Apparently Rep. Charles Dingell of Michigan has announced plans introduce legislation that would eliminate the mortgage tax deduction for owners of "McMansions", homes over 3000 square feet. (See article here.) If you count the unfinished basement, MY house has over 3000 square feet. And a "McMansion" it ain't. It isn't any sort of mansion. It's a modest-sized two bedroom home. I can't imagine legislation like this could possibly fly. But it would be disasterous if it did. I can't ... Read More

Before I was a Realtor, I was a "realtor-wannabe." I was always the one volunteering to help friends (and sometimes total strangers) look for a new home. When somebody new moved into town, I was the "chamber of commerce" -- giving them tours, showing them neighborhoods, talking through their housing options. I loved doing that, and it's one of the reasons I hung up my "amateur" standing and became a professional Realtor. But one time I took it too far. ... Read More

A while back, a real estate agent's flyer showed up in my mailbox. In it, Mr. Agent announced that he would pay $300 to anyone who referred a client to him. Three hundred bucks. That's a lot of money -- enough to make anybody want to start combing through their mental Rolodex to find this guy a prospect or two. It's a pretty good deal for Mr. Agent, too. After all, $300 really isn't a lot of money to ... Read More

You've probably been reading the headlines about tumult in the mortgage industry. Nothing truly bad has happened to me (or to any of my clients), but we have had one close call. A lot of mortgage lenders are closing their doors, which gets kind of scary when you've got listings under contract and getting ready to close. It's not as bad as the newspapers would have you believe. But it is an unpleasant situation. I'd love to explain to you exactly ... Read More