Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery is the founder of PropBox, the first advertising platform to bring home sellers and buyers directly together to negotiate online. He offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Follow him on Twitter at @dearmonty or DearMonty.com

Should We Give a Real Estate Agent a Bad Review?

Have an unsavory experience with a real estate agent? Find out what you can do.

Home September 25, 2023
How Real Is Real Estate Identity Theft?

Dear Monty: I submitted a land combination form to the county government. I want to combine two adjoining ...

Home September 19, 2023
Keep a Notebook of Verbal Conversations

Dear Monty: I worked with an agent to sell and purchase a home. I found a home; however, ...

Home September 12, 2023
Rent to Own in the New Economy

Dear Monty: We want a rent-to-own agreement on a house we jointly own with my husband's mother. The ...

Home September 5, 2023
Four Potential Solutions for Occupancy Problems

Dear Monty: We just lost the home we wanted. We have been looking for over a year, and ...

Home August 22, 2023
The Five-Year Rule

Dear Monty: I am writing to tell you my story. Please share it in your column to warn ...

Home August 15, 2023
How to Conduct a FSBO Open House

Dear Monty: How do we conduct a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) open house? We are first-time home sellers. A friend ...

Home August 8, 2023
Four Steps for Every First-Time Home Seller

Dear Monty: We have outgrown our first home. I searched for "the best way to sell my house" ...

Home August 1, 2023
Internet Navigation Help for Real Estate

Dear Monty: My wife and I are new to computers and the internet. We are interested in all ...

Home July 25, 2023
Negotiation Is the Important Key

Being informed is the best tool you can use during negotiations. Knowledge about the home's condition, the range ...

Home July 18, 2023
My Home Appraised Much Higher Than the Purchase Price

Dear Monty: I just bought my first home. I discovered at the closing that it was appraised for ...

Home July 11, 2023
Is The Theory Behind MLS Still Valid?

Dear Monty: My neighbors are trying to sell their home. They have used two different agents and have ...

Home July 4, 2023
Agent Wants to Show My FSBO Home

Dear Monty: My house is for sale by owner. I want to avoid paying commission. I got a ...

Home June 27, 2023
Can a Homebuyer Who Waived a Home Inspection Sue?

Dear Monty: We lived in our first home for about three years and sold it almost two years ...

Home June 20, 2023
Helping an Aging Parent and Investing in Real Estate

Dear Monty: We plan to build an addition to our current home. Our home is ranch style with ...

Home June 13, 2023
Six Steps to Take Before Offering to Buy a Home

Dear Monty: We are first-time home buyers. We didn't plan on buying a home for several years. We ...

Home June 6, 2023
Five Invisible Events That Can Cost Home Sellers a Bundle

Dear Monty: We recently sold our home. We were planning on using an agent we knew. He worked ...

Home May 30, 2023
Selling and Buying a Home Today Is Easy

Dear Monty: We recently closed on our new home. We were pre-approved, and we shopped online for many ...

Home May 23, 2023
Seven Steps to Sell Your Home Faster for More Money

Dear Monty: Our home has been on the market for a month. We have a sign in the ...

Home May 16, 2023
The IRS Rule That Most Home Sellers Don’t Know

Dear Monty: We recently sold our home. We have prepared and filed our tax returns in the past. ...

Home May 9, 2023
Three Steps to Research Acquiring Adjoining Property

Dear Monty: In the back of my neighborhood is an abandoned school. It was purchased recently, with a ...

Home May 2, 2023
The Top Home-Showing Suggestions

Dear Monty: We will soon sell our first home. It is well-maintained. We have a good handle on ...

Home April 25, 2023
Are Home Purchase Preapproval Letters Helpful?

Dear Monty: We have a showing scheduled next week for a home. The seller's agent is asking for ...

Home April 18, 2023
Two Accepted Offers on the Same House… What?

Dear Monty: Our offer was accepted after the first buyer backed out because they didn't like the inspection ...

Home April 11, 2023
How to Decide to Accept an Offer

Dear Monty: We were selling our home and listed it with a real estate agent we know. We ...

Home April 4, 2023
Four Options to Correct Seller Being Caught in a Lie

Dear Monty: We have an offer on our house. There are several contingencies, one of which is a ...

Home March 28, 2023
When First Jumping Into Rental Real Estate—Be Very Careful

Dear Monty: I want to buy my first rental property with my husband. We plan on purchasing with ...

Home March 14, 2023