Hello, I have a possibly interesting situation I hope someone can help me with. While this is technically to take effect in the Philippines, the legal contract can be typed up here in America and signed by me (purchaser) and the seller.

To keep it short, my wife and I (wife is from the Philippines but currently a US Citizen, but soon to become dual citizen with US and PHL) want to buy some land in the Philippines that is being sold for a great deal, but we aren't buying it outright in one payment. We have at least verbally agreed to make a large down payment up front, and then we will make monthly payments until it is paid off. At that point of payoff, the seller/landowner will sign over the title to my wife and by then she will be dual citizen as well so she can legally accept ownership of the land.

Now we just need the legal written documentation to bind this verbal agreement for legal purposes just in case the seller backs out or tries to take our money. Does anyone have any resources or suggestions as to where to find a template or perhaps the best way to protect our investment into buying this land from the owner? Thank you.

Some life things have happened and I am moving into a duplex that I have had rented out for the past 4 years. If I live in it for the next 2 years am I able to list that as my primary residence and then sell it and avoid long term income tax?

First of all, I'd like to explain my situation. My uncle bought a house in my brother's and my name. The reason for this is that our mother cannot financially support themselves long-term without asking for help, specifically from our uncle. He trusts that my brother and I can generate enough income from the property to support our mother.

I have no real estate knowledge, and my brother hasn't graduated high school yet, but the house is set to be built next month. I need to learn how to make this investment profitable soon. I'm looking for a general guideline or pathway, things to watch out for, management essentials—anything that can help. Thank you!

We're late 40s, we own a home in a quiet neighborhood with good schools where we raised our kids, but now that they’re grown, we’re ready to move to a livelier area closer to the beach, restaurants, activities, etc and don't need the multiple bedrooms and a yard, etc. The problem is, like many others, we refinanced a few years ago at a historically low rate, so selling our home and buying a new one would mean doubling or tripling our mortgage at today’s rates.

At the same time, we imagine there might be a young family living in the kind of area we want to move to, who also are stuck in a low interest rate and a small home, who might be looking for exactly the kind of home and neighborhood we have. Instead of selling and dealing with the current market, would it be possible to set up a mutual rental agreement where we swap homes and pay rent that covers each other’s mortgage, taxes, and insurance?

Has anyone done something like this, and what legal or logistical challenges should we expect? Are there other creative ways to make this kind of swap work? Is just finding the right people to rent to one another the hardest part or are there other pitfalls?

Potentially related, Is coming to r/realestate with this question akin to asking a large tiger what I should do with 30 lbs of fresh beef? Mahalo in advance

I bought a house for 35k cash just 3 months ago. The plan was to rehab it, maybe costing $10,000 to $15,000 over the summer. I own a similar house across the street that rents for $1100 and is valued at about $125,000. My only job now is rehabbing and rentals.

I was offered either 55k now or 65k with the terms of $3,500 down, carry the remaining for 5 years at 2.5% with payments to be $410 per month and the final payment will be $44,000. The total for the 5 year offer would be $71,695.

What would be a better deal, assuming I don't need the cash today?

My brother and I are looking to purchase a home together. This would be our first property. Our situations allows us to do this. I have over 750+ credit score. He’s at 690. I’m 20, I’ve got 3 years work experience with an income of $110,000 gross. $35,000 saved, $20,000 in Roth/401k. My brother makes $140,000 and has more or less $80,000 and 24 years old with years of same work experience.

I’m coming here to ask if this is a good idea or can anyone think of either A. Better Idea or B. How this can go south. The ideal scenario is we purchase a multi unit. Cram into one side and have the other side rented out. And hold hold hold, unless it appreciates very well and we sell in a few years. He’s a little hesitant though as he believes rates will drop within a few months of the new presidency. Though I believe by that time they’ll be too much competition to catch a good deal.

I’d like to mention a few things we live in Southern California, Riverside County. Our jobs are very stable, and there’s always work. I’m looking into jumping ships with a different company and raising my income from 110k to 125k. We have YET to get pre-qualified. We’re in the middle of sending over all documents to our loan officer now. We also have a trusted realtor who’s been working with my parents for years. If I need to clarify anything please feel free to reach out.

We are looking into buying a property in So Cal’s competitive market and a thought popped into my head. Would it be wiser to put as little money down and absorb the inflated mortgage payment in the short term in order to build an ADU on the property and reap the appreciation and rent benefits. We would be putting down around 3.5% down on a $650k home, payment will be around $5k/month and rent in the area for an ADU is around $2k. We have contractor connections in the family and can make the ADU relatively economical. Looking for advice and whether this is a good idea.

So me and my dad are buying a house together in Minnesota. We are using a real estate broker, and secured a mortgage for the house. We will be closing on the house in a few days. My dad said that he made arrangements to sign the paperwork with an attorney. Since we live in Georgia, he planned to do this closing process in georgia. However, I am currently in Minnesota. He says that I need to come back to Georgia to do it together. Is it possible with co-ownership that he signs his paperwork there, and I do my paperwork here with a notary/attorney. I have some holiday plans with friends, so I would prefer to stay in Minnesota to do this if I can.
Is it a must that both co-owners need to be together at closing on a house? Is it possible to do it separately on the same day? Would really appreciate any advice.

EDIT: Thank you all for the advice. I appreciate your insights. I will contact the lender first thing in the morning to see if they allow remote signing. It might be a little too late to get POA, so I might have to travel in case the other option does not work out.

Seeking advice on how to resolve a real estate issue in Florida. I made an offer on a house contingent on selling my current home (by the end of January), inspection, and appraisal. I listed my home on 12/12 and had several showings. On 12/17, the appraisal came back $50k lower than our offer. At the seller’s realtor’s request, I agreed to letting them submit additional comps to the appraiser for a second review. On 12/20, the "updated" appraisal was returned and the appraisal value remained unchanged.

I informed my realtor that I would only proceed if the seller lowered the price to match the appraised value. The seller refused, so on 12/21, I signed and submitted a cancellation request per the appraisal contingency to the seller's realtor. On 12/23, the seller’s realtor requested a second appraisal, which I declined, reiterating my offer to pay only the appraised value and requesting a response by 12/24. As of 12/25, the seller has neither signed the cancellation nor responded.

I've had to decline showing requests for my home since the original appraisal was completed on 12/17 and are concerned the seller may be delaying this process with my limited time frame to sell my home. I am also concerned that I may be potentially losing out on buyers of my home due to them delaying the signing the cancellation or responding to the offer. My contract includes a mediation clause for dispute resolution for EMD return as well as other disputes in the contract. Is there anything I can do before pursuing mediation to get the seller to sign the cancellation so I can get my EMD or give my realtor an answer to the offer at appraised value?

Thank you!

edit: oops forgot to finish the title :)

My mother in law proposed this to my wife and me: we buy her house in about 5 years and she builds (and pays for) a barndominium on the property (with city approval of course)… A little over 3 acres so sufficient land for privacy. We have several months to make a decision.

I’m seeking input from anyone who has been involved with a similar situation. The 5 year window allows us to save up and allows her to gain city approval and complete the build.

We currently own a condo (5 years into 30 year mortgage), and I think we could net 100k when selling. We make pretty decent money (~250k household annual gross) but have student loans and don’t want to be house poor. The in laws house is 750k but MIL says she could work with us to reduce interest -> this is my big question as to how that would truly work out on paper. She has a real estate focused lawyer who would get involved if we decide to pull the trigger, but I want outside opinions.

We would have transition time to move and sell when the time arrives so it’s not a hard and fast move out and in.

If the new build barndominium is approved, are there pros and cons of it becoming a new address versus remaining the same? She laid out the idea that one day we could potentially inherit the barndominium or buy it out. What about tax implications?

TLDR; in-laws proposed us to buy their house and they build on property, is this realistic and what are the pros and cons? Would love any feedback, thank you

My wife and I are considering moving abroad for a cheaper cost of living/better overall balance and quality of life to a country where I already have dual citizenship. My mother recently passed and I am the sole inheritor of her estate. The only debt my family carries is the mortgage on my primary residence with about 160k left on my mortgage and should I assume/refinance my mom's home, her outstanding mortgage somewhere to the tune of 180k remaining. The zestimate of both properties is over 300k as they are both in desirable, safe, high quality school neighborhoods. In addition to the estate, I was left enough money in a normal brokerage account that I could pay off either mortgage if I wanted and have over 100k remaining to keep invested. My primary residence is at a 3% 30 year fixed so I don't feel the need to pay it off. The inherited property is at 3% as well, but since it will not be my primary residence the mortgage company is telling me I would have to refinance to 7%. Monthly mortgage of both properties comes out to 1150 and 1500 respectively, (the inherited property pays home insurance through the mortgage company). I am in my early 30s and both these mortgages are fixed 30 years.

I do have sentimental reasons for wanting to keep both homes as one is our first home purchased and we frankly love it, and the other was my mom's home and it meant a great deal to her as her journey in life was not easy, but she was finally able to find peace and create a home that made her and my family feel good with many fond memories. That being said I am trying to get an objective take on whether it makes sense to rent these properties while we live abroad. We are not set on whether we intend to leave the u.s permanently, and so it would be nice to have a familiar home to return to should we wish it. The idea of extra USD income while we live abroad in a latin american country is also appealing as we both already work remotely and know the strength of the dollar in other nations.

Where I am on the fence is we would be living a country away with only our friends and current neighbors to keep an eye on the property. I have seen hit or miss stories regarding property management. Do any of you have experience with renting while living abroad in other countries? Given a similar situation, how would you go about renting the properties successfully if you leaned that way?

Hello again, thanks for everyone’s help again. Now how Do i find a good lender/ mortgage broker. Do I just find a property I like, get in contact with the Realtor and have them refer me to a lender and hope it’s reputable? What are the steps of finding a lender is the question.

My dad is going through a divorce and faces a potential situation where he would have to sell his house and give half to the Ex.

He’s offered to sell me the house for what he owes on it, which is just under $90k. It appraised early this year for $200k.

This is in the U.S. I understand each state has its own laws and regulations. Already doing research into it but her name is not on the title to the home. So theoretically if we got a loan to purchase, can he sell the home to us and it be a legal and valid sell with him facing whatever repercussions through the divorce?

I’ve only recently signed a lease with one other person, the lease ends in a few months. Me and this person have had a falling out now, we spoke about resigning the lease and they basically said they are interested in resigning and will not want to move out.

I’m not really sure on what to do, as I don’t want to have to be the one to move. My names primary on the lease (not sure if that means anything).

Just seeking some advice as I’m new to renting

What advice would you give to someone looking to buy a quad plex? What should I know before purchase?

I feel like townhouse is a transition to a SFH in the future and I don't feel like upgrading kitchen or floor or putting alot of furniture or decorations etc.. and windows are old too

I know i had to purchase townhome because we couldnt afford SFH at that time.

Now that I know we will move to SFH at some point I just keep thinking about how much I could sell this place for.. but at the same time I don't feel like putting much time/money/effort in upgrading this place unless major issues..

What are your thoughts?

I’m looking into four plexes in NY . I’m in contact with the NBKC bank and I’m talking to people about it. Is that a good start to helping me find a property and to help me really do everything? I’ve heard a lot of great things about them and it’s looking promising for the most part.

Or do i have to find someone else to talk with about this? like a real estate agent, etc. and if so How do I even start looking for one?

I’m just looking for a Step by Step guide on where to start from scratch, thanks guys.

So, for context, I'm a co2025 college student in May and I'll be working in tech in NYC starting in July 2025.

My dad, after I had secured a job offer last summer, had wanted to buy a home in the NYC area with me and him as co-signers. We didn't really talk about the details during the fall since I was in college, but now that I'm back from break, we had a discussion and I basically told him that putting my name on a house at 22 would be a bad idea (e.g. debt, disqualification from first-home buyer benefits, restrictions in moving, lack of long-term residency plans, etc.) if I would even be able to qualify as a co-signer. During the conversation, I think I was able to convince him that me owning a home at this point would not be good, so we have arrived at the following compromise that I am OK with:

He would own 100% of the home and cover the entire downpayment and closing costs of the home in the NYC area. While I am in NYC (probably for at least 1-2 years), I would essentially be his tenant and pay him rent. There is a slight personal inconvenience that I have with this in terms how far it could be from my office in Manhattan, but let's act like this isn't a dealbreaker (which it isn't). Overall, I wanted to get people's advice on whether this would be a good financial decision for my father.

My father is near retirement (he's in his young 60s), and I would say with almost certainty that his current job is his last. He has 2 real estate properties outside our primary home that he's each held for around 10 years and each have appreciated about 100% in that point. Combining this with his investments and retirement savings, I fairly certain that he could retire today if he wanted to. We do have an outstanding mortgage on our primary home, but he has said that he could pay it off now (and the only thing he's waiting for is to put his kids name on the deed, although I've advised him to put the home on a living trust instead).

Anyways my main question is whether this is a good decision financially? He's arguing to buy for 2 reasons: 1) the house will build equity and grow in value over time so it's a safe and good investment and 2) by renting out to me initially, we're keeping money "in the family" and not making another "landlord get rich" and 3) this relates to 2, but we'll only have to rent out the property so the home we'll basically be paying for itself.

Now my concerns:

1. He's already close to retirement. Real estate has been historically a good investment, but housing prices could still not appreciate enough depending on the area you buy in for you to ultimately benefit from the purchase. In other words, there's risk involved, and I'm wondering if the risk is worth it for him and the short-term debt he'll incur. We also have 2 other properties that are already doing well. Does he really need to make another large financial commitment at this stage?
2. Unfamiliarity with the NYC real estate market. Our current properties are in the Boston area, so we're much more experienced with that market. If buying a house is a good decision, I am wondering why he is restricting himself to NYC, considering that he would have be a long-distance landlord and he's not that familiar with NYC (he's been in the city several times in his life for short periods because of family and etc. but he's never lived in NYC for months or even a year).

If he wants to buy another property so badly, I have suggested to also look in and near Boston, but he seems set on NYC because I'm going to be there. In other words, is point 2 all that relevant? I'm kind of wary about the reasoning because you could make that argument for any good ("you're making someone else rich") plus rent is going to the mortgage payment whether he is the landlord or someone else, which is ultimately going to the bank.

Note that this isn't a situation where I can't afford rent. Yes, NY is expensive, but I will be fortunate enough to afford rent whether daddy buys a property or not.

Fiancé and I are looking into home buying. She's a few years older, and her mother passed giving her a large sum of money and her credit score is like, in the middle 700s. My credit is in the mid 600s, I don't have a lot in the bank but I am getting a bonus at work for a few thousand. I don't feel ready and slightly pressured, but I know she wants to do this and stop renting. She seems flexible and said she's willing to do the mortgage by herself but I feel bad doing that bc I want to not put responsibility on her. Is this a good idea or are we over our head?

Edit thank you all for the comments/advice. I talked to her about it, not a whole lot but wr did. She told me we can see if we're approved, what rates we get, all that. She doesn't want to rent and if I need to pay her rent then that's fine. She said she loves me and in this for the long haul. I know divorce happens unexpectedly and I'm going to be realistic. I will see what happens and if I can't do it, I'm not doing it. But if she can and does get a house, I'm going where she goes. I appreciate everyone!!

Now that you bought your house. What are somethings you overlooked that you wish you known before or overlooked? Or what would you have done differently?

Is it possible to sell a house and use a reverse mortgage to spread out the income/gains received from selling it? Is there an easier way to spread out those payments? Or can they not be spread out, and you just owe taxes based on the selling price all in the year of the sale?

Location is northeastern USA.

Hi there!

Reaching out to see if anyone is familiar or has purchased a home from Lakeshore Development. Their website is pretty sparse. I've gone into see a few of the new homes they've recently built in Marion Oaks, FL - they're beautiful and within our price range - but Im anxious to move forward as I can't find much information on them.

We're looking for turn key. I've read terrible things about Pulte Homes (they're a big new builder here in FL as well) - of course, after finding a home and loving it. But I'm someone who likes to do my research before taking the next step... because private home inspections aren't something I take lightly.

Also - I guess I'm making a big deal out of everything because we'd be first time home buyers, and I just don't want to buy a new home, only to have to dump in another $100k to fix a bunch of stuff that should've been taken care of before we moved in.

Thanks again in advance for your help!

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask or not.

A family member owned some property. When they passed it was supposed to go to several family members and was to include me.

The executers (?) put the property in a Trust. I have no idea who is in the trust or even when the trust was made. I think it was after the individual passed, but I really don't know.

I have asked the executer for a copy of the trust. They said they would send me a copy. That was three months ago and so far nothing.

Is there anyway to find out which people are in the trust if the executer is not communicating anything?

The property is not big nor worth a lot of money. But I need to know how I'll be affected for taxes, liability and so on.

The property is in Pennsylvania and is rented out periodically to vacationers.

My small development has 2 entrances and I can use either to get to my house. Part of my property includes a shared driveway between my and the next house. I don't use this driveway to get to my house, it's just at one end of my property and I own half of it. Occasionally, my neighbor abuses the easement and has her guests park on my side of the driveway. I either tell him to move the cars or I call the cops and they move. How does this affect the marketability of my house if I wish to sell? And is my title clouded because of this?

I’m in the inspection period for a condo I’m purchasing for my mom to live in. This was probably my bad for not noticing during the initial negotiation, but the a/c is 20 years old (2005 Ruud) and the water heater is 11 (2014 Reliance). They were both working fine for the inspection. I know home warranties get a pretty bad rap, but in this case do you think it would be prudent to ask for one? For some reason I feel like sellers are more likely to agree to warranties than cash. Thank you for your time!

My elderly uncle has entered a care home, and it looks certain he will be there for the rest of his life. He has no spouse or children.

His house has a reverse mortgage on it. Can I pay off the reverse mortgage (it's at HUD now) and assume ownership? I guess I'd count as an heir, being one of only three blood relatives alive. My mother has POA for him.

I get emails about a lot of NNN properties on sale priced at $1M+ typically in 6% CAP rate. With the interest rate where they are, down payment, any vacancies/unforeseen events and taxes, how does this investment give you above market rate (Some banks give 4.5% interest)? Is there something that I am failing to understand.

It’s my first time buying a home. Didn’t use a realtor. Found a home, an inspector and hired a lawyer to draft up the contract. The seller approved our contract and wants to go closing process and I have a few questions on how to approach the next things:

1. Should I get a basic or enhance title insurance policy?

2. There were a few things the inspector policy called out. Some cosmetic but others such as closing a gap outside on a addition they added to the house, replacing a part within a washing machine that has mold, and a slow tub that building up water when showering and looks like draino is not working and needs a plumber to snake it

3. We are going with their title company, how do I go about splitting some of the fees with the seller?

As my wife and I approach retirement, we find ourselves evaluating our living options and could use your insights. Currently, we reside in Tampa, FL, but we have real estate opportunities in Baldwin County, Alabama, and Pensacola, FL. We’re also considering the Jasper Highlands area in TN for a change of scenery and climate.

From our research, Alabama appears to be the most affordable option, with property taxes being the second lowest in the nation, just behind Hawaii. Our Pensacola property is also relatively affordable since we financed our condo before the pandemic when prices were still reasonable. However, if we pay off our Alabama home, our combined insurance and property taxes would be around $600 a month. On the other hand, living in Pensacola Beach would cost us about $1,800 per month, while Jasper Highlands is estimated to be around $800 a month.

One of the main reasons we are considering Jasper Highlands is to escape the prolonged humidity prevalent in the lower Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama. We would love to enjoy more seasonal weather in the higher elevations.

If any of you have experience or insights regarding living in Baldwin County, Pensacola, or Jasper Highlands, we would greatly appreciate your thoughts or suggestions. Any advice on the pros and cons of these areas—cost of living, climate, community, and lifestyle—would be incredibly helpful as we plan this new chapter.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

I figured this would be the placeto go ..I know when you buy and finance a property that the down payment needs to be in an account priorr to the process..Do ROTH AND other IRAS that are eligible for withdrawals qualify the same as if it was parked in checking or savings ? thx