Questions tagged [real-estate]
A tag for questions on real estate or property.
1,052
questions
0
votes
2answers
13 views
Offer subject to survey or survey before an offer?
I saw a flat (in London), made an offer and received a counter-offer. I wonder what should be my next step and I get two types of advice. As far as I understand, the most standard practice is to ...
23
votes
5answers
7k views
Why would a seller require a cash offer on a property?
My partner and I are looking at a house in an area that would be interesting to us. It's a fixer-upper that would require quite a bit of work on the inside. She's previously owned a house and ...
1
vote
2answers
170 views
The "meaning" of reduction of the asking price for a flat and its consequences
I found a flat (say in London) that was advertised a month ago and whose asking price was reduced by 5% yesterday from 500K to 475K. Suppose I make an offer of 450K, i.e. I reduce the price by further ...
34
votes
4answers
8k views
How to avoid being scammed while purchasing unimproved land online?
I am currently in the process of purchasing a piece of land I found for sale online, by what looks like a small business that buys and sells land. I have had a friend in the area check out the ...
52
votes
9answers
10k views
When buying a property, is your agent's incentive contrary to yours?
My understanding is that buyers agents are typically paid half the overall commission of a property sale, which itself is some percentage of the sale price.
That means that as the sale price goes up, ...
0
votes
2answers
273 views
When the government starts to print money, buy a house to double or triple your money?
It seems it is so obvious, but is it true?
When the government starts to do "quantitative easing" or print money, then the price of a house can go from $1.2 million to $1.5 million easily, ...
1
vote
5answers
351 views
Can leaving a property vacant be more beneficial than renting it out?
I live in a major US city with strong demand for housing. Last year, a house on my street was purchased, but no one has ever moved in. During the first few months of this, my initial thought was that ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Explanation for the formula for price of the supply
In a book "Real Estate Investing" by Benedetto Manganelli, there is a formula for demand price for real estate:
How this formula was derived and what does the n subscript signify? Is it ...
1
vote
2answers
87 views
Are there alternative options to getting an appraisal for a refinance of my home?
I live in New Hampshire, USA. I'm trying to get my home refinanced and it most likely requires an appraisal (not sure the requirements), but anyway... they want $1870 for the appraisal fee! I'm aware ...
1
vote
2answers
127 views
I waived the mortgage contingency and loan closing is delayed. What is going to happen?
I just signed a final contract on a house (single family in Illinois) and I waived the mortgage contingency. The reason I waved the contingency is because I had absolutely no concerns about getting a ...
-1
votes
2answers
120 views
How profitable is buying rental property far away via property manager
I've seen people buy a rental property, not in their neighborhood but in other states with a lower cost of living. These houses usually are like $70k and they would rent it out via rental management ...
3
votes
4answers
251 views
Is it financially smart for my girlfriend and I to get our own FHA loans for separate properties before marrying?
My girlfriend (22) is a nurse and I (22) am currently in my last year of undergrad for BS in Computer Science. I want to invest in real estate for the purpose of renting or using as an Airbnb to help ...
0
votes
2answers
83 views
Is the way I'm calculating depreciation on my rental property correct?
I've recently purchased an out of state rental property. I'd like to be ahead of the game and fully grasp the concept of depreciation so that when tax season comes around, I won't be clueless.
I've ...
0
votes
1answer
134 views
Can an agent misinform me about the offers that he has?
An agent has shown to me a flat in London with asking price £450K. I like the flat and I am thinking about an offer that I can make. The agent (from Foxtons) told me that the owner was receiving ...
2
votes
0answers
34 views
1031 exchange to buy out another party?
Can a 1031 exchange be used to buy out another owner of a residential rental property?
Say two people own one rental house 50/50. There is no assumed business name, LLC or partnership. The deed has ...
39
votes
13answers
12k views
Is there a price point beyond which it no longer makes sense to buy an apartment or house?
I am in a very frustrating situation right now. I have accumulated a decent amount of value in cash and stocks. My wife and I however are still living in a rented small flat in our town in Austria ...
6
votes
4answers
4k views
Is it better to rent out the less equity I have?
Suppose I have a property with a certain amount of equity, with the rest on a mortgage, and I want to know if I should sell it or rent it out.
I can think of three scenarios. I'm not considering ...
2
votes
4answers
173 views
Condo HOA/maintainence fee versus upkeeping a house
How does the maintenance fee of a condo compare to up keeping a house where there is no maintenance fee. Does upkeeping a small/medium sized house cost less than the maintenance fee of buying a condo?...
0
votes
3answers
200 views
If I buy a property that has a home on it and subdivide the land and sell off the home for less than I bought it for, is that a capital loss?
I want to buy a home that sits on 1 acre for $1m (in the USA). I want to subdivide the land into two pieces and keep the new 0.5 acre parcel to build a home on for me. I have no interest in keeping ...
0
votes
1answer
126 views
Is it better to put money in stocks, bonds, and CDs than to buy a house? [closed]
Do all of these things either alone or together outpace the increase in value of a house?
6
votes
2answers
788 views
Do surviving homes' values tank after natural disasters?
After experiencing two flash floods in two years, I'm considering investing ~$2000 into modifying my yard's terrain, and building retaining walls, to keep flooding away from the home and vehicles, at ...
0
votes
2answers
120 views
Which is the better investment: real estate or stocks? [closed]
I get a better ROI with real estate but it is time intensive. Stocks take very little time but the ROI can vary wildly. Also, during a recession, the value of stocks can plummet but with real estate ...
0
votes
1answer
49 views
Partial 1031 exchange from home sale
My uncle and I are looking at selling a home we own in a trust. He would like to withdraw his portion of the net proceeds via a K1 and I would like to do a 1031 exchange with my portion. Is this ...
1
vote
5answers
299 views
Sibling Disagreement on Property for Mother
my sister would like to purchase a property for my ageing mother to live in. The property is $168K, she is putting $80K down (30 year fixed) leaving us with a $1K monthly payment (P&I, HOA, Taxes,...
2
votes
0answers
43 views
Is an American waterfall (distribution) ever preferable to a European waterfall for an LP?
Waterfalls outline how cashflow will be distributed between general partners and limited partners. In the European version, the GP (sponsors) do not receive carry until the LPs original investment is ...
0
votes
3answers
371 views
After paying off your home, could you sell it to a confidant for $1, then buy it back for $1 in order to get lower property taxes in CA?
In California, property taxes are based upon the price that you paid for your home. Would it be legal, or even feasible, that when you finally pay off your mortgage, that you sell your home to a ...
22
votes
6answers
5k views
Do house prices increase faster in HOA or non-HOA neighborhoods?
I’m trying to decide if buying a house with a homeowner's association (HOA) is worth the headaches. A lot of websites mention that HOAs maintain housing prices better but I couldn’t find any specific ...
3
votes
0answers
69 views
Selling apartment, what taxes do I have to pay?
If I understand the tax laws in Germany correctly, it is as follows:
Case 1: If I owned the apartment at least 10 years I don't have to pay taxes if I sell at a higher price than I bought it.
Case 2: ...
-1
votes
1answer
108 views
Percentage of homes bought in London for living in [closed]
I am investigating a possibility of buying a flat in London to live in. On Rightmove it is possible to see flats/homes that were recently sold, and often it looks like the price per number of square ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Capital Gains tax for Rental House
I have a rental house in Seattle that has been rented for 12 years and is values about $485K. We bought a house in North Carolina last September and didn't know about being able to roll the proceeds ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
does the seller to a cash buyer in a real estate transaction need a Closing Protection Letter?
A Closing Protection Letter is apparently an insurance product costing between $25 and $100 which is supposed to protect the lender, buyer, and selling against mistakes and illegal actions such as ...
2
votes
0answers
52 views
What are the correct terms for a fixed payment with variable rate mortgage vs variable payment with variable rate mortgage?
What are the correct terms for a fixed payment with variable rate mortgage and variable payment with variable rate mortgage? I've read on some articles that a variable rate mortgage and adjustable ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
Depreciation Basis on Purchased Commercial Foreclosure
I've hit a roadblock in my research on the use/abuse of TIFs. I've asked some professionals the below question, however, none were willing to answer or gave me conflicting answers.
The question: What ...
2
votes
1answer
271 views
In a fixed mortgage, is the term the same as the amortization period?
From what I understand, the term is the length of time the mortgage agreement and interest rate will be in effect and the amortization period is the length of time it’d take to fully pay off the loan. ...
0
votes
3answers
152 views
What is a land loan, is it different than a mortgage, and how?
From what I understand, a mortgage is a loan secured by real estate. Thus under this definition you should also be able to buy land (secured by the land). Is this true? If it is how come there are ...
4
votes
2answers
270 views
How are assets stripped before bankruptcy? [closed]
This New Yorker article says
...hedge funds and private equity have used leveraged buyouts to
purchase chains like Sears and Toys R Us, and then stripped their
assets, including real estate, en route ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Utah, USA - Best Option to Minimize Capital Gains on Real Estate Sale(s)
Scenario
I bought a primary residence in Utah on 06/2020
RE in UT boomed (21% for my residence) and I'd like to sell
Additionally
I have property I've owned since 2007 I'd like to sell while the ...
1
vote
3answers
123 views
Trying to understand the difference in 2 scenarios of gifting property
I'm in the US.
I have 2 different scenarios related to gifting of a property and I'm trying to understand why scenario 1 feels legal and scenario 2 feels illegal. I can't put my finger on the ...
1
vote
1answer
111 views
Questions about capital gains on real estate
Let's say I sold my house in California and I estimate the amount that capital gains will be taxed (basis + costs + exemption of 250,000/500,000 if it was your primary residence) and there's an amount ...
2
votes
2answers
220 views
Buying a condo for 3 years and renting afterwards
This has been asked a couple of times, but I'm still having trouble with the numbers. I'm a grad student and will be in my area for another 3 years. I'd like to buy instead of rent, but given the ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
Are there any expenses related to managing renovations on a remote property that can be applied to increasing its cost basis?
I purchased a home in another state that has needed major rehab and renovation. I have been traveling to the location to organize, design, and monitor the numerous jobs performed by contractors (all ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Can the buyer's salesperson receive commission directly from a private seller?
Imagine a private seller wants to save money by not hiring an agent, but is willing to pay some amount to a potential buyer's agent to seal the deal.
In the described situation can the buyer's ...
2
votes
1answer
176 views
Where can I find my home’s square footage?
Pretty straightforward. I’d like to know what my homes exact listed square footage is, without having an appraiser come in and physically measure it or doing that myself. Is there a document from ...
4
votes
3answers
212 views
Index or fund that closely tracks residential properties in the UK
Rather than buying property in the UK, are there indices or funds that closely follow house price growth/loss in the UK? Property developers tend to have their own growth patterns.
My problem is I won'...
4
votes
2answers
101 views
Is property with a transfer-on-death deed on it part of "the estate"?
My parents, in Colorado, would like my sister and I to be able to avoid probate when they pass away. They have a home (mortgage still in the process of being paid off) but not much in the way of other ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
Condominium Reviews [closed]
I am looking to buy a condo, but I am having trouble finding out information about the condominium complexes I am looking at, and knowing what information to trust.
Several of the places I am looking ...
2
votes
0answers
55 views
Canadian citizen living in Canada wants to gift a US property to a Canadian living in the US. What do I all need to know?
My uncle wants to gift a piece of property in the USA that apparently is worth about $8,000 to my sister and I. We are both Canadian citizens living in the US as permanent residents. Just curious ...
0
votes
2answers
117 views
How can I determine how much improvement (dollar value wise) I can put on an urban lot?
So, I'm in the position of considering where (within a given city/real-estate-market) I and my family want to build our next house (which will also be our first experience as homeowners -- we've lived ...
4
votes
1answer
185 views
Can I buy an overseas property using the bonus from a Lifetime ISA?
I have a Lifetime ISA but am looking to move overseas in the next few months. I am yet to buy any property and thus my first property purchase will most likely be overseas, can I use my Lifetime ISA ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
How will my 1031 boot be taxed?
In the USA I'm working on a 1031 exchange. I'm having trouble finding information on how a boot (if I take one) will be taxed.
I'm closing on my sale for $700k. I will have a capital gain of $550k.
I ...
