LEGAL VS EQUITABLE INTEREST IN REAL ESTATE
The way you purchase a property can have long-lasting impacts on your ownership of said property. It is important to completely understand the titles involved in the purchase or insurance …
PARTITION OF REAL ESTATE
A partition is a term used in the law of real property to describe an act, by a court order or otherwise, to divide up a concurrent estate into separate …
MISSOURI TAX SALES
How Property Tax Sales Work in Missouri Under Missouri law, when you don’t pay your property taxes, the county collector is permitted to sell your home at a tax sale …
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone (i.e., detached) single-family home. ADUs go by many different names …
ALIENATION
In property law, alienation is the voluntary act of an owner of some property disposing of the property, while alienable is the capacity for a piece of property or a …
8 SIGNS IT IS TIME TO WALK AWAY FROM A HOME PURCHASE
Sign No. 1: The inspection turns up something majorly wrong Sure, you might cringe at some of the current owner’s wallpaper choices. But cosmetic issues are relatively easy to fix …
6 SIGNS YOU ARE NOT READY TO MOVE IN TOGETHER
1. You’re using it as a way to gauge your relationship’s strength. Moving in together shouldn’t be a litmus test for whether your relationship is on sound foundation. It should …
REALTOR FIDUCIARY DUTIES
Fiduciary Duties A real estate broker who becomes an agent of a seller or buyer, either intentionally through the execution of a written agreement, or unintentionally by a course of …
TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED
TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED (TODD) Planning for what happens to your home after your death can be difficult. Transfer on death deeds provide a simple, cheap way to make sure …
‘DEPRECIATION RECAPTURE’ AND SELLING REAL ESTATE
While the tax consequences of the sale of real estate should not drive the decision to sell or hold a property, there are important issues to consider in order to …
23 REASONS WHY IT IS BETTER TO RENT THAN BUY
Homeownership has long been considered the culmination of a person’s adult life, a moment when they’ve finally achieved the American Dream. However, more and more Americans are foregoing the 30-year …
REAL ESTATE FRAUD
Guide to Fighting Real Estate Deed Fraud I. The Problem As real estate owners and industry professionals, we understand the importance of regular maintenance, property insurance, and other routine tasks …
MISSOURI CERTIFICATION OF TRUST
Certification of trust. 456.10-1013. 1. Instead of furnishing a copy of the trust instrument to a person other than a beneficiary, the trustee may furnish to the person a certification …
MISSOURI SMALL ESTATE AFFIDAVIT
How to Handle a Small Estate in Missouri If you’re wrapping up the estate of a Missouri resident who died with an estate that’s worth less than a certain dollar …
EVICTION VS. UNLAWFUL DETAINER
This article gives a short overview of evictions (unlawful detainers) from a landlord’s perspective. When you, the landlord, need to evict a tenant, you may not use self-help measures to …
BENEFITS OF OWNING A HOME
Homeownership is a rite of passage many of us dream of. Owning a home means putting down roots and having a space that is truly yours. It’s a significant moment …
TAX INCREMENT FINANCING
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Tax increment financing, or TIF, subsidizes companies by refunding or diverting a portion of their taxes to help finance development in an area or (less frequently) …
THE FAIR HOUSING ACT
Everyone who applies for housing has the right to be treated the same. The Fair Housing Act was created with the goal of advising landlords, lenders, buyers, and renters …
DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROPERTY CO-OWNERSHIP
When two or more individuals own property — whether it’s a condominium, a home, or a piece of land — the relationship between the owners is very important. The form …