Image Source: www.macgamesflow.com
Many attorneys who limit their practice to estate planning are values-based, relationship-driven, client-centered and counseling-oriented. And the good ones are willing to work together with other professionals on your behalf. They understand that thorough estate planning involves more than just legal advice. The key is to find those attorneys who meet this description.

So where do you find these rare creatures? How do you know if you’re dealing with the right kind of attorney? The right kind of attorney will have an orientation toward relationship-building and counseling rather than mere document preparation. The first thing he or she will offer is the ability to listen carefully to not only your goals – but also your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for yourself and your loved ones. The attorney will carry on a sensitive dialogue that will enable you to make clear your wishes to maintain control over your affairs, to be cared for properly in the event of a disability and to provide meaningfully for your loved ones after you are gone.

New York City, the plushest state in the US, has once again made the headlines; and this one’s no different than the previous ones.

Homes were 28% more expensive than the earlier reports and the results? Sales plummeted to about 22%. Unbelievably, the typical price of houses in Manhattan sky rockets to $1.6 million and obviously, the average Joe can’t afford it. More so with co-ops and condominiums as they rose to about 96% with the average cost being $2.1 million.

New Yorkers both have mixed emotions about it. They wouldn’t know if they should feel happy that the market value of their houses are increasing per annum, or quite worried as to how will it be in the future.

Photo taken from http://propertysmarty.com

Naturally, when you buy something in the market (no, I’m not referring to the grocery store near you, but the bigger market), it’s called an investment. When you’re investing on something, it actually calls for luck since it only has two to ways to go: up or down. Just like the stocks, real estate can be unpredictable. The prices and market values five years ago may not be the same as what is today.

Nevertheless, however stumping the economy of the country is, real estate will never fall rock-bottom. Why? Well, there’s what we call government intervention. The government does its best to revive the economy, proposing different kinds of Bills and switching targets, for things to get better.

Alison Rogers, a real estate broker, implied in her published letter that, of all the types of people she hates, the fence-sitters are included in her top 10. Fence-sitters are those who wait for the market value of something to plummet 50% (or below) than its original. Sadly, these people do not know what that entails and I am pretty sure they won’t get their houses anyway since this will never happen (not in their lifetime!).

Photo taken from http://www.duplexman.com

What does homeowner’s insurance cover?
Homeowner’s policies are designed to provide financial protection in the event of damage to your home, such as fire or water damage. Your policy will also protect your personal property, such as furniture that is damaged as a result of a fire, or the theft of electronic equipment. In addition you will be protected from liability as a result of homeownership, such as a visitor who slips on your icy steps and breaks an arm.

The standard homeowner’s policy covers the following:

• The physical structure of your home, permanent structures on your property, and your personal property.
• Personal liability exposures that arise from being a homeowner.
• Additional costs that you may incur as a result of a covered loss, such as a fire in your home that makes it uninhabitable.

The homeowner’s policy that you purchase determines which perils you are insured against. Most homeowner’s policies are written under the HO-3 contract form. Form numbers are standardized, so if you purchase HO-3 insurance, you’ll get the same coverage regardless of your insurance provider. The HO-3 contract form provides coverage for the following:

• Broad coverage for your dwelling. Damage to your dwelling from most causes is covered unless it is specifically excluded.
• Damage to your personal property for “named perils” only. Your personal property is covered only against the perils specified in the contract.
• Limited coverage for jewelry that is stolen. Coverage is usually $500 to $2,000, depending on your state of residence. Most policies don’t cover jewelry that is lost.

Source

Before you purchase a condominium policy, check with your condominium association to make sure you’re buying the insurance you need.

• Find out what parts of the interior are covered by your condo association’s insurance and what items are your responsibility. Then make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover repairing or replacing the items for which you are responsible.
• The contents of your condominium are not insured under the association’s master condominium policy. So, estimate the cost to replace your contents and buy insurance for that amount.
• Your association’s master condominium policy does not provide any liability coverage for your unit or your personal exposures. So, make sure you purchase adequate liability insurance, usually $300,000 to $500,000 or more, depending on your situation.
• If your association has insufficient funds, you may be assessed a proportionate share to pay for damage to your building and other situations. Check to see whether the condominium insurance you purchase covers these assessments. You may wish to buy Loss Assessment Coverage, which is available in amounts of $5,000, $10,000 or more.

Source

As a condominium owner, one needs to insure not only their personal possessions in the condo, but also any built in units such as cabinets, fixtures, appliances and shelves. In addition to covering the personal property, a condo owner also needs liability coverage. The liability portion of the policy would cover injures or damage to people or property that the condo owner would be liable for.

Below is a checklist of the top four questions to consider when choosing a condominium insurance policy:

1. What are your ownership and insurance responsibilities in the condo association’s Master Deed (the insurance requirements the association expects from you)?

2. Does the policy you are considering include broad water damage coverage for problems such as sewer and drain back-ups?

3. Does your condo association provide comprehensive or blanket coverage to protect you against other condo owners who may not have adequate coverage?

4. Do you have expensive personal items such as jewelry or furs that you may need additional personal property coverage for?

Source

The lease-purchase offers homeownership opportunities to consumers with little cash and/or poor credit, who are prepared to bet on themselves. The bet is that before the option period expires, they will qualify for the mortgage they need to exercise the purchase option. During the option period, they have the opportunity to rebuild their credit and accumulate equity while living in the house.

The development of the sub-prime market, in which consumers with poor credit or no cash can obtain loans, does not seem to have lessened interest in lease-purchase. It is very likely that those who succeed in exercising their option under a lease-purchase do better than if they had financed a conventional purchase in the sub-prime market. The savings in finance costs will more than offset a higher price on the house. But those who can’t exercise their option will lose their bets.

Consumers who need to rebuild their credit rating during the option period should understand that paying their rent on time won’t do it. Rent payment information is not used in compiling credit scores. While Fair Isaac, the company that developed credit scoring, has recently unveiled an “expansion” score based on “non-traditional credit data,” it does not yet include rent payment information from individual home owners. Lease-purchase buyers who need a higher credit score must focus on their credit cards and loans.

Even though it is costly, the right not to exercise the option is of value to buyers. If there is something seriously wrong with the house, neighborhood, or neighbors, the money left behind on a lease-purchase is much smaller than the cost of an outright purchase followed by a sale.

Source

Houses, condominiums, townhouses… if you think these are only your options in deciding which one to , then I’m telling you that you’re missing something else. Co-ops are not really that popular since they’re hard to find, but when you see one, make sure that you check it out.

If you’re not familiar with how co-ops work, it’s basically the same as having a condominium unit of your own. The only difference is that, you are not the only owner of your unit—the owner of the building owns it too. If this sounds ridiculous to you, then better hear this: if you’re staying in a co-op, you don’t have to pay for taxes anymore. The owner of the building does that for you (as he/she pays for the whole building’s taxes).

Photo taken from http://www.oldsalford.co.uk