Articles Categorized as Real Estate

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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 »

The Role of the Association Board

In recent articles for this column, we have talked about the benefits of owning a home in an Association community. We have also talked about the overall framework for the operation and governance of an Association. In today’s article, we outline the role and responsibilities of an Association... continue reading »

Tips for Zoning Permits

Before you build or even before you purchase the lot, if possible, confirm if any variances, conditional use permits or other zoning approvals are required.  If you fail to do that, you will be stuck applying for an after-the-fact variance or other approvals and it’s always easier to ask for p... continue reading »

Legal Zoom

Years ago, people were stuck with lawyers when drafting a will or other common legal documents as they really had no alternative.  In the internet era, on the other hand, you can find a form for just about anything.  I’ve had many people bring in forms randomly found on the internet or paid f... continue reading »

Buying Land to Develop

I’ve been getting lots of calls lately regarding how to plat or develop land.  That’s a good sign for our economy but the best time to ask questions about development is before you purchase the land.  Here are some things to consider:

Zoning – Your best resource is the local zoning... continue reading »

Hunting Land

As deer season is upon us I thought it would be a good time to review title to your land.  It’s pretty common for several buddies or family members to buy some land together and then share ownership and use to make hunting more affordable.  It’s a lot more fun to hunt when you can enjoy wit... continue reading »

Boundary Issues

Many legal disputes arise from trees, fences, structures, docks, driveways, along your lot lines.  The best advice within this article might be to introduce yourself to your neighbor as soon as you can since getting along with neighbors makes any legal issue easier to solve.  Even if neighbors ... continue reading »