Tag: News

You Could Be the Fall Guy for Your Seller’s Lies

When clients deceptively skirt their responsibility to disclose property defects, it could spell trouble for you, too. When Kristen Martinez and her family bought a home in the Seattle area two years ago, she specifically asked about the electrical wiring. “We had been told [by the seller] when we bought the house that there was …

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Avoid Lawsuits From Negligent Referrals 

If you give clients a list of inspectors to contact, be sure all of those inspectors are qualified. Your buyer and the seller have a signed contract and now the inspection process begins. You tell your buyer she needs a general property inspection and her first question is, “Whom do you recommend?” It’s a good …

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How the 20% Business Income Deduction Applies to You

Changes stemming from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allow agents and brokers who earn income as independent contractors or from pass-through businesses to take a significant deduction on that income. One of the biggest wins for REALTORS® in last year’s tax reform bill is the new 20 percent business income deduction, also …

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Can You Change That Contract?

It’s easier than you’d expect to get tangled in the unauthorized practice of law. In a 2017 Wyoming case, a real estate agent was found to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law for merely removing inapplicable provisions of a state association’s form. As evidenced in this case, and depending on state law, even …

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Be Clear on Co-signing Perils

If it looks like a jointly held mortgage will be the answer to getting the transaction done, don’t sugarcoat the facts. Younger customers frequently look to parents or grandparents to help them get into a first home. As rising home prices and interest rates present even greater challenges for first-time buyers these days, you may …

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The Code That Grows

Global business and state laws are among the issues that our evolving Code of Ethics addresses. Our industry is changing. Technology brings new business models and the skill set of REALTORS® keeps evolving. You might be wondering where that leaves our venerable Code of Ethics. The National Association of REALTORS® adopted its Code of Ethics …

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Get your New Year Started off Right…

Call me Directly: Anthony DiDonatoABR, AHWD, RECS, SRES, SFRAssociate BrokerREALTOR®CENTURY 21 All-Elite Inc.3900 Edgmont Ave, Brookhaven, PA 19015Office Number: (610) 872-1600 Ext. 124 Cell Number: (610) 659-3999 {Smart Phones Click to Call} Direct Number: (610) 353-5366 {Smart Phones Click to Call} Fax: (610) 771-4480Email: anthony@anthonydidonato.com Licensed in PA, DE and NJ

Happy New Year

From our house to yours … HAPPY New Year..

Prepare for Common Legal Hurdles in Your Business

These are the hurdles agents most often face and how to stay in compliance while navigating a transaction. A Korean-American couple recently asked Brian Bartholomew to show them homes only in Korean neighborhoods. Bartholomew, a sales associate with RE/MAX Cornerstone in Brea, Calif., immediately saw the red flag. “I can’t steer you toward an area …

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Do You Know Who You Are Calling?

Your phone marketing strategy could land you in legal trouble. As a real estate professional, you’re constantly looking to grow your business. While picking up the phone to call potential clients and solicit new business may seem outdated in today’s digitized world, the reality is that the telephone still plays an important role in marketing. …

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Are You Using Tenant Screening Tools Legally?

Property managers must abide by strict rules when using common reports to determine the eligibility of prospective renters. Make sure you know what you can and can’t do with the information. When a rental application is under consideration, most property managers and landlords require a prospective tenant’s credit report, credit score, and, usually, a background …

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Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas for our house to yours.