One of our best-kept secrets: Renting Dear Bruce: Can you tell me your thoughts on owning versus renting? My girlfriend thinks that renting is throwing money out the door. I think that there are more costs to owning than she realizes. — Mike, via e-mail Dear Mike: I don’t know what your girlfriend is thinking …
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Real estate flippers back in South Florida, but this time they could help
Real estate flippers back in South Florida, but this time they could help The flippers are back. Bolstered by swelling foreclosures and bottomed-out prices, investors are returning to the South Florida real estate market, snapping up distressed homes with cash payments for either a quick turnaround or a short-term rent-then-sell investment. Unlike the speculative flippers …
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First-time homebuyers buoy market
First-time homebuyers buoy market The housing market is getting a much-needed boost as first-time homebuyers rush to take advantage of an $8,000 federal tax credit that is set to expire Dec. 1. The incentive is helping to slow the decline in home sales. In August, sales were down 1 percent over the comparable period last …
Richard White: Complying with Florida statutes is recommended for associations
Richard White: Complying with Florida statutes is recommended for associations Question: I have written to you previously about a potential vote our condominium complex entertained to opt out of the state statute. This vote for opting out was recommended by our management company. Well, the condominium members did vote to opt out. What is your …
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The Stresses of Buying Distressed Homes
The Stresses of Buying Distressed Homes Home buyers are finding that the battered real-estate market offers just as many opportunities for headaches as for bargains. Seth and Crystal Grotzke, both 25 years old, recently bought a bank-owned two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse in Edina, Minn., for $110,000—when similar homes in the same development were selling for as …
Leaving Affordable Mortgage May Become Winning Gambit [Southern California]
Leaving Affordable Mortgage May Become Winning Gambit [Southern California] Scott Conroy pays the mortgage every month on his one-bedroom condominium in San Diego, even though it’s worth 33 percent less than what he owes and it may take more than a decade to break even. Homeowners like Conroy who can afford their monthly payments are …
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