Negotiating

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: Our contract called for the buyer to move in on the closing day. It is two weeks before closing, and they want to move the closing up five days. We scheduled the movers for the day before closing and could not move the date. Now, they are threatening to back out. Any advice would be appreciated.

Monty's Answer: An attorney's ...Read more

Will Real Estate Agents Adapt to Technological Evolution?

Home & Leisure / Dear Monty /

Dear Monty: I have been a real estate agent for 15 years. I may decide to leave the industry like several agents I know. It is the long and irregular hours, arguing with agents about who "owns" the customer, unethical tricks, incompetence and more. Consumers don't see the dark side of real estate. I have seen nothing that makes me believe ...Read more

 

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