THE CONSUMER REVIEW FAIRNESS ACT
Consumer Review Fairness Act: What Businesses Need to Know The Consumer Review Fairness Act protects consumers ability to share their honest opinions about a business products, services, or conduct in …
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 …
REALTORS UNDER SCRUTINY FOR HIDDEN COMMISSIONS
Another potential blow has been struck against the longstanding way in which real-estate agents get paid. In April, the Department of Justice wrote to CoreLogic, a real-estate software provider. …
REASONS TO OBTAIN TITLE INSURANCE
BUYING A HOME IS AN EXCITING AND EMOTIONAL TIME FOR MANY PEOPLE. TO HELP YOU BUY YOUR HOME WITH MORE CONFIDENCE, MAKE SURE YOU GET OWNER?S TITLE INSURANCE. HERE?S WHY …
ELEMENTS OF A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
ELEMENTS OF A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS Once you have found the house that you want to buy, its time to make an offer. Once the seller …
SHOULD YOU SELL YOUR PARENTS HOME AFTER THEY LEAVE?
If your parent owns a house, one of the decisions you need to make now is whether or not to hang on to the house or go ahead and sell …
MELLENNIALS AND REAL ESTATE
Whether you’re a real estate agent or broker, it’s hard to deny that millennials ? those born in the years between 1982 and 2004 ? continue become the largest group …
MECHANICS LIENS IN MISSOURI
Drafting a mechanic’s lien and ?notice of intent? (?429.100) involves crucial steps that can be harmful to your case if overlooked. Whether you forgot to verify the ?just and true …
BEST AREAS TO INVEST FOR REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION
The question is not why, but WHERE to invest in real estate. When choosing the location of a rental property, a real estate investor puts a number of factors as …
DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS IN MISSOURI
You are thinking of moving, and want to put your Missouri home on the market. Most states have legislation that would require home sellers to give an extensive written disclosure …
WHAT IS A QUIT CLAIM DEED? – Kansas City Real Estate Law & Deeds Online Video Caonsultations and Legal Services Help
General Warranty Deed Vs Quitclaim Deed To understand what a quitclaim deed is, its useful first to understand general warranty deeds. A general warranty deed is the most common …
2019 REAL ESTATE FORECAST
There’s no doubt about it: the 2018 housing market has seen its ups and downs. The year started with sky-high home prices, historically low mortgage rates and a definitive upper …
20 REASONS TO INVEST IN REAL ESTATE
#1: 90% of millionaires have become a millionaire as a result of owning real estate. It adds substantially to your net worth. INVEST IN REAL ESTATE #2: Entrepreneurs have a …
THE NIGHTMARE OF WORKING WITH MORTGAGE COMPANY ON RESTRUCTURING LOAN
With an eviction looming, Karen Pettit, a disabled 52 year old Slidell, Louisiana woman documents her frustrating experiences and obstacles faced when trying to find promised relief and governmental assistance …
JUDICIAL VS. NON-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE IN MISSOURI
MISSOURI Conveyance is by warranty deed. Deeds of trust are the customary security instruments and allow private power of sale. The trustee must be named in the deed of trust …
ROY COHN’S INFLUENCE ON DONALD TRUMP
They came together by chance one night at Le Club, a hangout for Manhattans rich and famous. Trump introduced himself to Cohn, who was sitting at a nearby table, and …
IS AN ATTORNEY REQUIRED FOR A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION?
The process of buying or selling your home is quite complex, so you are fortunate to have a real estate professional to guide you through some of the process. However, …
5 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR HOME TO YOUR CHILDREN TAX FREE
5 Ways to Give Your Home to Your Children Tax-Free Before the days of estate taxes, children simply moved into the family home and took over the master bedroom after …
2019 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRENDS
18 Commercial Real Estate Trends To Dominate In 2019 National December 11, 2018 Champaign Williams, National Editor Want to get a jump-start on upcoming deals? Meet the major players at …
HOW MILLENNIALS ARE CHANGING REAL ESTATE
I remember buying my first home with my wife. I will never forget the feeling of walking in together for the first time as homeowners. It was a defining moment …
HOW TO USE REAL ESTATE ASSIGNMENT CONTRACTS FOR INVESTING
Visualize a real estate purchase contract with just a few extra words added to your name as the buyer. This would look something like this: “Buyer: John J. Doe, and/or …
WHY YOU SHOULD SELL YOUR HOME IN 2019
Homeowners looking to sell should consider 2019 a prime opportunity to cash in. Few people are predicting that 2019 will be a record-breaking year for home prices. But relatively speaking, …
WHAT THE FED’S RATE HIKE WILL MEAN FOR AMERICA’S WAVERING HOUSING MARKET
What the Fed’s rate hike will mean for America’s wavering housing market As 2018 winds to a close, the housing market has shown signs of a slowdown, and now the …
OUR OFFICE SERVES THE FOLLOWING MISSOURI COUNTIES IN THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA
Jackson County, Clay County, Platte County and Ray County and the communities of Kansas City, North Kansas City, Raytown, Grandview, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Independence, Richmond, Liberty, Excelsior …
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR HOME’S ASSESSED VALUE AND MARKET VALUE?
What’s the Difference Between Your Home’s Market and Assessed Value? Understanding your home’s value is an important part of knowing your net worth, what you’ll likely receive if you sell …
THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE WITH FEWER AGENTS
The Future of Real Estate ? With Fewer Agents? Here’s a look at potential changes to how consumers shop for a home and close a deal. The Future of Real …
HOUSING; THEN, NOW, FUTURE
Housing: Then, Now, and Future by Moya K. Mason Houses have changed a lot over the last three hundred years. Availability of construction materials, development of indoor plumbing and heating …
THE TRUTH ABOUOT REAL ESTATE PRICES
The Truth About Real Estate Prices By Lisa Smith October 25, 2017 ? 6:24 AM EDT The layman’s theory of real estate goes something like this: The Pilgrims arrived. They …
DIVORCE AND FINANCES
Financial Stability After Divorce While Millennials have proven to be a boon for the marriage statistics, this sentiment cannot be echoed for the over fifties. Baby Boomers experienced a 109% …
THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOU ARE A FOREIGNER AND YOU ARE BUYING OR SELLING PROPERTY IN THE UNITED STATES
Foreigner Selling Property in USA If there is ever a market that is always soaring and nothing dissuades it except a natural or human catastrophe, then it is the ever …
CAN NON US CITIZENS OWN REAL ESTATE IN THE UNITED STATES?
Can Non-citizens Own Land or Property? Regulation of land ownership rights for non-U.S. citizens is generally reserved to the states. But generally speaking, aliens and non-nationals are allowed to …
CAN A NON US CITIZEN GET A MORTGAGE IN THE UNITED STATES?
Can a non-U.S. citizen get a mortgage in the U.S.? The short answer is yes. “You do not have to be a citizen of the United States to purchase real …
IS THE REAL ESTATE MARKET GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION?
If you’re a real estate agent, odds are you haven’t been closing as many deals lately. A slowdown in new construction and a short supply of existing homes for sale …
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FSBO PROCESS
FSBO means for sale by owner. When you sell a home, one of your first decisions is whether to FSBO (for sale by owner, pronounced fizz-bo) or hire an agent. …
ELDERLY AND REAL ESTATE FRAUD
As the economy continues to flail, many people ? including caregivers and the elderly ? are looking for ways to get ahead on finances ? or in many cases, just …
TOP 10 ISSUES EFFECTING REAL ESTATE
1. Interest Rates & The Economy For years the market has anticipated rising interest rates. With the Federal Reserve now nudging rates upward, flattening of the yield curve is underway. …
HAPPY VETERANS DAY
The United States Congress adopted a resolution on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue annual proclamations calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies.[2] A …
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS
If you?ve entered into a contract to purchase a home, your transaction won’t be final until closing. Most buyers have many questions about the process, including: What is closing? Closing …
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI FORECLOSURE LAW
Missouri The first thing to understand about mortgages in Missouri is that Missouri uses ?deeds of trust? to record property ownership. A deed of trust is a document (filed in …
REAL ESTATE AND SCAMMERS
Scams targeting real estate transactions are on the rise, according to the FBI. Experts say there are many simple ways that consumers and real estate professionals can protect themselves and …
REAL ESTATE AND MONEY LAUNDERING
If Michael Wolff’s reporting is to be believed, Stephen K. Bannon’s assessment of the most dangerous threat posed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation is not the one …
MEDICAID AND REAL ESTATE
June 2015 A person can apply for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care or care in the home when the countable, available resources have been reduced to $2,000 plus …
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Commercial Real Estate Developers in the 19th Century Most New York schoolchildren learn that the island of Manhattan was bought by Peter Minuit of the Dutch West India Company from …
USA MEDIAN HOME VALUE 1940-2000
If you want to buy a house this year, you may well be paying around $199,200, the median price for a home in the U.S., according to Zillow. That number …
REAL ESTATE AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS
Agency relationships with clients versus non-agency relationships with customers Relationship: Conventionally, the broker provides a conventional full-service, commission-based brokerage relationship under a signed listing agreement with a seller or a …
HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE AND FAMILY SAFE WHEN SELLING FSBO
In the real estate world, FSBO means ?For Sale by Owner? which means the sellers are not using the services of a real estate agent to sell their property. While …
12 PHOTOGRAPHY MISTAKES IN REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
Aside from getting the address right, listing photographs are the most important part of the home sale listing. A study conducted by Michael Seiler of Old Dominion University stated that …
20 QUESTIONS HOME BUYERS SHOULD ASK WHEN CONSIDERING A HOME PURCHASE
Here are 20 questions any home buyer should ask when considering a home purchase – 1. What year was the house built? If you’re not sure, you can look at …
FSBO LUXURY HOME SALE – HOW TO SELL A LUXURY HOME FSBO
How To Sell A Luxury Home For Sale By Owner (FSBO) When it comes toselling a home for sale by owner (FSBO)there is a large amount of work for the …
WHAT IS A BONA FIDE PURCHASER?
A bonafide purchaser(BFP) ? referred to more completely as a bonafide purchaser for value without notice ? is a term used predominantly in common law jurisdictions in the law of …
21.3% OF THE U.S.POPULATION PARTICIPATES IN GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Approximately 52.2 million (or 21.3 percent) people in the U.S. participated in major means-tested government assistance programs each month in 2012, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. …
STATES WHERE AN ATTORNEY IS REQUIRED FOR A REAL ESTATE CLOSING
The process of buying or selling your home is quite complex, so you’re fortunate to have a real estate professional to guide you through some of the process. However, in …
TRANSACTION COSTS IN BUYING/SELLING REAL ESTATE?
Earnest money deposit Earnest money (which is held in escrow) is how sellers know you’re serious. Keep in mind that how much money you hand over upfront depends on a …
CONDOMINIUM AND PUD OWNERSHIP
Condominium and PUD Ownership Builders, in an effort to combat the dual problem of an increasing population and a declining availability of prime land, are increasingly turning to common interest …
MOLD
MOLD BASICS Why is mold growing in my home? Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such …
LAND PATENTS
A land patent is an exclusive land grant made by a sovereign entity with respect to a particular tract of land. To make such a grant “patent”, a sovereign (proprietary …
WHOLESALING
How To Use The Wholesale Real Estate Forms… The Wholesale Purchase Agreements are used to put a property under contract with the seller. Typically a wholesaler will assign the contract …
WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?
What is a ‘ShortSale?’ A Short Sale takes place when homes are sold for less than the bank payoff, and the home seller does not have the funds to make …
ESCALATION CLAUSE
During a buyer’s market, home buyer’s are agressive in their offers; making offers substantially below asking price with many seller concessions. As the market has shifted, buyer’s have had to …
THE MYTH OF LIMITED SERVICE AGREEMENTS
The Myth of the ‘Discount Listing’ There are all kinds of business models that have been created in recent years to give home buyer’s and seller’s a choice in how …
WHAT IS THE MLS?
Realtor Tools: the MLS The modern day MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is the method that information on real estate for sale and sold properties are disseminated throughout the real estate …
LAND SURVEYS
Land Survey: Defining a Property Often times when showing properties, a client asks me, “Where is the property lines?” As a purveyor of properties, it would make sense that we …
SELLING A HOUSE IN KANSAS
Here’s an overview of the basics, including seller disclosure requirements. Most listing agents will want you to sign an exclusive right to sell listing, which obligates you to pay a …