Real Estate Deeds Made Easy Since 1997 – Deeds.com
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With a revocable trust (a.k.a. living trust), a deed holder may keep full control and use of a home for life. The creator (grantor) makes the trust for a beneficiary. A named trustee — and a named successor trustee to…
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A County Takes On the Con Artists. Will Families Recover Their Houston Deeds?
Houston spans four counties. The most populous among them, Harris County, is dealing with a stunning rash of deed fraud. The county has filed court actions charging a slew of defendants over a wide-ranging scheme. Houston families are now hoping…
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My Parent Will Move Into Our In-Law Cottage. What Are Her Rights If My Spouse and I Divorce?
These days, more local governments are making way for deed holders to build in-law cottages, formally known as accessory dwelling units, as additions to the home or separate structures on the same lot as the main house. Many of…
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It’s the Perfect Home. Should I Include an Escalator in My Purchase Offer?
When you make an offer on that dream home, your agent might suggest using an escalator, also known as an escalation clause. When your written purchase offer has an escalation clause, it raises your purchase price by a certain amount…
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My Home Has Unpermitted Upgrades. Can I Transfer the Deed?
It’s a common situation. You did some DIY renovating. You didn’t realize you needed permits. Turns out, you did. Or perhaps the person who sold you the home was a DIY buff and did substantial upgrades without permission. What now?…
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Want to Buy a Bank-Owned Home? Behind the Scenes in an REO Deed Transfer
Real estate owned (REO) homes are properties that were taken back by mortgage lenders. A bank-owned home can be a good deal. These properties tend to be sold for below market value, as lenders don’t like to be stuck with…
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Deed Holder Rights: What to Do If a Neighbor Damages or Destroys Your Tree
Trees are some of the most beautiful, valuable, and cherished features a home could have. That said, trees can also become points of contention between deed holders. Especially if a tree is near the property’s boundary line, misunderstandings can easily…
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How the Beneficiary Claims a Transfer on Death Deed
A transfer on death deed is designed as a simpler way to pass a home along to someone else—in states that allow these deeds. With the TOD deed, a home passes much the way a bank account passes to the…
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Transfer Current Deed When Moving to Senior Care: Wise Move or Not?
You’re thinking of transferring the deed to your home and moving to an assisted living community. Is this a good idea? Can it keep the deed from being taken over to pay for care? Is it the best way to…
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Deed Holders’ Rights and the Rise of Flock Cameras
Flock cameras have become a controversial addition to neighborhoods across the country. They’ve been purchased by police, private and commercial property owners, campuses, and homeowners’ associations (HOAs). The Flock Safety corporation has been under increasing scrutiny over concerns about invasions…
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Mortgage Borrower: Is Someone Looking to Take Your Deed?
In a case that has received wide attention, an heir to a home in Queens got an email from the mortgage servicer. It was about an address change. When asked about the letter, the company said someone had paid off…
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This Week’s Big News for Deed Seekers: Fannie and Freddie Shift to VantageScore® in Loan Decisions
The price of stock in Fair Isaac, a.k.a. FICO®, just tanked. It happened after the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director announced a change in the way Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will consider an applicant’s credit scores. (The FHFA…
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Should I Buy a Home Now? Or Wait for Lower Mortgage Rates?
Remember when market watchers forecast mortgage rates under 6% this year? What happened? In the big picture, interest rates have been in a tug of war between the White House and the U.S. central bank. But at the end of…
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Inheriting a Mortgage Along With a Deed? A Few Considerations on How to Respond
More than 40% of baby boomers still have a mortgage on their home. The great generational deed transfer has begun, and many homes are about to be passed to the next generation. Can homes get through probate and be passed…
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Can a Life Estate Be Challenged?
Regular Deeds.com readers know that signing a gift deed to an adult child can have tax drawbacks. A life estate can be the answer. And it avoids any concerns that the deed will go into probate after death—perhaps to be…
