Holding Title to A Condo

With condominiums becoming increasingly popular among today's homebuyers, it is a good time to clarify the terms of ownership that seem to confuse many people. Condo-type residences most commonly fall into two categories - condominiums and townhouses. A condominium is usually a multi-story structure. Each owner-resident has a deed of ownership for his own unit and owns the space within the unit, but not the land under the structure. Therefore, condo units can be stacked vertically. Condo owners share title to the common areas of the development, including land, exterior of buildings, hallways, roofs and swimming pools -- all areas used by all occupants. Each owner pays property taxes on their unit. Also, a monthly fee is paid to the homeowners' association that is used for managing and maintaining all common areas. A townhouse, or town home community is usually a series of single- or two-story housing units, each linked to each other horizontally by common walls. Each owner hold title to their unit and the land beneath it, thus these units cannot be stacked vertically. Typically, a townhouse unit will be a two-story residence, with the living area downstairs and bedrooms upstairs. Common areas belonging to the townhouse development are owned jointly. Each townhouse owner pays property taxes and association fees. For more information about buying or selling a condo or townhome call me today at 919-303-3588.

How Easements Affect Your Land

It is extremely important to discover whether there are easements on undeveloped land you are thinking about buying. An easement is the legal right to use another person's land for a specific, acknowledged purpose. Easements can significantly affect your development and use of the property. A typical easement might permit the use of a dirt fire road that cuts through both the neighbor's property and your land. The road provides access to both properties, and your neighbor has to drive through yours to get to his. The house you build has to be situated ten to fifteen feet away from this access road. If the road cuts through the middle of the lot, you might have difficulty finding room for the house you want to build. Consult with your real estate agent, an attorney or a title researcher for accurate information about the easements. When making an offer on undeveloped land with an easement issue, be sure to include a contingency that you must approve of any existing easements, or the offer is null and void.

Assuming a Mortgage

You may be able to assume the seller's mortgage liability when buying a house instead of having to apply for a new loan.Assuming a loan could minimize your down payment or closing costs and get you a more advantageous interest rate. To know whether an assumption will work, find out the loan balance. If the balance is a small fraction of the purchase price, you will have to come up with a large down payment or get a second loan for the difference, unless the seller is willing to provide some of the financing. If the loan balance is high, the loan may have been made when interest rates were higher than they are today. Most newer loans that are assumable have adjustable rates. If you are considering an assumption because of credit problems, you will need the lender's approval to make the transaction work.