How protecting your downpayment begins with your mortgage application in New...
One of the must mis-understood concepts is the “Mortgage Contingency Clause,” and how you, as a home buyer, must diligently protect your right to cancel a real estate contract if you are unable to...
View ArticleWhat if the Mortgage Company Revokes my Mortgage after a Commitment was...
Yesterday’s Blog dealt with what happens if you don’t diligently apply for your mortgage while attempting to buy a house. But, what happens if you got your commitment and the bank thereafter revokes...
View ArticleAttention New York Property Owners – Reduce Your Property Tax Bill.
In New York, grieving your property taxes means more than just complaining when your bill and assessment arrives. Each year the tax assessor for hundreds of municipalities sets a base line “assessment”...
View ArticleThinking About Restructuring Your Mortgage? Why Now is the Time.
When thinking about restructuring a mortgage or even going through the foreclosure process, most homeowners are motivated by the bottom line-lower monthly mortgage payments or relief from burdening...
View ArticleCondominium Insurance is Often Mis-Understood.
Over the years I have received various telephone calls from prospective purchasers, and handled many cases involving condominium insurance claims. Condo owners are often laboring under the...
View ArticleAvoid Misunderstandings Over Fixtures and Furnishings.
The Closing is scheduled for 1 PM at the office of the Bank Attorney, you arrive at your dream home, ready to sign all of the mortgage documents, and close; when you realize that the sellers have moved...
View ArticleWhat is a Mortgage Contingency in a New York State Real Estate Contract- Ask...
I wanted to add an update to this Blog post for a recent litigation commenced in the Hudson Valley arising from a transaction in Dutchess County. Buyers need an appraisal contingency– even the...
View ArticleThe hidden costs behind title insurance: How title companies used to pay...
Title insurance is a must for all home buyers in New York. A title company searches the public record to identify potential issues with the title. Common problems include things like old liens,...
View ArticleReal Estate Broker “Dual Agency”: What it is, and what it means for you in a...
Most homebuyers and sellers are accustomed to the usual model of agency: the seller and buyer each have a real estate “agent” representing them during the showing, negotiation and final closing of a...
View ArticleAirbnb and the sharing economy: is it legal to rent out my home?
With the rise of the so-called “sharing economy,” more homeowners have been looking to rent out their properties in the short term on websites such as Airbnb to earn extra cash. However, as short term...
View ArticleThe State of Fair Housing in These Times of Change.
Before the recent protests and resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, I was asked by a group of Realtors to present a continuing education program on Fair Housing. I poured over the various...
View ArticleTenancy by the Entirety
(Nyack, New York) I wanted to follow up on my prior blog post about “tenants by the entirety.” As I pointed out in that post, It is interesting to consider what other “ramifications” owning property...
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