Ask David

Land lease vs. Life lease, Offer two deposits?

Dear David, What’s the difference between a “land lease” and a “life lease”? – LEASED OF MY WORRIES DEAR LEASED: In a typical freehold home purchase, you’re buying a house and the land it sits on. In a “land lease” or “life lease”, the land belongs to someone else. In a land lease, you own

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Help for First time Buyers, Selling a rural property

Dear David, We’re ready to start looking for our first home. We want to purchase in next 3 to 6 months. We have a 5 percent down payment saved but are not sure where to go from here. – NEW TO THE MARKET DEAR MARKET: Congratulations on your decision to buy a home. Getting a

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Cancelled listing, Retirement options

Dear David, We’ve had our eye on a particular listing for weeks. We made three good offers, all of which were rejected. Now the home has been taken off the market. Can the seller even do that? It seems like they had no intention of selling in the first place. – BEWILDERED BUYER DEAR BEWILDERED:

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Paying commission, Cancelling a listing

Dear David, In a recent column dealing with “no commission” real estate companies, you noted a great number of these sales involve a Realtor negotiating for the buyer, and that the homeowner would still have to pay commission to the buyer’s Realtor. As a seller, how do I justify paying the buyer’s Realtor for the

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