Articles by J. Bradley Person

Home Construction (Part 1)

With an improving economy we are seeing more home construction.  Many contracts for new construction or remodeling are very hard to enforce if things go wrong.  The following is a list of things you should understand as a homeowner.

The first issue is pretty simple, a written contract sh... continue reading »

Why Do I Need to Go Through Probate?

This is a question we often hear after a title company or realtor warns a client that they can’t close until they go through probate.  The basic answer is that a dead person can’t sign a deed.  That’s pretty obvious but I will give you several examples where people often think they will n... 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 »

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 »

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 »

Who Should Hold Title to Your Lake Cabin?

Past articles have discussed the advantages of having your cabin in trust so that you avoid probate.  Other articles have talked about why you should hold title in a cabin trust if the cabin is shared by multiple families.  A more recent issue, however, is that many people now rent out the cabi... 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 »

Problems with Title Insurance

Most buyers simply order title insurance from whatever company is recommended by their realtor or banker.  They then pay for this insurance at closing without any understanding or explanation of what the insurance covers or more importantly, doesn’t cover.

Our firm owns both Quality and... continue reading »