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8 life stages of estate planningBy G.M. Filisko When you're 40, chances are you're not the same person you were at 20, and your estate plan should reflect the changes you've experienced. Here's a rundown of the estate-planning tools you should have if you're just beginning your life's journey, mi...

Technologies You Don't Know But Should KnowBy Ben KinneyThis was part of the presentation Ben Kinney presented at the 2009 Keller Williams Megacamp in Austin, TX in August 2009. It was a GREAT GREAT presentation introducing websites to help enhance business for real estate agents. This is part I:...

How to Challenge Your Property Tax Assessment If your property tax assessment is higher than it should be, there is something you can do about it. It might not be easy, however, as financially strapped local governments are in no hurry to reduce revenues.The procedure will vary by jurisdiction an...

So You Want to Be a Landlord? ARE YOU SURE? I have clients who regale me with stories about their fun experiences with tenants. Like the one who took everything that wasn't bolted down when he moved out. Carpeting, curtain rods, towel bars, the whole nine yards. In fact, he even took one thing th...

Help your child manage creditA new law makes your involvement more important than ever.By Jennifer Barrett In recent years college students could get credit cards almost as easily as they could score beer. Some 84% of undergrads have at least one card, a Sallie Mae study found, and half carry fou...

A Look Ahead To the Great ResettingBy Dina ElBoghdady Take a look around the corner.Millions of adjustable-rate mortgages are going to reset in the coming years, possibly to higher interest rates, creating the prospect of a new round of foreclosures.About 10 percent of all mortgages in this count...

12 must-do's for the first-time homebuyerBy Claes Bell Are you a first-time homebuyer eager to get into the market? Here are steps to take to help you decide whether you're ready to take the plunge.1. Check the selling prices' of comparable homes in your area. Web sites like Zillow and Homegain c...

Are Distressed Homes Worth It?By M.P. MCQUEENHome 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., ...

New FHA condo rules may hinder mortgages By Holden Lewis The Federal Housing Administration is getting ready to implement new rules that could, in some cases, make it harder to get a mortgage to buy a condominium unit. The new rules were supposed to take effect Oct. 1. But the FHA announced in mi...

More Than Half of Modified Loans Back in Default More than 50 percent of home owners whose loans were modified in the first six months of 2008 had fallen behind on their payments a year later, the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision said Wednesda...