Articles by J. Bradley Person

VRBO

Short term rentals are becoming more commonplace. If you plan on renting your own home, there are several things to consider.

Make sure you review any recorded covenants before you rent. Do they regulate rentals and how can rules be amended are issues that one should know before making an... continue reading »

Associations & VRBO

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 »

Mortgages and Leases During a Pandemic

There has been some legislation and much discussion about prohibiting evictions and/or foreclosures during this time of crisis. The press had reported how many people have been unable to make their payments as they can’t work outside the home. Preventing legal enforcement of lease or mortgage d... continue reading »

So you need a new roof?

A roof is just one example, but here’s a list of issues that I’ve been hired to fix over the years caused by homeowners hiring contractors that did not do as advertised. If you get a bid that is way lower than the rest, you should be on high alert and confirm things as described below before... continue reading »

The Costs of Litigation

I’ve been seeing too many cases lately where it’s clear that the opposing party did not understand the cost of litigation before it was too late. Before starting the legal process, talk to friends or other professionals or business owners you know to get a good referral. Even then, it’s no... continue reading »

Title Insurance

Misconceptions about title insurance keep popping up so I thought it would be a good time to clarify a few things.  First of all, if you do not purchase an owner’s policy, you have no protection even though you paid the premium for a lender’s policy.  Secondly, insurance will not cover ever... continue reading »

Tax Planning with Land Sales

Most people are aware of the basic rules regarding capital gains tax – in short, the gain is the difference between your acquisition cost and the sales price.  Like with most rules, there are several exceptions and that allows for some planning opportunities.

The homestead exemption is ... continue reading »

Contracts for Deed

We get many questions about contracts for deed and some people assume they are not as “good” as a traditional bank loan and mortgage. As with most legal issues, there are several issues or factors if comparing contract for deeds and mortgages.

For sellers, many clients love earning a g... continue reading »

Lake Access

This time of year we get a lot of calls regarding lake access.  The calls vary but here are a few issues that come up time and time again.  Many off-water lots have an easement across a lake lot for lake access. Unfortunately, many of these easements are quite old and vaguely worded.  Does the... continue reading »