One of the most common issues which common interest community (“CIC”) managers, boards and residents have to deal with these days is what to do – or not do – about units which are leased by the owners. CIC rentals can …
Tips and Traps for Dealing with Rentals in Common Interest Communities Read more »
“Life in a homeowners association is always interesting.” So began my
The news this week on the housing front was not good at all. Despite amazingly low mortgage interest rates, sales of previously occupied homes fell last month to the lowest level in 15 years . Even more ominous, another news story …
The residential landlord-tenant relationship in Minnesota is heavily regulated, and oftentimes in favor of tenants. Still, this most recent legislative session resulted in an unusually large number of changes to Minnesota’s landlord-tenant statutes, many of which have important implications for …
Many real estate investors in the current market are focusing on properties in foreclosure. Many of these properties are rental properties which were lost by prior investor-owners when the interest rates on the adjustable rate mortgages which financed their investment …
I work with a number of contractors in my practice, especially in the area of filing and foreclosing mechanics lien claims. Mechanics lien laws were created in order to ensure that laborers and materialmen were paid for the improvements made …
Unjust Enrichment Claims: “Plan B” for Unperfected Mechanics Lien Claims Read more »
We are in the midst of severe weather season here in Minnesota. In the past month, my own home narrowly missed out on damaging wind and hail not once, but twice. Had I not been so fortunate, repairing my storm …
Storm Damage, and the Pitfalls of Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor Read more »
I’ve written before about the Obama Administration’s “Making Home Affordable” program and what I saw as its inherent flaws. What I did not know at the time the program was introduced, however, was how much frustration would be caused to homeowners seeking …
The Making Home Affordable Program is a Joke: A Personal Testimonial Read more »
With the end of the latest version of the homebuyer tax credits and the rise in interest rates (stemming from the Federal Reserve’s cessation of purchasing mortgaged-backed securities), many in the real estate industry are in wait-and-see mode when it …
What Caused the Housing Boom and Bust? A Timeline of Events Read more »
Eminent domain refers to the power possessed by the state over all property within the state, specifically its power to appropriate property for a public use. The proceeding by which a government unit exercises its eminent domain power is …
Eminent Domain and the Problem With Short-Term Thinking Read more »