Question (CA): I need to find a Realtor in Fort Worth, Texas that speaks Spanish. Can you please help me find some one?

Answer: We suggest you call or email the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) at (800) 964-5373 or at this website. Most, if not all, of the Fort Worth area NAHREP members are also Realtors. However, interestingly enough, not all members of NAHREP are fluent in Spanish and English, so make sure you specify the languages required.

Question (FL): I am not a citizen of the USA, but I intend to buy a not too expensive condo, single-family house, or land in a warm state. What are my tax issues as a nonresident of the USA when I decide to sell my property in a couple of years?

Answer: First, we suggest you access Realty Times.com. In the upper left of the first page displayed, enter the words "FIRPTA" (without the quotes). There will probably be six articles displayed (including an Ask George & Chuck article), and all six contain meaningful advice and tips on just this subject.

Second, we suggest you read the IRS document dealing with the Foreign Investment Real Property Tax Act ("FIRPTA"), as well as IRS Publications 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities and 519, U. S. Tax Guide for Aliens for additional information.

Third, we suggest that you hire an attorney or CPA who is fully familiar with FIRPTA, as well as other issues that may present themselves to a nonresident alien purchasing U.S. property, and all of its reporting requirements.

Question (MA): I am buying a home in Texas without the help of a Realtor. Can you recommend a Home Inspector in the San Antonio area? I am in Massachusetts, and not from that area. A list or referral would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer: We suggest you reconsider and use a Realtor, or other licensed, trained professional, unless you yourself possess training in the field of real estate and are thoroughly familiar with the San Antonio market. By far the majority of questions we receive in this column are questions from real estate consumers who "thought" it made sense to save a few bucks in commissions or fees only to discover that the path to "do-it-yourself-real-estate-activities" is indeed a slippery slope. There are just too many things that can go wrong.

That said, we suggest that you use your favorite search engine (we used Google.com) and enter "San Antonio+Texas+Home Inspections" without the quotes, in its search bar.

Question (PA): We have listed our house due to relocation out of state. We have only owned the house for 2 years and paid $155,000 for it. The house was recently appraised at $148,000. We owe $150,000. We are unable to pay the closing costs, especially the 6 percent broker fee without draining our savings. Is there any assistance to sellers as regards paying the closing costs? We have a buyer for the price of $148,000.

Answer: That is a tough one. Usually, it is the other way around, with the buyer seeking assistance from the seller to help out or to entirely pay the closing costs. We suggest you consider the following:

1. Ask the employer causing your relocation to help out in the payment of the Realtor's fee;

2. Many employers, especially those that actively relocate employees, help not only with closing costs associated with selling, but also closing costs associated with buying the replacement home, as well as moving costs;

3. Theoretically, you are moving to a "better" job -- either in salary, life-style, or both. Investing in yourselves -- despite the fact that it depletes your savings, is the best way to demonstrate you believe in your family's values.

Published: September 26, 2006

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

George Stephens, CRB is the Broker of ERA Stephens Properties. He is licensed as a mortgage broker in Texas, and a real estate broker in Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts. Charles J. Jacobus, JD is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Residential and Commercial Real Estate Law, and the author of Texas Real Estate Law, and Texas Real Estate, both published by Thomson Publishing. He also teaches at Champions School of Real Estate, Houston Community College, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. To send us a question visit AskGeorge.net and click the "Ask A Question" button. The answers to questions in this column do not contain legal advice. George and Chuck are co-authors of Texas Real Estate Brokerage and Law of Agency, published by Thomson Publishing. If you wish to obtain legal advice, you should consult your own attorney.