Real Estate Leases

What comes to mind when we think of a lease agreement is often that first apartment we rented after high school or college. The first lease that I signed was a lengthy document on legal-sized paper with single-spaced paragraphs in small font. It contained words such as ‘term’, ‘security dep... continue reading »

Associations

Associations are a common way to own land in Lakes Country for a couple different reasons.  Probably the most common example is to address senior living arrangements where owners want to still own their own home but avoid lawn maintenance and other headaches of single family home ownership.  Th... continue reading »

Rental Property

With an improving economy people are again looking at buying rentals as another source of investment income.  Although I personally like the added control of owning and managing your own investment, there are some things to consider:

Get a security deposit.  It’s common to have some ne... continue reading »

Building on the Lake

There are many potential issues for building on a lake.  Most people understand that there are setback rules for lot lines, roads and lakes.  As to lakes, the distances vary depending on the lake classification.  Even when you know your classification, the setback is not from the water’s edg... continue reading »

Manufactured Homes and Fixtures

When you own real estate you also own any fixtures attached thereto.  In general, a fixture is something permanently affixed to the land.  A structure attached to a foundation, for example, or within a house, cabinets or fixtures that would require tools to remove from the walls, would generall... continue reading »

Torrens vs. Abstract Title

In Minnesota, your land is either torrens or abstract title.  Torrens or registered title is identified on your deed by having a T before the document number and often the deed will reference Torrens specifically.  If your land is Torrens, your land was officially registered through a court pro... continue reading »