Dear Dave, I’m 20 years old, and I’m planning to buy a home in the next year. Besides having a 20 percent down payment, what other tips do you have for a first-time home buyer? Also, is there anything I need to guard against when it comes to buying a house? —Jacob Dear Jacob, I’m…

Dear Monty: We are going to buy our first home this year. We are investigating using an agent or buying directly from a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO). Some friends have used agents, while others have not. We want more information on the contingencies we may require. Do you have a checklist of contingencies to use in purchase…

British Columbia has become the first province to require a three-day cooling-off period for buyers after they’ve signed an agreement to purchase a home. The new homebuyer protection period is designed to give purchasers more time to arrange financing or home inspections after a deal has been accepted, details that the provincial government has said…

Dear Monty: We have been looking to buy our first home. It is discouraging to listen to the media. The headlines are about high interest rates, little inventory, the bubble theory and high demand. Our issues are closer to home with the agents. With sales shrinking, one would think they would make more of an…

Dear Monty: We went to look at a home that was for sale by the owner. When we arrived, the owner greeted us at the door and asked to see my driver’s license. I was surprised, but I complied. My wife and I are wondering if this practice is something new. We saw a home…

Bank of America (BoA) announced a new trial program that will offer first-time minority homebuyers mortgages that will not require down payments, closing cost mortgages, or minimum credit score checks, it said in a statement on Aug. 30. Minority activist groups have called these long-standing criterions obstacles to minority homeownership. The bank has yet to disclose…

You bought the biggest house they said you could qualify for, taking advantage of low rates and creative financing. Who knew you could afford such a great home? But now, several years later, your low-interest rate has disappeared and the adjustable-rate mortgage that seemed like a good idea keeps pushing your payments higher. Or perhaps…

By Michaelle Bond The Philadelphia Inquirer The woman had just bought a house an investor flipped in Montgomery County. She skipped a home inspection to compete against other buyers and, a couple months ago, she asked inspector Ben Poles to take a look. As part of his usual examination, Poles, who owns Rest Assured Inspections in…

Dear Monty: We are going to sell our home soon. In preparing the house, we are interviewing real estate agents to learn more about them and how they work. We want to have a home inspection before putting the house on the market. All three agents we interviewed discouraged us. The reasons differed, but one…

DEAR MONTY: I am selling my home through an agent, and I verbally agreed to a price from a guy who lowballed by over half the asking price. The guy is nitpicking everything and taking forever, so I have signed no papers. Now I have another offer through a personal friend. I want to know…