It's also possible your lender might require roof repair before OK'ing a mortgage loan. Again depending on the provisions of your contract, that might give you an out with no money lost. A lawyer can read the contract and tell you where you stand.
FILL IN THE POOL
Dear Ms. Lank: I have a home with a 30-year-old in-ground vinyl pool. Will it be easier to sell the home by filling in the pool, or should I leave the pool as it is? It is in good working condition. -- E-mail
Answer: If you're in the inner city and the pool takes up the whole backyard of an inexpensive property, it will be hard to find a buyer. If you're in an expensive suburb where almost everyone has a pool, buyers will be expecting it.
Those are the easy ones. It's probably not as simple as that, or you wouldn't be writing me. Your best bet is to call several local real estate agents (look at for-sale signs in your neighborhood) and ask for some free advice.
TITLE SEARCH IN KENTUCKY
Dear Edith: Title search: Can I do this myself for a piece of land in Kentucky? -- H.
Answer: The legal history of that parcel of land can be found by an examination of the public records in that Kentucky county. In theory, you could do it yourself because anyone is entitled to search the records. For some counties, a certain amount of information is available on the Internet. I can't say, though, how much you could really find out long distance.
If you're just interested in knowing who owns the property now, that county's tax records are also open to the public. If you want to know whether there are liens against the land, you might be able to find out something if -- again – the records are available on the Internet. But if you're basing a binding financial decision on the information, by all means get a professional to search in the county where the land is located.