Inspecting a property when buying a house can be both exciting and overwhelming. You might get so focused on cosmetic details, like a high-end kitchen counter, that you overlook minor warning signs of significant defects. Typically, you can count on your real estate...
Real Estate Law
Protect your commercial space and get the right tenants
You have a property that you'd like to lease out. It's a commercial property, and it has many rooms and areas that would be great for offices, small businesses and other kinds of arrangements. You seek a tenant or tenants who are good for business. You want to make...
Mechanics Liens Process for Contractors and Subcontractors
Mechanic's liens provide contractors and subcontractors with a means of collecting payment for construction work and supplies. The lien allows you to eventually take possession of property upon which you completed work for which you were not paid. In order to use this...
Balloon Mortgage — Low Payments, Until the Loan Bursts
Stanzer Knox refinanced his home in 2006 with a 30-year $185,000 mortgage - or so he thought. Mr. Knox soon discovered that he had agreed to pay the mortgage on his Minnesota home within the 30-year period, but he had 40 years' worth of payments to make. At the...
The Legal Ramifications of Concealing Defects in Real Property
You may have heard of the phrase caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. In the context of American real estate law, this means that the burden is upon the buyer of real property to ensure it is free of defects before agreeing to purchase it. This concept finds its...
Understanding Property Easements
Simply put, an easement is a vested right of someone other than the property owner to use the property in some limited capacity. Unlike a license, the property owner cannot simply revoke an easement when it is no longer convenient. Instead, an easement is a titled...
Contentious Issues in Commercial Property Disputes
Most people think of landlord-tenant disputes as simple and straightforward. While that may be true in the residential context - where most such disputes involve rental payments - the landlord-tenant dynamic can be quite complicated in the realm of commercial...
Should You Finance Your Buyer’s Real Estate Transaction?
Seller financing occurs when a seller helps to finance a real estate sale. It is usually used when the buyer has trouble meeting the purchase price or can't otherwise qualify for a conventional loan. This process is different from a traditional loan, because the...
This Land Is My Land
Nothing ruins the happiness and peacefulness of your home faster than a dispute with your neighbor. You are reminded about the conflict every time you set foot out the door. One of the most common types of neighbor disputes involves disagreement over the boundaries of...
Common Causes of Real Estate Disputes
Real estate disputes lead to big, expensive problems. Whether you are an individual purchasing your dream home or a Minnesota business entering into a commercial real estate lease, some of the most common real estate disputes can be avoided with protection from...