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Welcome to The Real Estate Wiki Community!

Hello and welcome to our community! Get quick answers to real estate questions and learn about the ins-and-outs of buying, selling and owning a home.

The Real Estate Wiki is a privately funded, non-profit venture with no special allegiance to any company or advertiser. We exist solely as a free resource for exchanging and engaging in the real estate community.

We created this real estate encyclopedia to delve deeper into the complex world of real estate and become a resource to those hard-to-answer, industry-specific questions that sites like Wikipedia can't.

Please stop by and take a look around at what's going on; we've got over 19 thousand entries and growing. Whether you want to contribute or browse, check out your largest real estate encyclopedia!

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Blog Posts

What Are Property Taxes?

Category - Home Buying Questions - Insurances & Taxes FAQ's

Property taxes are considered ad valorem taxes and, therefore, are driven by the value of one’s property - the more valuable the property, the higher the tax and vice versa. Property taxes represent the largest source of income in the

United States for local governments. Schools, parks, recreation areas, fire and police stations, local welfare programs, street maintenance, public libraries and public hospitals among… Continue

Posted by DJ Swanepoel on December 3, 2008 at 1:58am

What Are Exchanges And How Do They Work?

Category - Home Buying Questions - Insurances & Taxes FAQ's

Under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031, if an investor exchanges property instead of selling it, payment of the capital gain may be deferred. The property must be of “like kind,” meaning real estate is exchanged for real estate of equal value.

Sometimes, additional money or personal property is given to make up the difference between the values of the exchanged property. This money or personal… Continue

Posted by DJ Swanepoel on December 3, 2008 at 1:57am

Is Flood Insurance Required?

Category - Home Buying Questions - Insurances & Taxes FAQ's

Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters, except for fires. Most communities in the

United States experience some degree of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes, or winter snow thaws. Often homeowners are victims of natural disasters involving floods and devastated by their lack of flood insurance, because most homeowner insurance policies do not cover… Continue

Posted by DJ Swanepoel on December 3, 2008 at 1:56am

How Is Title Insurance Priced?

Category - Home Buying Questions - Insurances & Taxes FAQ's

Title insurance is typically priced at 0.5% of the purchase price. Title insurance rates vary from state to state and market to market. In some states, the fees are set by the AGENT, and are market competitive - they may be negotiated by the Agent. In other states, the rates are regulated by the state's Department of Insurance and the fees may not be negotiated - higher or lower than the regulated fees. In both cases,… Continue

Posted by DJ Swanepoel on December 3, 2008 at 1:42am

How Does Title Insurance Work And How Am I Covered?

Homeowners must remember that Title Insurance, as opposed to any other type of insurance, protects the policy holder for problems that occurred in the past only. Essentially, the coverage ends when the homeowner purchases the property and respective title insurance.

Title insurance is meant to protect the new property owner from any past claims on the title but it does not protect the policy holder from any new liens placed on the property after the date of the policy.… Continue

Posted by DJ Swanepoel on December 3, 2008 at 1:41am