Lydia Blair

Title Tip: TREC Changes The Rules Regarding Escrow Money

By CandysDirt.com Contributor / March 28, 2018 /

By Lydia Blair Special Contributor The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) recently updated the standard residential contracts to now address policies regarding deposits of earnest monies. These changes become mandatory May 15, 2018. On the first page of the newly updated Texas contracts, it states that “Within 3 days after the Effective Date, Buyer must deliver $___…

Title Tip: When Buying or Selling, How Do You Deal With an HOA?

By Joanna England / March 21, 2018 /

By Lydia Blair Special Contributor Dear Diary, OMG. My HOA is sooooo horrible. They’re, like, the worst ever. I mean, it’s like the mean girls of the school. I can’t even. They’re just trashing my entire experience. Like, totally! Turns out my condo isn’t warrantable. As if. And that rush fee they charged ate my…

Title Tip: Marital Status When Buying or Selling a Home

By CandysDirt.com Contributor / February 28, 2018 /

By Lydia Blair Special Contributor Your friendly title company representative wants to know if you’re married. How flattering, right? Not exactly. Asking about your marital status isn’t a come-on or a pick-up line. At least not when it comes to a real estate sale. When someone in a real estate transaction – either the buyer…

Title Tip: The Difference Between Titles and Deeds

By CandysDirt.com Contributor / February 14, 2018 /

By Lydia Blair Special Contributor Deeds and titles go together like love and marriage. But like love and marriage, they aren’t the same thing. A deed is not a title and a title is not a deed. Though they seem alike, deeds and titles serve different purposes. And in the real estate world, the references…

Title Tip: Solicitations And Scams After Buying a Home

By CandysDirt.com Contributor / February 7, 2018 /

By Lydia Blair Special Contributor After the paperwork has been signed and you’ve been handed the keys, there are plenty more expenses involved in moving into your new home — packing supplies, connecting utilities, hiring movers, new appliances or furnishings, etc. However, there are certain costs after buying a home that new homeowners should not…