The Rails to Trails program has been a popular program nationwide. Many communities enjoy the conversion of unused rail road tracks into walking and biking trails. However, few people are aware that much of the land used for those trails was privately owned before the...
Michiganders might be interested in a recent article by a retired probate judge who offers advice on some of the most common estate planning mistakes people should avoid when preparing for their families' futures. In this particular article he discusses the use of...
Analysts estimate that over the next few years, about 6 million more homes will fall into foreclosure. While this is certainly not good news for the properties themselves, it also means that many of those homeowners will become renters. The rental market has been...
Many homeowners are familiar with the offers they get in the mail advertising mortgage relief or refinancing programs. Some of the offers seem too good to be true, and a recent action by the Federal Trade Commission suggests that they are not true.One of the companies...
As discussed in last week's post, what happens to your debt when you die depends on a number of factors, including the type of debt it is, whether it is secured debt, such s a home or vehicle, and the name on the title of the property securing the debt. If you live in...
New housing data indicates that short sales are become more and more common as an alternative to possible foreclosure. A short sale occurs when a property owner sells for less than the amount owed on their mortgages. A short sale may enable a property owner to...
Landlords and tenants typically argue over issues like a broken air conditioner or past due rent or other easily anticipated elements of occupying a rental property. A family in New Jersey recently filed a complaint against their landlord for a very unusual reason....
An English manor-style home built in 1915 is back on the market in Detroit for the first time in more than 30 years. The historic home, known as Stone Hedge, is a rare glimpse in to life in Detroit just after the turn of the century. The lavish home is over 9,000...
Being named as the sole beneficiary of a relative's estate may not be what it once was with so many properties upside down and the nation's credit card debt at record levels. What do you do if you are willed a house in which the mortgage owed is more than the value of...
It is hard enough losing a parent, but to have the state come after your inheritance afterwards can make an already difficult time that much more traumatic. That is what is happening to one Michigan family who is learning that their mother's will doesn't matter to the...
