house

The basketball gods were smiling on Trenton Hassell when the Dallas Mavericks acquired the 6-foot-5-inch swingman from the Minnesota Timberwolves last September. After all, Dallas still had Dirk Nowitzki and much of the nucleus that took them to the 2006 NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the eternally struggling T-Wolves had just dealt their lone superstar, Kevin Garnett, to the Boston Read more...

If you're planning to buy a home in the next 10 months, you may be eager to take advantage of the federal government's latest effort to jump-start the nation's moribund housing markets: A tax credit of up to $7,500 for certain homebuyers. The credit may appear to be an attractive opportunity, but you should be sure you read the fine print before you elect to claim it on your federal tax Read more...

Dear Tax Talk, I currently own a house and I'm paying the mortgage payment. I wanted to buy another house for my retired parents to live in. Both houses are going to be in my wife's and my name. My question is, will I be able to claim the interest deductions on both houses, since my parents are not paying any rent or mortgage payment?--Stanley Dear Stanley, Home mortgage interest Read more...

If you stand to cash in big when you sell your home it's important to remember that every dollar spent on home improvements, remodeling and renovations can mean a dollar off your federal tax bill when that day comes. That's because money spent on capital improvements is subtracted from your profit -- if and when you sell -- and thereby reduces the amount you may have to pay as long Read more...

The telephone rings in the house of a woman of a certain age. On the other end of the line she hears heavy breathing. "Is this an obscene call?" she asks. "Yes," says a deep voice on the other end. "Well, just a minute, please. Don't hang up. I'm going to get my cigarettes and a cup of coffee." - - - - -  Read more...

A young man goes to a girl's house for the first time, and she shows him into the living room. She then excuses herself to go fix them a couple of drinks. As he's standing looking around the room, he notices a cute little vase on the mantel. He picks it up, and as he's looking at it, she walks back in. "What's this?" he asks. "Oh, my father's ashes are in there," Read more...

Two young boys are talking about their families. One says to the other, "At our house, my grandmother gets downstairs by sliding down the banister." "Wow!" exclaims the other boy. "I'm surprised she doesn't hurt herself." "My father worries about that, too, so he's told her not to. But she's obstinate and keeps on doing it." "So what Read more...

A guy sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a mutt sitting there. "You talk?" he asks. "Yep," the mutt replies. "So, what's your story?" The mutt looks up and says, "Well, I discovered this gift pretty Read more...