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5 days ago | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: I inherited some vacant land out in the country from my uncle. A friend of one of the locals there made me an offer that is subject to a percolation test. I’m not familiar with that since I’ve always lived in the city. A: A percolation test (AKA a perc test) by definition, in its simplest form, is a test to measure the drainage capability of the soil on vacant land for the installation of a septic system. Sandy soil will drain better than clay soil.
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1 month ago | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: We accepted an offer on our home and after rereading the purchase agreement, I noticed that it states that we have to provide the buyers with a bill of sale for all personal property included in the sale at closing. We did an online search and it appears that our appliances, pool table and basement bar stools that we’re leaving would be considered personal property. We no longer have the receipts from when we bought them. What should we do?
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2 months ago | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: We have an accepted offer on our home and we have moved into our new condo. The buyers are relocating and their temporary housing has mold issues and they want to move into our house before closing and pay us rent. Is this something we should do? A: My opinion has never changed on this subject — don’t do it! There are many things that can go wrong. I have had previous conversations with attorneys and they don’t recommend it either.
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Feb 12, 2025 | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Real estate: Can I be forced to scrap my septic system and connect to the city sewer?
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
econote.it | Antonio Benforte |Steve Meyers
La storia di Alexander Supertramp, il cui vero nome era Christopher McCandless, è diventata famosa grazie al libro “Into the Wild” di Jon Krakauer e al successivo film omonimo diretto da Sean Penn. È una storia che affascina e commuove, ma anche controversa, che solleva interrogativi sul rapporto tra uomo e natura, sulla ricerca della libertà e sul significato della vita.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: We’re getting our house ready to sell. One concern we have is the furnace. It’s about 17 years old, but still working fine. Is its age going to be an issue when selling? We don’t want to spend $8,000 to $10,000 for a new furnace just to sell our house. What should we do? A: What I recommend to my sellers when I am listing their homes that have older furnaces is to have a licensed heating contractor come in to clean and check the furnace before listing it for sale.
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Dec 11, 2024 | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: We recently bought a house and then we received a letter in the mail stating that if we want a copy of the deed, we have to pay $75. With all the closing costs we paid, shouldn’t that be included? A: It’s a scam. Do not pay any person or company money to get a copy of the deed after closing. You’re correct. It is included in the closing costs. The original deed that was signed and notarized at closing has been sent to the county by the title company for recording.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: My wife and I have put an offer on a house that the sellers have owned for only seven months and have been transferred out of state. The sellers have offered us their home inspection report from when they bought the house seven months ago. We’re trying to be careful with our money and $450 seems like a good savings to spend on something else. What’s your thoughts on this? I could put the $450 towards a new snowblower. A: Heck no! Bad idea.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
dailytribune.com | Steve Meyers
Q: My wife and I have put an offer on a house that the sellers have owned for only seven months and have been transferred out of state. The sellers have offered us their home inspection report from when they bought the house seven months ago. Originally Published: November 14, 2024 at 6:03 AM EST
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Oct 6, 2024 | 
theoaklandpress.com | Steve Meyers
Q: Have you heard about Ann Arbor’s new HERD ordinance? A: The Home Energy Rating Disclosure (HERD) ordinance requires that a Home Energy Score (HES) assessment be conducted before an existing/used home is listed for sale with a real estate company or for sale by owner (ORDINANCE NO. ORD-23-26). The ordinance took effect on March 12, but the enforcement of HERD requirements began on Sept. 8. The city of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations manages the program.
