Columnists

Oct 12, 2014

Ex wasn’t as handy as homeowner had hoped

DEAR BENNY: I purchased a handyman special home back 2009. I paid $9,500 for the house and the gentleman I was dating paid closing costs of $1,600. Our intention was […]

Oct 11, 2014

Regulators silent while pyramids collapsed

DEAR MR. BERKO: Almost 10 years ago, my folks invested $145,000 in a high-yield certificate of deposit offered by Allen Stanford, and lost it all. My dad was so upset […]

Oct 7, 2014

Downstream neighbor seeks relief from deluge

DEAR BENNY: We have lived in our single-family home for 13 years, and our neighbors to our north have lived here many more years. This spring new construction was completed […]

Oct 7, 2014

Don’t expect SeaWorld stock to resurface anytime soon

DEAR MR. BERKO: SeaWorld’s stock crashed from $30 to $20 in one day because of lower revenues and earnings. My broker thinks this is a good buying opportunity. He believes […]

Oct 5, 2014

Home declines 80%; should he walk away?

DEAR BENNY: In December 2006, my wife and I purchased an older home for $199,000. It had appraised for $215,000. Six years later, I had it reappraised, as I contested […]

Oct 4, 2014

Broker’s advice on long-term stock merits a steak

DEAR MR. BERKO: I’m considering the purchase of 500 shares of TECO Energy because I’m attracted to its 5 percent payout and its potential growth in prosperous Florida. But my […]

Oct 3, 2014

Teens: American dream includes homeownership

In recent years, there have been many surveys of prospective homebuyers showing their attitudes toward owning a home. But I’ve never seen a survey of teenagers revealing their views of […]

Oct 1, 2014

Check with lender before rebuilding

DEAR BENNY: My husband and I own a rental property which was insured for $287,000.  The last tenant recently moved out, we spiffed it up with new paint, etc., and […]

Sep 30, 2014

‘Better Living’ slogan doesn’t apply to stockholders

DEAR MR. BERKO: In 1996, my father passed away, and one of the three stocks I inherited was E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. At that time, my 110 […]

Sep 27, 2014

Mind your p’s and q’s when setting up LLC

DEAR BENNY: I own a four-unit property and it is in the name of my limited liability company. I am concerned about personal liability in case one of my tenants […]

Sep 26, 2014

When life hands you lemons, throw a party

DEAR MR. BERKO: In early March 2012, I asked you about a maturing $30,000 certificate of deposit in my individual retirement account. I was thinking about putting it in a […]

Sep 25, 2014

US not prepared for housing needs of older adults

Our housing industry is progressing nicely in most respects – but not in satisfying the growing demand from our rising numbers of seniors. The U.S. is not prepared to accommodate […]

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