DEAR BENNY: Friends of mine recently sold their home they owned for 22 years for $1.5 million; they paid about $500,000. They told me that they did not have to pay any capital gains tax, because their tax advisor claimed that they must have spent at least $1 million on improvements over the 20 years they owned it, although they did...

There are deals to be made in the current real estate market. Home buyers in many areas finally have the upper hand. Ironically, buyers tend to pull back when the market is soft and buy when the market is high.

Savvy investors attempt to buy when the market it low and sell when it's high. But, it's impossible to time the market, so there is...

(This is Part 2 of a five-part series. Read Part 1, "Lenders wise to beef up default-risk reserves.")

The first article in this series pointed to a serious weakness in the way the mortgage system deals...

We Americans have happily given our cars the run of the country, paving over a good 40 percent of our cities so they can roam unfettered, and generously ceded a big chunk of our hard-earned homes to keep them warm and dry. But apparently that's not enough. Now some interests are suggesting that, in order to keep our four-wheeled...

When you're ready to go shopping for building materials for your next home, you may not need to go any further than the nearest hay field. Straw-bale houses are becoming increasing popular and accepted in many areas of the West and Southwest, and this method of construction can offer an interesting alternative to conventional...

Q: I am purchasing a home with a seller-financed contract. The seller still has a mortgage through the bank. I received a notice in the mail addressed to the seller that he is behind in payments and to contact them to avoid foreclosure. I left him a phone message regarding this notice, but...

Q: I live in an apartment building where the landlord has washers and dryers in the common area for the tenants to use. Unfortunately, the machines (all of them!) are routinely broken. Can I withhold my rent? Can I deduct the cost if I have the machines repaired?

A: No, I would not suggest that you withhold rent....

Q: My husband wants to put my name on the deed to his house. Because he obtained the mortgage a long time before our marriage, we have been told by the mortgage company that the only way my name can be added is by refinancing. Is there any other way to add my name to the title? We are prepared to pay off the mortgage if -- and ...

Q: I've lived for years in a spacious studio apartment and now find it necessary to hire a live-in aide. I'd like to move to a two-bedroom, but I can't afford it. Can I expect my landlord to offer me the two-bedroom at the same rate I'm paying now, because I'm disabled? He's refusing, and he's also saying that having two people in my studio violates his occupancy policy. Do I...

Q: We are looking to consolidate our debt. Our mortgage lender turned us down for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), so what are our other options? We have been in our home for only 18 months so there is not much equity.

And, we have tried approval for other loans from the same lender but were denied. Should we...