Tenants judge a home's reliability on the viewing day. An AC unit that rattles, a water heater that takes too long or a lock that sticks raises a simple question: what else will fail after move-in? Before listing your apartment or villa, have the AC serviced and test the water he
Rent negotiations often happen in quick calls and messages, which makes details easy to lose. Once you decide to make an offer, set it out in writing: the rent amount, the number of payments, the start date, the lease length and any conditions, such as servicing the AC or repainting a room before you move in. Ask the landlord or broker to confirm acceptance of the same terms in writing before you pay anything. Example: you agree verbally on 4 payments, but the draft contract arrives showing 2. With a written offer and acceptance, you can point to the agr
Before you pay a deposit on a resale home, confirm who owns it, whether it carries a mortgage and who has the authority to sign. The ownership document should name the seller as their ID does. If a bank holds a mortgage over the home, the sale needs a clear plan for releasing it at transfer. If someone signs for the owner, their authority must be documented. Ask to see the ownership document and the seller's ID, and ask your agent how any mortgage will be cleared on transfer day. Where a representative acts, request the power of attorney and confirm it c
