Tip of the Day 

If you are buying a home, do a walk through just before settlement and find that the property is not in the condition your contract requires, what can you do -- especially if you don't want settlement delayed, and you also don't want to be taken for a patsy? You can request that money be escrowed to cover the cost of the needed repair(s) such as fixing or replacing a dish washer that leaks when it's run, or a stove with a burner that won't heat. Alternatively, you can ask that you be paid an allowance at settlement to allow you to take care of the item(s) yourself. Either approach is inconvenient, but each can get the job done (with the seller paying to get things into the agreed condition) and get your family into their new "digs" in a timely fashion.