13 NATIONWIDE HOUSING PREDICITIONS FOR 2021
13 Nationwide Housing Market Predictions for 2021 Unemployment rates will continue to improve There will be a slight uptick in mortgage defaults Lending standards will loosen There will be a …
BUYING PROPERTY IN PROBATE
Probate real estate has proven time and time again that it deserves a place amongst today’s best acquisition strategies. At the very least, investors who are able to acquire houses …
6 SIGNS OF A GREAT RENTAL PROPERTY INVESTMENT
Rental property investing will require prospective buyers to consider a number of factors, not the least of which are outlined below. A good rental property is contingent on both tangible …
SEVEN FACTORS THAT MAKE REAL ESTATE INVESTING FAVORABLE
Here are seven factors that help make a real estate market good for investors: Job creation above the national average. Current and expected future population growth, also above the national …
BENEFITS OF OWNER FINANCING
Offering owner financing is a sensible way to sell property and extremely common all over the country (it has been estimated that approximately 10%-15% of property sold is now done …
EQUITABLE INTEREST IN REAL ESTATE
Equity is a concept of rights distinct from legal (that is, common law) rights; it is (or, at least, it originated as) “the body of principles constituting what is fair …
FINANCIAL FRAUD
The following examples of Financial Institution Fraud Investigations are written from public record documents on file in the courts within the judicial district where the cases were prosecuted. California Woman …
MONTH TO MONTH TENANCY
Benefits of Month to Month Rentals for Tenants Sometimes tenants need a place to stay but do not want a long term commitment. For these tenants, finding a landlord who …
LEGAL PROTECTION PLAN FOR YOUR HOME SALE OR PURCHASE
FLAT FEE LEGAL PROTECTION PLAN FOR YOUR HOME SALE OR PURCHASE Have an attorney review your documents before signing or if you do not have an agent, our office can …
EASEMENTS
A. WHAT IS AN EASEMENT? An easement is the legal right of a non-owner to use a specific part of another persons land for a specific purpose. B. WHAT ARE …
WHAT IS A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL?
Imagine being able to make an offer on a house before any other interested home shoppers can even have a look-see. If you have a right of first refusal negotiated …
COVENANTS THAT RUN WITH REAL ESTATE
Real Estate Covenants Law and Legal Definition A covenant is a promise in a written contract or a deed of real property. There are different types of covenants, such as …
REAL ESTATE AGENT VS. REAL ESTATE LAWYER
The Difference Between a Real Estate Agent and Lawyer If you ask a realtor whether to hire a real estate agent or a lawyer to buy a house, you can …
REVERSE MORTGAGES
If you are 62 or older and want money to pay off your mortgage, supplement your income, or pay for healthcare expenses you may consider a reverse mortgage. It allows …
GIFT TAX
The U.S. federal gift tax is imposed on cash and properties that individuals give to others. It’s paid by the donor, not the beneficiary of the gift, although the Internal …
MISSOURI ABANDONMENT LAW
ABANDONED PROPERTY Landlords are often eager to remove abandoned property of a tenant who appears to have abandoned a leased premises. Missouri law provides a procedure for removing a tenants …
CAPACITY TO SIGN A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
When it comes to legally binding agreements, certain people are always considered to lack the legal ability (or “capacity”) to contract. As a legal matter, basically they are presumed not …
WHAT IS APPRECIATION?
What Is Appreciation? Appreciation, in general terms, is an increase in the value of an asset over time. The increase can occur for a number of reasons, including increased demand …
WHAT IS CROWDFUNDING?
Crowdfunding has become a loaded term, meaning so much more than just raising money from the public. In fact, it means different things to different people. New and old terms …
EARNEST MONEY DEPOSITS
Real estate has its fair share of horror stories. One that keeps both first-time homebuyers and seasoned pros up at night is the thought of sellers walking away with their …
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
It turns out that there are best practice guidelines that successful real estate investors follow, and you can follow them, too. People who meet their investment goals adhere to principles …
ROOFING AND INSURANCE
Insurance companies view roofs as one of the most important parts of a home. Roofs protect homes from the elements and can prevent home insurance claims. If you have a …
WHAT IS A WRAP AROUND MORTGAGE?
“What is a wrap-around mortgage, and who is it good for?” A wrap-around mortgage is a loan transaction in which the lender assumes responsibility for an existing mortgage. For example, …
WHAT IS GENTRIFICATION?
What is Gentrification? Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in …
TOP 6 FACTORS AFFECTING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE VALUATION
Top 6 factors affecting real estate valuation Factors to consider when pricing a home are historic sales price, quality of the neighborhood, the market, nearby features and the size, appeal, …
TOP 10 THINGS AFFECTING REAL ESTATE
TOP 10 THINGS AFFECTING REAL ESTATE 1. Interest rates & The Economy The Federal Reserve’s plan is to nudge interest rates back to historically normal levels. Concurrently, the passing of …
CASHIER CHECK FRAUD
Cashier’s checks have a reputation for being safe, and that’s what makes them perfect for scams. Whether you’re selling something online or in-person, cashier’s checks deserve extra attention. Get familiar …
CASH FOR KEYS
What’s “Cash for Keys” in a Foreclosure? If you lose your home to a foreclosure sale, the new owner might offer you a lump-sum of money to voluntarily move out. …
FIRST TIME HOME BUYER MISTAKES
Buying your first home comes with many big decisions, and it can be as scary as it is exciting. It’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of home …
TENANCY IN COMMON VS. JOINT TENANTS
When two or more people own a home, either as a joint tenancy or tenancy in common, each individual owns a share (or interest) of the entire property. This means …
GIFT TAX
What is the gift tax? The gift tax is a tax on the transfer of money or property to another person while getting nothing (or less than full value) in …
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
What is Blockchain? If this technology is so complex, why call it blockchain. At its most basic level, blockchain is literally just a chain of blocks, but not in the …
9 REAL ESTATE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Social media marketing is an important part of any real estate business. Its crucial to share the right type of content in the right ways to generate leads and increase …
TITLE INSURANCE
What Is Title Insurance And Why Is It Important? The median home value in the United States has increased by $16,000 over the last 12 months, according to data released …
GETTING YOUR PROPERTY BACK AFTER TAX SALE IN MISSOURI
Getting Your Home Back After a Property Tax Sale in Missouri Lost your home to a tax sale in Missouri? You may be able to redeem it. If you’ve lost …
NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS
In business, there are numerous instances in which you may want to share confidential information with another party. But the key to doing so safely is making sure that the …
RELOCATION EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT
Relocation expenses are sometimes paid by employers. If they are, does a departing employee (that is, one who is quitting or resigning) have to repay them? The answer is, it …
11 BIGGEST REAL ESTATE MISTAKES
As a real estate professional, you are constantly being challenged. You need to make decisions that ultimately affect your buyers and sellers and, of course, your business. These choices can …
RESTRAINT ON ALIENTATION
A restraint on alienation, in the law of real property, is a clause used in the conveyance of real property that seeks to prohibit the recipient from selling or otherwise …
WHAT DO REAL ESTATE LAWYERS DO?
What do Real Estate Attorneys do? So you’ve decided to take the big step of buying a home. It’s probably the biggest purchase and most expensive investment you’ll ever make. …
WHAT IS A SERIES LLC?
What is a Series LLC? A series LLC is a unique form of limited liability company (“LLC”) in which the articles of formation specifically allow for unlimited segregation of membership …
SINGLE FAMILY VS MULTI-FAMILY INVESTMENT
1. Multi-family work better with the changing U.S housing market. High rents and the need for yields have created even more competition for single family homes. This has depleted inventory …
SELLING A PROPERTY WITH A TENANT
While selling a Kansas City or St. Louis house with a tenant isn’t always the ideal situation. Consider how it will affect them before making any bold decisions. If you …
DOES A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT HAVE TO BE IN WRITING?
Does a Real Estate Contract Have to Be in Writing? The statute of frauds is a long-standing legal principle which requires certain agreements, including real estate contracts, to be in …
SPECIAL USE REAL ESTATE VALUATION
What Is Special Use Real Estate Valuation? Real estate is normally valued at an amount that reflects its ?highest and best use? for reasons concerning the federal estate tax. In …
FORGED DEED VS FRAUDULENT DEED
Forgery may be thought of as a variety of fraud, but the law does not treat a forged deed like a fraudulent deed that is not forged. A recent case …
KANSAS TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED
Kansas Transfer on Death Deed What is a Transfer on Death Deed? A transfer-on-death (TOD) deed, also called a beneficiary deed, looks like a regular deed used to transfer real …
CAP RATE
Since prehistoric times, we humans have been in the business of evolution. Such is the scientific truth. Unless, that is, we are talking about cap rates, in which case there …
REAL ESTATE AGENT FUNDAMENTALS
These days, more than half of buyers start their home search online, according to the 2018 Profile of Homebuyers & Sellers, released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). However, …
REIT FUNDAMENTALS
Prior to the onset of the industrial revolution, wealth and power were measured primarily in terms of the amount of land owned by an individual or family. Although the twentieth …
COMMUNITY PROPERTY
Community property is a type of joint ownership of assets between married couples. It’s the law in nine states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. …
8 HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE SELL FASTER
If you’re thinking of selling your home within the next few weeks or months, preparing your home to go on the market can help you get the best price. Aside …
4 THINGS NOT TO DO IF YOU ARE A COMMERCIAL INVESTOR
MISTAKE #1: DON’T OVERPAYIts not unusual for a commercial real estate investor that is new to commercial real estate to overpay for a commercial income property. This is usually due …
BENEFITS OF USING AN LLC WITH A SELF DIRECTED IRA
Benefits of Using an LLC with a Self-Directed IRA The process of using a Self-Directed IRA to buy non-traditional or alternative investment assets can be confusing and seem restrictive. One …
SIMULTANEOUS CLOSING
What Is Simultaneous Closing? Simultaneous closing (SIMO) is a real estate financing strategy in which two simultaneous transactions occur during the closing on a single piece of property. In this …
STIGMATIZED PROPERTY
Stigmatized property In real estate, stigmatized property is property that buyers or tenants may shun for reasons that are unrelated to its physical condition or features. These can include the …
WIRE FRAUD IN REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS
Imagine arriving at the settlement agent’s office for your closing. Everything went without a hitch: The buyer provided all documentation plus the Realtor?, closing attorney/title company, and lender have performed …
POOL OR NO POOL?
As we head into the heart of summer, thoughts naturally turn to fun in the sun while staying cool. For some, that might even mean contemplating the addition of a …
WHAT IS EMINENT DOMAIN?
What is Eminent Domain? Eminent domain is the power the United States government, states, and municipalities to take private property for public use, following the payment of just compensation. Breaking …
WHAT IS A LEGAL GIFT?
A gift, in the law of property, is the voluntary transfer of property from one person (the donor or grantor) to another (the donee or grantee) without full valuable consideration. …
SELLER 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 …
CONSIDERATIONS FOR RENTING OUT YOUR HOME
A rental contract is only as good as the terms outlined in the document, so it’s important for a landlord to give serious thought to the information and rules that …
EQUITABLE ESTOPPEL
Equitable estoppel is a defensive doctrine preventing one party from taking unfair advantage of another when, through false language or conduct, the person to be estopped has induced another person …
SPECIAL USE PERMITS VS. VARIANCES
A special permit is generally required when a proposed use, due to its size or external impacts, needs greater scrutiny by the Town and may require special conditions to mitigate …
DOES A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT NEED TO BE IN WRITING?
The statute of frauds is a long-standing legal principle which requires certain agreements, including real estate contracts, to be in writing. Real estate contracts are generally enforced in state courts …
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 …
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 …
THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE TAX EXEMPTION UNDER IRS CODE SECTION 121
The $250,000 (single) / $500,000 (married) home sale gain exclusion is a major benefit of homeownership, but the rules can be confusing if you are not familiar with them. How …
10 ARCHITECTURAL HOUSE STYLES
Building a custom home gives you complete control over every aspect of the design. There are dozens of architectural styles to base your custom home on, from historical approaches to …
CLOSING DATE VS. POSSESSION DATE
Here is a possible scenario: Your current home is sold and you must close on your existing home in order to close on a new one. You have to have …
OPTIONS FOR HANDLING CEMETERIES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
Options for Handling Cemeteries on Private Property Prior to World War II, it was not uncommon, especially in rural areas, for families to bury their deceased family members in a …
REQUIRED HOME SALE DISCLOSURES
1. Death in the Home 2. Neighborhood Nuisances 3. Hazards 4. HOA Information 5. Repairs 6. Water Damage 7. Missing Items 8. Other Possible Disclosures 1. Death in the Home …
9 COMMON NOTARY MISTAKES
1- Failing to Require Personal Appearance Personal appearance is the very foundation of notarization. Except in the few states where online or remote notarization has been legalized, personal appearance is …
12 TIPS FOR A HAPPY LIFE
1. Know yourself Something that’s clearer to me every day is that there’s no magic, one-size-fits-all solution for building a happy, healthy, and productive life. You have to know yourself: …
REQUIRED DISCLOSURES WHEN SELLING A HOUSE
What Are You Required to Disclose When You Sell Your Home? When you set out to sell a house, most states require you to make certain ?disclosures.? Disclosures refer to …
DUE ON SALE CLAUSE
Almost every single loan generated to buy a home contains a due on sale clause. This clause is important if a homeowner wants to sell the home without paying off …
WHAT IS A STEP UP TAX BASIS?
What is a Step-Up in Basis? A step-up in basis is the readjustment of the value of an appreciated asset for tax purposes upon inheritance. The higher market value of …
ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT
Assignment of contracts is the legal transfer of the obligations and benefits of a contract from one party, called the assignor, to another, called the assignee.3 What assignment of a …
PROPERTY BOUNDARIES
Property Boundaries: Everything You Need to Know Most of us don’t know where our exact property boundaries are located, and many of us don’t care. Most of us don’t know …
WHAT IS A REVERSE 1031 EXCHANGE?
To understand a reverse 1031 exchange, you should first make sure you know the ins and outs of a 1031 exchange. There are some key differences between a standard 1031 …
1031 EXCHANGE EXPLAINED
A 1031 Exchange, also called a Starker Exchange or Like-Kind Exchange is a powerful tax-deferment strategy used by some of the most financially successful investors. This is, perhaps, even more …
WHAT IS AGENCY?
The law of agency is an area of commercial law dealing with a set of contractual, quasi-contractual and non-contractual fiduciary relationships that involve a person, called the agent, that is …
WHAT IS A LIFE ESTATE?
The phrase “life estate” often comes up in discussions of estate and Medicaid planning, but what exactly does it mean? A life estate is a form of joint ownership that …
REAL ESTATE BROKERS, AGENTS, AND FORMS OF AGENCY
Generally, real estate brokers/ agents fall into four categories of representation: Seller’s Agents, commonly called “listing brokers” or “listing agents,” are contracted by owners to assist with marketing property for …
WHERE TREASURES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN HOUSES
Cash Hidden in the Wall You might think a treasure hunt means diving in the ocean to find sunken ships or exploring ancient ruins in faraway countries looking for hidden …
REZONING, VARIANCE, OR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT?
Rezoning, Variance, or Conditional Use Permit: Which One Can Solve Your Zoning Problem? You’re considering the purchase of a particular property, but know it doesn’t conform to the city’s zoning …
WHAT IS DOWN ZONING?
Down zoning is the process by which an area of land is rezoned to a usage that is less dense and less developed than its previous usage. This is typically …
SHOULD YOU BUY OR SELL A HOME IN 2019?
Should You Buy A Home In 2019? Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions a person will make. Deciding to buy a home comes down to …
SUBORDINATION, NON-DISTRURBANCE, AND ATTORNMENT AGREEMENTS
Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment (SNDA) Agreements Whether you’re the landlord or tenant of a commercial property, you’ll want to know what a subordination, non-disturbance, and attornment agreement is and how …
BROKERING REAL ESTATE WITHOUT A LICENSE
When was the alleged crime committed? Anyone who wants to sell real estate as a salesperson, real estate agent, or real estate broker must first obtain a license to do …
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR HOUSE BURNS DOWN?
If your home is completely destroyed and unlivable, your homeowners policy has a loss of use or additional living expense policy which allows you to maintain your standard of living …
WHAT DO REAL ESTATE AGENTS DO?
Just what do real estate agents do all day? Before you can understand what real estate agents do all day, you must first remove the word ‘typical? from your vocabulary. …
6 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TITLES
A title is a legal document that includes the specifics about the property you are purchasing and who owns it, often in the form of a deed. One of the …
PROBATE AND REAL ESTATE
HOW DO PROBATE REAL ESTATE SALES WORK? Probate is simply the legal process that settles a deceased person’s debts and formally passes their property’s legal title to the intended heirs. …
11 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOU ARE THINKING FSBO
11 questions to ask yourself to help you make an educated decision. 1. Do you have access to accurate data regarding selling prices, square footage, floor plans and amenities of …
WHAT ARE FIXTURES IN REAL ESTATE?
What Are Fixtures In Real Estate? A critical part of any real estate transaction is the actual fixtures within the home that are required to stay with the home after …
5 TYPES OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP
Forms of Property Ownership 1. Sole Ownership Sole ownership occurs when a single person owns a complete interest in a property or asset. Ownership is conveyed from one person to …
WHAT IS MULTIFAMILY HOUSING?
Multifamily Housing – An Overview Crowdfunding for real estate is comprised of a number of different asset classes in which one can invest. We?ve earlier discussed many different segments of …
REAL ESTATE AND TAXES
All real estate investors will benefit from taking a proactive approach to taxes. The reality is there is little you can do retroactively to impact your results once the year …
OWNERSHIP RIGHTS THAT COME WITH REAL ESTATE
A variety of rights come with real estate ownership. WATER RIGHTS Land that’s adjacent to a body of water normally carries with it certain rights relative to that body of …
REAL ESTATE DAMAGES AND REMEDIES
This outline is intended to provide a general overview of Missouri Construction Law. While the authors have described several topics below, the discussion of any particular topic is not intended …
What Is Radon? How does radon affect your health? What are the symptoms of radon exposure? How are you exposed to radon? How can I protect myself? Radon is a …
REAL ESTATE CONTRACT CONTINGENCIES
REAL ESTATE CONTRACT CONTINGENCIES For those who aren’t familiar, a contingency is a statement (a stipulation it’s sometimes called) that is added to your contract that will allow you the …
COMMERCIAL LEASES
You’re ready to hang out your shingle or otherwise go into business for yourself, but you need space, a place from which to run your operation. If you’re wading into …
LEGAL VS. EQUITABLE INTEREST IN REAL ESTATE
Legal Title A legal title refers to the responsibilities and duties the owner has in maintaining, using, and controlling property. Legal title is the actual ownership of the property. The …
CONTRACT FOR DEED
Because of recent credit tightening, some homebuyers may be less likely to qualify for mortgages than they were just a few years ago. Some financial counselors predict that borrowers with …
RENT OR BUY? ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Renting vs Buying: What to Choose Any grown-up person one day may get haunted by the idea of getting a house instead of renting one. Yes, I know, we?ve all …
RENT VS. BUY? ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Renting vs Buying: What to Choose Any grown-up person one day may get haunted by the idea of getting a house instead of renting one. Yes, I know, we?ve all …
5 PROBLEMS WITH SWIMMING POOLS
5 Common Swimming Pool Problems Who doesn’t like to swim in a pool? Whether we can swim or not, it’s fun being inside the pool especially with friends or family. …
WHAT MUST BE IN A PURCHASE CONTRACT TO BE VALID?
Requirements for a Real Estate Purchase Contract A real estate purchase contract?also known as a contract to purchase real estate or a residential purchase agreement?is a binding, bilateral agreement between …
JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE VS. QUITE TITLE ACTION
Judicial foreclosure refers to foreclosure cases that go through the court system. Foreclosure occurs when a home is sold to pay off an unpaid debt. Many states require foreclosures to …
DEATH AND REAL ESTATE
Understanding Ownership of Property When an estate planning attorney meets with a new client, one of the first questions the attorney asks is “What do you own and how is …
REAL ESTATE SYNDICATION
Both get a share of the profits based on time and money invested. Real estate syndication is an effective way for investors to pool their financial and intellectual resources to …
THINGS TO CONSIDER IF BUYING A PROPERTY TO USE AS AN AIRBNB
IT’S EASY TO SEE THE rise in popularity of Airbnb and other online vacation rental sites and think it’s a good idea to buy a property dedicated to short-term housing. …
HOW MUCH CAN A REALTOR GIVE AS A GIFT?
Closing gifts are almost as important in the real estate world as securing a home, at least it is if you want your clients to come back. Are you thinking …
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR REALTORS
Code of Conduct Thanks for choosing to participate in the exchange of ideas and information in the Missouri REALTORS?online community, THE LANDING. To ensure the best possible experience for all …
LLC FORMATION – WHAT TYPE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Types of LLC’s Domestic LLC: If your LLC is formed and operating within your state, this is a domestic LLC. Your state has the authority to govern your LLC if …
REALTOR DISPUTES – DO YOU NEED TO FIRE YOUR REALTOR?
It may be hard to believe, but I receive calls regularly from buyers and sellers that have become estranged from there realtor or feel they are being taken advantage of …
WATER DAMAGE REPAIR VS. REMEDIATE
How much does it cost restore water damage? Water may be a necessary part of life, but it can also do a tremendous amount of damage to your property if …
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN PURCHASE A HOUSE
When responsible first-time home buyers need help buying a home, the family bank can sometimes lend a hand. Younger home buyers face a mountain of obstacles, including rising home prices …
REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION
One site http://(www.realestateabc.com) cites a 6.34% annual appreciate rate since 1968. But, that does account for: state, city, county, or neighborhood variations. It doesn’t account for type of house (single …
THE INTERNET TURNS 30 TODAY
Today, 30 years on from my original proposal for an information management system, half the world is online. It’s a moment to celebrate how far we?ve come, but also an …
STATE BY STATE CLOSING GUIDE
ALABAMA Attorneys and title companies handle closings. Conveyance is by warranty deed. Mortgages are the customary security instruments. Foreclosures are non-judicial. Foreclosure notices are published once a week for three …
WHAT IS DISPOSABLE INCOME?
You?ve likely heard terms such as net income, gross income, adjusted gross income, take-home pay, and disposable income. But do you really know what each term means, both in definition …
KANSAS CITY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
Cycle-low construction at odds with tightening retail vacancy. As unemployment reached the low-3 percent range by the end of 2018, the retail environment in Kansas City remains well positioned for …
RISE OF CREDIT CARD DEBT
Rising interest rates are providing welcome relief to savers. As previously reported, earning at least a 2% APY on your savings from an FDIC insured bank account is now much …
3 STEPS TO BUILDING WEALTH AFTER 50
1. Leverage All of Your Savings Options While a 401(k) (or another employer-sponsored plan) is a good first stop for retirement savings, it’s not the only way to build your …
4 SIMPLE WAYS TO INVEST IN REAL ESTATE
Buying real estate can be more than just finding a place to call home. Most people have to do a real estate transaction at some point in their lives, and …
RENTING OUT ROOMS
Renting out a room in your house is sometimes favorable to leasing the entire property. It offers more flexibility for your own private use of the other rooms, and renting …
DO YOU NEED A REAL ESTATE LAWYER?
Do You Need a Real Estate Lawyer? In certain states, you cannot buy or sell a house unless a real estate lawyer is present. So unless you live in a …
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FORECAST
2019 U.S. Commercial Real Estate Forecast Report The Kansas City retail market experienced another successful year throughout 2018 based on strong market fundamentals that fueled retail growth. Consumer confidence remains …
COMMON ERRORS MADE BY COMMERICAL LANDLORDS
This list summarizes some of the most common errors made by commercial Landlords and their property managers when they find themselves dealing with a defaulting Tenant. 1. LOCKING THE DOORS …
BUYING A HOUSE WITH A FRIEND
You already know it’s going to be fun. Here’s how to buy a house with a friend the smart way. Who says you have to have a romantic partner to …
MARITAL WAIVER IN MISSOURI – Kansas City Real Estate Law
MARITAL WAIVER IN MISSOURI Title companies are required as part of their job to request information in a real estate transaction. One of the most frequent requests involves requesting information …
LEGACY PLANNING
What is Legacy Planning Legacy planning is a financial strategy that prepares a person to bequeath his or her assets to a loved one or next of kin after death. …
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 …
MECHANICS LIEN LAW IN MISSOURI
Notice provisions of Missouri’s mechanic’s lien statutes (R.S.Mo. 429.005.1, et seq.) grants general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers the ability to assert a mechanic’s lien for labor and materials provided …
WHY REAL ESTATE BUILDS WEALTH
Inflation Inflation is something we all take for granted. The price of everyday goods increases on a gradual basis, and we have no choice but to pay the increased price. …
1031 EXCHANGE VS. OPPORTUNITY ZONE FUND INVESTMENT
No Fees: Almost all 1031 exchanges involve a 3rd party intermediary who charges a fee for the 1031 Exchange. Rolling into a Qualified Opportunity Fund has no fees for the …
FSBO STATISTICS
For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics FSBOs accounted for 7% of home sales in 2017. The typical FSBO home sold for $200,000 compared to $265,500 for agent-assisted home sales. FSBO …
WHAT IS AN UNRECORDED EASEMENT?
What is an unrecorded easement? Easements (those rights someone else has to use part of your property) are typically recorded in the public records of the County in which the …
PROTECTING YOUR HOUSE AFTER MOVING INTO A NURSING HOME
Protecting Your House After You Move Into a Nursing Home While you generally do not have to sell your home in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage of nursing home …
11 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOU ARE THINKING FSBO
11 Questions to Ask If You’re Thinking ?FSBO? When the time comes that you decide you want to sell your home, the question you might ask yourself is, ?Should I …
CURRENT REAL ESTATE TRENDS
Okay, 2018 was quite the tease in the housing market. The year started out hot, only to taper off halfway through. But plenty of Americans still traded their For Sale …
7 SIGNS YOU ARE READY TO SELL YOUR HOUSE
7 Signs You’re Ready to Sell Your House Should I sell my house? If you’ve been asking yourself this question lately, we’ve got good news: It’s a great market for …
MINORS AND REAL ESTATE
There are times when a minor is in title. Maybe the deed from Mom & Dad says ?Susan B. Jones, a minor.? Or, when she shows up to sign papers, …
BUNDLE OF RIGHTS?
Bundle Of Rights What is a Bundle Of Rights A bundle of rights is a set of legal rights afforded to the real estate title holder. It can include the …
BABY BOOMERS
Will baby boomers turn into party poopers when they unload their homes in large numbers starting in the next decade? Could they create an indigestible oversupply in the market that …
REMODEL OR MOVE?
You?ve been in your house for a while and are still fond of the place. But it’s no longer exactly what you need or want. So, do you put the …
TIME VALUE OF MONEY
What is the Time Value of Money? The time value of money (TVM) is the concept that money available at the present time is worth more than the identical sum …
REAL ESTATE AND POLITICS
REAL ESTATE AND POLITICS Whether or not the average homeowner realizes it, politics is the most important factor influencing the price of real estate, affecting the state of the economy, …
FORCED VS. NATURAL REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION
FORCED VS. NATURAL REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION Real estate appreciation is far from being a new concept when it comes to real estate investing. Moreover, many real estate investors choose real …
WHAT IS A REVOKABLE LIVING TRUST?
WHAT IS A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST?-A revocable living trust is a popular estate planning tool that you can use to determine who will get your property when you die. Most …
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT – WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START REAL ESTATE INVESTING?
He is not a full man who does not own a piece of land.? REAL ESTATE INVESWTMENT – An old Hebrew proverb that still offers value in our modern-day lives. …
ESTOPPEL
Estoppel is a common law doctrine which, when it applies, prevents a litigant from denying the truth of what was said or done. The doctrine of estoppel by deed (also …
EASEMENTS
An easement is a property right that gives its holder an interest in land that’s owned by someone else. It’s common for people to lack a clear understanding of easements …
WHAT IS A CORRECTIVE DEED?
Once a deed is recorded, it becomes part of the public record and cannot be changed. However, sometimes an error in the recorded deed is discovered by one of the …
WHAT IS A NON-PROFIT?
When you think of a “nonprofit” what do you think of? Most likely, you think of a group making a difference in your community. Maybe you are thinking of a …
RISKS AND REALITIES OF CONTRACT FOR DEEDS
RISKS AND REALITIES OF CONTRACT FOR DEEDS While contracts for deed offer some advantages over a traditional mortgage, such as speed and simplicity, they can entail distinct risks for …
CLOSING A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION
Closing a property deal can be a long and stressful exercise that involves lots of steps and procedural formalities. Closing occurs when you sign the papers that make the house …
SPEND YOUR MONEY ON EXPERIENCES NOT POSSESSIONS
Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things When you work hard every single day and there’s only so much money left after your regular expenses, you have …
WHAT IS A PARTY WALL?
Party Wall A partition erected on a property boundary, partly on the land of one owner and partly on the land of another, to provide common support to the structures …
RECORDING REQUIREMENTS IN MISSOURI
Requirements for Recording Real Estate Documents The Following Documents Do Not Require A Legal Description For Recording. Death Certificates, Power of Attorneys, Wills, DD214, Certificates, and Miscellaneous Documents. The following …
HOUSING FORECAST – DECLINING NEW DEMAND
Take a step back from whatever housing data you normally look at. We’ll begin big picture with how many housing units are needed to accommodate changes in the United States. …
SINGLE-MEMBER VS MULTI-MEMBER LLC’S
Single-member vs. Multi-member LLCs A husband and wife can be considered a single-member LLC if owned in a community state. If you’re the sole owner of your LLC, the IRS …
WHAT ARE LIENS ON REAL ESTATE?
Attorney Whether by the homeowner’s choice or the actions of a disgruntled creditor or contractor, there are a number of ways that the owner’s title to the property can be …
CLOSING COSTS
Many homebuyers think that saving for their down payment is enough to buy the house of their dreams, but what about the closing costs that are required to obtain a …
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 …
DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS AND FORMS OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Different definitions and forms of residential real estate POSTED ON JANUARY 28, 2016 BY MARK Single-Family Home The most common definition of a single-family home is: An individual, freestanding, unattached …
HOW TO USE YOUR BASEMENT AS A RENTAL
Renting out part of your home can boost cash flow, but first take a look at what it takes to be a landlord. By Pat Mertz Esswein, August 2011 Homeowners …
THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD INVEST IN REAL ESTATE IN KANSAS CITY
THIS IS WHY INVESTORS SHOULD INVEST IN REAL ESTATE IN KANSAS CITY POSTED ON OCTOBER 30, 2018 BY MARK Kansas City Real Estate Kansas City is the largest city in …
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEAR YOUR HEIRS WILL MISUSE AN INHERITANCE
You may have a substantial amount of money and assets to leave behind to your children. However, a conundrum many people find themselves in is that they want to provide …
MORE U.S. HOUSEHOLDS ARE RENTING THAN AT ANYTIME IN THE PAST 50 YEARS
A decade after the housing bust upended the lives of millions of Americans, more U.S. households are headed by renters than at any point since at least 1965, according to …
RENTING VS BUYING?
RENTING VS. BUYING? At what cost, percentage wise, is it better to rent than buy, if you plan on staying at a given location forever? Buying a home is likely …
COMPONENTS OF A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
In writing It is a legal requirement in all jurisdictions that contracts for the sale of land be in writing to be enforceable. The various Statute of frauds require contracts …
COMPONENTS OF A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
In writing It is a legal requirement in all jurisdictions that contracts for the sale of land be in writing to be enforceable. The various Statute of frauds require contracts …
COMPONENTS OF A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
In writing It is a legal requirement in all jurisdictions that contracts for the sale of land be in writing to be enforceable. The various Statute of frauds require contracts …
LLC VS LLC WITH S CORP ELECTION – BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
LLC Electing S Corp Status: The Best of Both Worlds It isn’t either/or when choosing an LLC or S corporation. You can have the best of both worlds. Structuring your …
HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOME TO YOUR CHILDREN TAX FREE
Before the days of income and estate taxes, adult children often just moved into the family home after their parents died. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple anymore. There are several …
IS LOCATION REALLY EVERYTHING?
Ask just about any real estate agent to list the three most important things a property should have, and you’ll likely hear: ?location, location, location.? That phrase has been in …
6 THINGS HOME SELLERS ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE
Denise Supplee and her husband, Jerry, had been in their new home in Horsham, PA, for just three months when they started to notice something strange in their bathroom. ?You …
2018 KANSAS CITY REAL ESTATE MARKET
Kansas City Real Estate ? Market Trend & Forecast 2018 According to Zillow.com, the median home value in Kansas City is $136,200. Kansas City home values have gone up 10.5% …
DIVORCE
By Jenny Page 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 …
TAX CHANGES FOR SELF EMPLOYED REAL ESTATE AGENTS
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has created a lot of uncertainty as well as a lot of opportunity in the tax world. This is especially true in the …
MARRIAGE AND REAL ESTATE
Family law issue Married couples usually own most, if not all, of their valuable property together. If you want to leave everything to your spouse, as many people do, you …
REAL ESTATE SYNDICATION
Real Estate Syndication Real estate syndication is ?crowdfunding for real estate? before crowdfunding for real estate ever existed. In its most simple form, both syndication and crowdfunding involve pooling capital …
COST OF BUILDING A HOUSE
Cost of Building a House Many things, including building materials, could affect the price of your new home. Two of the more prominent factors are regulatory costs and level of …
12 WAYS TO BEAT CAPITAL GAINS TAX IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
12 Ways To Beat Capital Gains Tax In The Age Of Trump Ashlea EbelingForbes StaffPersonal Finance I write about how to build, manage and enjoy your family’s wealth. Shutterstock Got capital …
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 …
FSBO-EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FSBO The 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of Realtors? (NAR) found that for sale by owner (FSBO) sales …
SIMPLE WAYS TO START REAL ESTATE INVESTING
Buying real estate is about more than just finding a place to call home. Investing in real estate has become increasingly popular over the last 50 years and has become …
5 REASONS TO OWN REAL ESTATE
Real estate is a great investment for many reasons. You can enjoy an excellent rate of returns, amazing tax advantages and leverage real estate to build your wealth. Here are …
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINDOWS IN A HOUSE
No house can be complete without any windows. Windows facilitate the entry of natural light indoors. They enable the occupants of a house to enjoy the views of the neighbourhood …
HOME PRICES HAVE RECOVERED BUT DEMAND HASN’T
U.S.home prices have rebounded from the 2008 housing market crash, but demand is still low due to changes in living and buying habits of millennials, real estate mogul Sam Zell …
TINY HOUSES
As a rule, people in New York wish for smaller places to live about as often as people on airplanes wish for smaller seats. I used to dream sometimes that …
THIS IS WHY INVESTORS SHOULD INVEST IN REAL ESTATE IN KANSAS CITY
Kansas City Real Estate Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, famous for its distinct barbeque cuisine and jazz heritage. Also nicknamed the City of …
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ROOFING
ROOF SYSTEM COMPONENTS All steep-slope roof systems (i.e., roofs with slopes of 25 percent or more) have five basic components: Roof covering: shingles, tile, slate or metal and underlayment that …
5 REASONS TO CONDUCT REGULAR INSPECTIONS OF YOUR RENTAL PROPERTIES
5 Reasons to Conduct Regular Inspections of Your Rental Properties 1. Ensure Your Tenants Are Complying With the Terms of the Lease: Do you know if your tenant has a …
WHAT IS REAL ESTATE DEPRECIATION?
One reason you might be thinking about investing in rental properties is because you think you’ll save money on federal income taxes. While this may be true, you really need …
REAL ESTATE AND MARRIAGE
Most states, except those listed as community property states, below, use the “common law” system of property ownership. In these states, it’s usually easy to tell which spouse owns what. …
8 WAYS TO KNOW IF ITS A GREAT REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
1. Check For Zoning Issues And Liens Generally speaking, one way to tell is when a property has a characteristic or complication that leads to an automatic “no” for the …
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF REAL ESTATE
If you’ve ever house-hunted, you’ve probably got a sense that real estate purchases don’t represent consumers at their most rational. Did you like a house or apartment more, or less, …
WHY CLEANING AND INSULATING YOUR ATTIC IS SO IMPORTANT
Most people don’t think twice about cleaning and insulating their attics. At least, not until strange smells, rodent infestations, or other annoying issues appear and force them to take a …
WHAT IS A LEASE OPTION? WHY WOULD YOU USE A LEASE OPTION?
A lease option (more formally Lease With the Option to Purchase) is a type of contract used in both residential and commercial real estate. In a lease-option, a property owner …
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FSBO? LAWYER/BROKER SERVICES AVAILABLE
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SELLING YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE BY OWNER WITHOUT A REALTOR? The biggest reason to consider some form of FSBO is the money you may save. …
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY
History of Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri has been incorporated three different times and has had three different names throughout its history. First, in the 1830s John McCoy established Westport …
HOW SHOULD YOU TAKE TITLE TO REAL ESTATE?
One of the last things most home buyers think about is how to take title to their new house. It’s best to consult a real estate attorney before deciding but, …
FOUNDATION REPAIR
Foundation repair options vary greatly depending on the geographic area and site conditions for the repair. Until the late 1970s, the main repair method simply used concrete. Below is a …
FINAL WALK-THROUGH BEFORE CLOSING – WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Final walk-throughs are not home inspections, even though it might seem that way. It is not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it …
WHAT IS A JUDGEMENT LIEN?
What Is a Judgment Lien? A judgment lien is created when someone wins a lawsuit against you and records the judgment against your property. What is your total debt? A …
FALL 2018 REAL ESTATE MARKET
Fall real estate market trends have started to take shape, and now is as good of a time as any to start deciphering them. What’s more, those investors that can …
ROLE OF MEDIATION
Real Estate Disputes come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, imagine a dispute where the seller disclosed the basement leaked a half an inch and the realty is the …
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IF I DISCOVER AN UNDISCLOSED DEFECT IN MY HOUSE AFTER TAKING POSSESSION?
What if something was wrong with your newly bought house at the time of purchase, and someone — the seller, the seller’s agent, or the inspector — could or should …
WHAT BANKS ARE LOOKING AT TO GET APPROVED FOR A HOME LOAN
Are you ready to buy a house, or in the planning stages of a home purchase? Either way, it helps to know what banks look for when they evaluate your …
WHAT IS A DEED IN LIEU OF FORECLOSURE?
A deed in lieu of foreclosure is a deed instrument in which a mortgagor (i.e. the borrower) conveys all interest in a real property to the mortgagee (i.e. the lender) …
3 REASONS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PRICE YOUR HOME TO SELL
3 Reasons Why It’s Important to Price Your Home to Sell The ?right? price is one that’s in tune with what similar homes are selling for in your market. It’s …
KANSAS CITY HOME VALUES 2016 TO 2017
Missouri home values 2016 to 2017 Metropolitan area Q2 2016($000s) Q2 2017($000s) Change Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 148.8 146.5 -1.5% Columbia, MO 174.6 183 4.8% Kansas City, MO-KS 188.6 201.7 6.9% …
VERY GOOD TIPS FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS
Buying a home can be nerve-racking, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. These tips will help you navigate the process, save money and avoid common mistakes. We organized them …
11 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOU ARE THINKING FSBO
When the time comes that you decide you want to sell your home, the question you might ask yourself is, ?Should I list my home with a Realtor or try …
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MISSOURI TAX SALE PROCESS
Missouri Tax Sale Process Getting Started Will I need special equipment or software? No. To participate in the auction from your own home or office, you need only have …
WHEN TO HIRE A REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY IN AN FSBO SALE TRANSACTION
Every seller pays for a real estate attorney or title company whether they sell a house with an agent or FSBO. Hire a lawyer to protect your home sale and …
CAN YOU SUE A SELLER IN MISSOURI FOR FAILURE TO DISCLOSE KNOWN ADVERSE MATERIAL FACTS?
CAN YOU SUE A SELLER IN MISSOURI FOR FAILURE TO DISCLOSE KNOWN ADVERSE MATERIAL FACTS? When you bought your home in Missouri, you assumed that it was in perfect condition. …
MILLENIALS ARE GIVING UP ON PURCHASING A HOME
Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman has been known for making some strong statements about the housing market, and last week he issued his latest proclamation, warning of a slowdown that is …
ZILLOW SHARES FALL 9% ON NEWS THAT IT PLANS TO START SELLING ITS OWN HOMES OFF OF THE PLATFORM
Zillow shares plunged 9 percent on Friday after the online real estate database company announced it will begin buying and selling homes, a capital-intensive endeavor. With Zillow’s new program,announced on …
FSBO STATISTICS
For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics FSBOs accounted for 8% of home sales in 2016. The typical FSBO home sold for $190,000 compared to $249,000 for agent-assisted home sales. FSBO …
REAL ESTATE STATISTICS
Overview of the Real Estate Market 5.51 million existing homes were sold in 2017, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS?. 612,000 newly constructed homes were sold in …
FSBO – PROBLEMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
How to Sell Your House Without a Realtor You’re ready to put your house on the market, and you?ve decided to go it alone. Are you really saving money? By …
WHAT ARE THE SERVICES OF A REAL ESTATE BROKER?
Types of services that a broker can provide Real Estate Services are also called trading services by some jurisdictions. Since each province’s and state’s laws may differ, it is generally …
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 …
4 EASY STEPS TO A GREAT WHOLESALE DEAL
The real estate market is roaring back! And today’s market can be good news forwholesalerswho learn to capitalize on these opportunities. The real estate market is roaring back! One of …
10 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE INVESTORS
Joint ventures, wholesaling and property management are just a few of the ways investors can profit from real estate, but it takes a little savvy to become successful in this …
FSBO WHEN TO HIRE A REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY
Every seller pays for a real estate attorney or title company whether they sell a house with an agent or FSBO. Hire a lawyer to protect your home sale and …
FSBO 11 BEST FSBO WEBSITES
11 Best For Sale by Owner Sites 2018 By Allison Bethell on April 22, 2018 | Real Estate Investing | Comments (4) A for sale by owner (FSBO) is a …
FSBO SELLERS IN A DOWN MARKET
Tough times can motivate, frustrate agent-less sellers Four years ago, when Judy Cruz decided to try to sell her house on her own, it couldn’t have been easier. She struck …
HOUSING TRENDS SINCE 1950: THE DIFFERENCE WILL SHOCK YOU
Housing Trends Since 1950: The Difference Will Shock You For the last few years, home buyers have done battle with some challenging housing trends: fewer homes to choose from, rising …
THE POST INDUSTRIAL ERA IS OVER
The Post-Industrial Era Is Over ByLESTER C. THUROW The sun is about to set on the post-industrial era. No one should mourn its passing. In the post-industrial era, service jobs …
HOW THE INTERNET CHANGED REAL ESTATE
How the Internet Changed Real Estate For many years, real estate agents were the single most important gatekeepers of information regarding local real estate. If you wanted to know which …
HOW TO FILE A MECHANICS LIEN IN KANSAS
Make Sure Your Kansas Mechanics Lien Has the Required Information It is crucial to make sure your Kansas mechanics lien contains all of the information specifically required by Kansas? lien …
TOP TIPS FOR FILING A MECHANICS LIEN 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 …
CHARACTERISTICS OF BUYERS AND SELLERS OF REAL ESTATE IN 2017
Buying a primary residence for home buyers is a financial decision but also an emotional decision that involves many lifestyle factors. For most home buyers, the purchase of am primary …
REAL ESTATE ASSIGNMENT CONTRACTS
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 …
THE BASICS OF WHOLESALING REAL ESTATE
I’m not here to puff up real estate investing, nor to convince people that they can get rich quick in the business. However, there are people getting pretty nicely compensated …
CONTINGENCY CLAUSES IN HOME PURCHASE CONTRACTS
A contingency clause defines a condition or action that must be met for a real estate contract to become binding. A contingency becomes part of a binding sales contract when …
LONG TERM REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION RATE IN THE U.S.
Long-term real estate appreciation rate in the U.S. Before we talk actual real estate appreciation rates, let’s talk about why you’d want to know what they are in the first …
FSBO – 50 FREE MARKETING WEBSITES FOR FSBO SELLERS AND BUYERS
If you’re anything like me, you can ALWAYS use another online platform to advertise your property listings ? especially when that platform is FREE. In this blog post, I’m going …
FSBO – INSPECTIONS
Real estate inspection. The three little words can cause palpitations in even the sturdiest souls. For potential homebuyers, a real estate inspection means the house they have recently fallen in …
FSBO – 6 REASONS TO HIRE A LOCAL REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY
Buying or selling a home is best done with some assistance. Real estate brokers have access to the Multiple Listing Service in their geographical area and have obtained the educational …
FSBO – TOP 11 FSBO MARKETING WEBSITES
The top 11 FSBO Marketing Wesites To determine the best for sale by owner sites, we looked at a variety of factors including how much it costs to list your …
FSBO – THE IMPORTANCE OF TITLE INSURANCE
Title Insurance What is a Title? A title is the evidence or right a person has to the ownership and possession of land. A defect in the title can be …
FSBO – HERE ARE THE SECRETS
Selling your home means making dozens (if not hundreds) of decisions, starting with whether to work with a real estate agent. While the vast majority of homeowners hire a listing …
FSBO – THE RIGHT WAY
For those hoping to maximize profits on a home sale, posting a ?for sale by owner? sign in the yard is an appealing option. Real estate brokers typically take 5 …
FSBO – 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD FSBO
5 Reasons You Should For Sale by Owner (FSBO) More and more homeowners are taking advantage of the technology-based tools available to help them list, market and sell their own …
FSBO – WORDS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE – WORDS MATTER
The common saying ?location, location, location? is often but not always true. Though location does affect a property’s value, this value can also shift up and down depending on how …
FSBO – WIN FOR CONSUMERS AND ATTORNEYS
FSBO: Win-Win for Consumers and Attorneys There is value in a diverse new client funnel. Fundamental changes in technology have created new opportunities for lawyers. There may be no better …
CONSIDERATIONS TO MAKE BEFORE INSTALLING A POOL
As summer approaches, perhaps you’re daydreaming about putting in a swimming pool or buying a property with a backyard pool. That way you can take a dip and cool off …
FSBO – HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOUSE BEFORE PUTTING ON THE MARKET
How to Prepare Your House for Sale The little things can make a big difference Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar, but it takes …
FSBO – WHO WRITES THE SALE CONTRACT WHEN YOU ARE UNREPRESENTED?
The seller’s agent is typically the person who draws up a purchase agreement, but what happens if the home is for sale by owner (FSBO) and the seller isn’t represented …
UNIFORM RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT OF 1972
The Truth about the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) of 1972 Written on November 4, 2013 byLucas Hall, updated on December 14, 2015 The Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant …
HOW TO CLOSE A MORTGAGE LOAN IN 15 DAYS
Lollygagging around a real estate transaction can end up killing the deal. Sometimes when you find that perfect house for the perfect price, you need to strike quickly to get …
BUY HOUSE WITHOUT A REALTOR, USE A LAWYER INSTEAD
Want to save money? People have known for a long time that you don’t have to use a real estate agent to buy a home. The 3% commission that the …
FSBO – AGENTS BEWARE
By Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, Aug. 28, 2014 Condominiums have been selling quickly and at good prices in Lakeview this year, so Matt Sulkowski recently decided to see what …
MORE U.S. HOUSEHOLDS ARE RENTING THAN AT ANY POINT IN THE LAST 50 YEARS
More U.S. households are renting than at any point in 50 years BY ANTHONY CILLUFFO, ABIGAIL GEIGER AND RICHARD FRY A decade after the housing bust upended the lives of …
FSBO SALES ARE DOWN? REALLY?
FSBO is ?down,? but is it really? The 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of Realtors? (NAR) found that for sale by owner (FSBO) sales …
HOW TO TALK TO PARENTS ABOUT SELLING RESIDENCE AND MOVING INTO ASSISTED LIVING
How to Talk to Your Parents About Assisted Living Share: One of the most asked questions regarding senior care involves “the conversation”…or how to talk with your parents about assisted …
WHY CREATE A FOUNDATION?
OVERVIEW As charitable entities, private foundations have proven to be incredibly successful engines of positive change. In the 20th century, private foundations helped bring about everything from Sesame Street to …
WHAT IS A LIVING TRUST?
What is a ‘Living Trust’ A living trust is a type of trust created during a person’s lifetime. It’s designed to allow for the easy transfer of the trust creator …
WHAT IS PROBATE?
What is a ‘Probate’ A probate is a legal process in which a will is reviewed to determine whether it is valid and authentic. Probate also refers to the general …
HOW TO HANDLE TENANTS ABANDONED PROPERTY IN KANSAS
Here are some answers to common questions about handling a tenant’s abandoned property in Kansas. If a tenant leaves property behind, can I dispose of it as I see fit …
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS EVICTION PROCEEDURE
EVICTION PROCESS STEPS IN THE EVICTION PROCESS In All cases an attorney should be consulted for additional information. 1. NOTICE TO VACATE ? Written three (3) day notice to vacate, …
TOP 10 REASONS TO HAVE YOUR PROPERTY SURVEYED
So, you think you know everything there is to know about the legal description of your property. If you had to, you could dig up that old plat and calculate …
CONSTRUCTIVE EVICTION
Simply stated, “constructive eviction” is a landlord’s act or failure to act that substantially interferes with or permanently deprives a tenant from using its leased premises. Constructive eviction relieves tenants …
MAKE RENT PAYMENTS ONLINE
PAY RENT ONLINE: LIST OF ONLINE RENT PAYMENT TOOLS Simplify your rent collection. Instead of waiting for those checks to come in the mail or going and collecting the rent, …
10 REASONS TO RENT AND NOT BUY
We all know the potential problems with renting ? rent hikes, strict pet policies and less control over fixtures and paint color choices, to name a few. But beyond the …
AVAILABLE INSPECTIONS FOR HOME BUYERS
A general home inspection is a necessary and common step in the home-buying process. However, there are other potentially important inspections that could affect your home purchase. Usually suggested by …
TITLE AGENCY E&O INSURANCE
Being an abstractor, title agent, escrow/closing agent, notary public, or title examiner is a complex responsibility with customers expecting superior performance and error-free results. For example, a loan closer performed …
10 TIPS FOR RENTERS
Communication Considering that nearly 35% of Americans currently reside in approximately 40 million rental units throughout the country it is surprising that so few of us really understand how to …
COMPARING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Comparing commercial real estate to residential real estate is like comparing apples to oranges. Both are from the same genre, but that is where the similarities end. The following are …
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF REAL ESTATE
If you’ve ever house-hunted, you’ve probably got a sense that real estate purchases don’t represent consumers at their most rational. Did you like a house or apartment more, or less, …
A REAL ESTATE AGENTS VIEW OF FSBO TRANSACTIONS
PRICE Homeowners believe they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own, and while that may be true, studies have also show that homeowners net more money …
THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND LIABILITY-UNDISCLOSED DEFECTS
You recently moved into your new home. Prior to closing, you had an inspection performed and reviewed the Seller Disclosure. However, after the first rain storm you realize there are …
HIGHER RATE OF HISTORICAL RETURN – REAL ESTATE VS. STOCK MARKET
For the majority of U.S. history – or at least as far back as reliable information goes – housing prices have increased only slightly more than the level of inflation …
FILE AFFIDAVIT AFTER DEATH OF GRANTOR OF A BENEFICIARY DEED
Missouri Affidavit as to Death of Grantor The Nonprobate Transfers Law of Missouri, Sections 461.003 to 461.081 RSMo (2012) has been in effect since 1989. While the law is specific …
WHAT IS A TRANSACTIONAL REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY?
Transactional Real Estate Law January 17, 2013, By Guest Blogger By Troy A. Rule, Associate Professor of Law Almost every successful company needs physical space in which to operate. Consequently, …
AN AGENTS VIEW OF FSBO
In today’s market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their homes on their own, known in the industry as a …
FSBO VS AGENT?
SOURCE UNKNOWN HTTPS://FSBOMIDWEST.COM FSBO VS. AGENT Have you seen the claim that research shows that real estate agents sell homes for 13% higher prices than people who sell their homes …
MARRIAGE AND REAL ESTATE
Did you know that it matters whether or not a person is married when they are buying or selling a house? In Missouri, married people have marital rights to any …
6 TYPES OF HOME LOANS
If you’re shopping for a home, odds are you should be shopping for a home loan as well?and these days, it’s by no means a one-mortgage-fits-all model. Where you live, …
HOUSING TRENDS SINCE 1950: THE DIFFERENCE WILL SHOCK YOU
Housing Trends Since 1950: The Difference Will Shock You For the last few years, home buyers have done battle with some challenging housing trends: fewer homes to choose from, rising …
TOP TIPS FOR FILING A MECHANICS LIEN 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 …
5 TRICKS TO SAVE CASH ON REALTOR COMMISSIONS
The average 6 percent sales commission that most real estate agents get is a high price to pay, especially if you believe economists who say that realtors don’t sell homes …
HAS THE INTERNET KILLED REAL ESTATE AGENTS YET?
Has the Internet killed real estate agents yet? Back in 2002 when I was first interested in buying a house, I went on the Internet and found lots of houses …
TENANTS IN COMMON VS. JOINT TENANTS
What’s the Difference Between Joint Tenancy and Tenancy in Common? When two or more people own a home, either as a joint tenancy or tenancy in common, each individual owns …
THE AMERICAN DREAM
In 2007, the U.S. economy entered a mortgage crisis that caused panic and financial turmoil around the world. The financial markets became especially volatile, and the effects lasted for several …
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS BEING USED TO SELL REAL ESTATE
It’s crucial for home sellers and agents to remain active on social media Millennials now make up 66 percent of the market for first-time homebuyers, and 99 percent of those …
WHAT IS AN IMPLIED-IN-FACT CONTRACT?
An implied-in-fact contract is a form of an implied contract formed by non-verbal conduct, rather than by explicit words. The United States Supreme Court has defined it as “an agreement …
REMEDIES FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT
What are the Remedies for Breach of Contract? There are several remedies for breach of contract, such as award of damages, specific performance, rescission, andrestitution. In courts of limited jurisdiction, …
THE 4 CORNERS RULE FOR CONTRACT DISPUTES
One thing to keep in mind when it comes to contract disputes is that judges will typically reduce the dispute to the lowest common denominator, that is, they’ll narrow the …
12 WAYS TO FOUL UP A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION
12 Ways to Foul Up a Real Estate Transaction By Evan L. Loeffler One would think that the transfer of ownership of real estate from one party to another should …
MCDONALD’S IS A REAL ESTATE COMPANY
The success of McDonald’s can be attributed in part to the taste of the iconic fast food chain’s shakes and burgers. But the real secret sauce has everything to do …
REAL ESTATE AND MARRIAGE
Real Estate and Marriage Married couples usually own most, if not all, of their valuable property together. If you want to leave everything to your spouse, as many people do, …
WORLD WAR II – WOW HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN REAL ESTATE !!!
The most deadly and widespread war in modern history acted as a devilish bellows on the fire of the American economy. Developments in industry, aviation, medicine, electronics and atomic energy …
THE PROBATE PROCESS
The Probate Process The process unofficially ?begins? when a person dies. The person who passed away, known as the decedent, may or may not have left a will (or may …
LAWYERS ROLE IN A RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION
The purchase of a home is often the largest transaction a person will undertake in a lifetime. As a result, a prospective home buyer should take all precautions possible to …
FIXER RATE VS ADJUSTABLE RATE? 15 YEARS VS 30 YEARS
Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) Most every type of home loan program will offer the option of a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage. A fixed-rate mortgage will have the same …
UTILITY EASEMENTS
Don’t be startled to discover that you must ‘share? part of your land. In certain types of real estate transactions, it’s not until the middle of the deal that home …
REAL ESTATE PLATS SURVEYS
Plats and Surveys. What do these words mean? If you?ve recently purchased or acquired a tract of land and plan on dividing it, adding to it, or otherwise developing it, …
FSBO vs REAL ESTATE AGENT? ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Selling your home on your own is doable and maybe you don’t need a professional to get the job done but there are some things to consider before committing to …
RESIDENTIAL VS. COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT? ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
What’s better – single family rentals or multifamily properties Even in times like these, as commercial real estate is heating up and it’s more difficult to find good deals, investors …
CAPITAL GAINS ON PRIMARY RESIDENCE
Homeowners already know the many tax breaks that Uncle Sam offers, most notably mortgage interest and property tax deductions. Well, he also has good tax news for home sellers: Most …
WHAT IS WHOLESALING REAL ESTATE
Real estate wholesaling occurs when a party (the “wholeseller”) contracts with a home seller, markets the home to potential buyers, and then assigns the contract to one of them. The …
START REAL ESTATE INVESTING AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
There’s this old saying that says the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. That especially applies to investing. It’s never …
6 REAL ESTATE TRENDS TO LOOK FOR IN 2018
In 2017 Americans learned to expect the unexpected, whether it be politics, weather or housing. Driven by record low inventory, little about the housing market went as forecast last year. …
NEW TRENDS EMERGING IN REAL ESTATE – 2018
As the real estate market continues to evolve, new trends are emerging for 2018. Buyers will be more in control as the housing supply will finally catch up with buyer …
REAL ESTATE AND DIVORCE
When you’re divorcing, one of the questions curious friends and family eventually ask is, ?So . . . are you going to keep the house?? While a simple answer would …
RENTING VS. BUYING?
At what cost, percentage wise, is it better to rent than buy, if you plan on staying at a given location forever? Buying a home is likely the most expensive …
HAVE A REAL ESTATE LAWYER REVIEW YOUR DOCUMENTS !!!
Almost all real estate transactions begin with the signing of a real estate contract. This document is the most important document in the entire transaction. The contract sets forth the …
CAN A DRIVEWAY EASEMENT BE TERMINATED?
If you’ve been sharing a driveway with your neighbor for years courtesy of an easement on your property, there could come a time when the arrangement no longer works for …
IS POSSESSION REALLY 9/10THS OF THE LAW?
Possession is nine-tenths of the law is an expression meaning that ownership is easier to maintain if one has possession of something, or difficult to enforce if one does not. …
IS IT OK TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT? IF SO HOW?
Buying or selling a home rarely happens overnight, and it’s not uncommon for buyers or sellers to interface or even work with multiple agents. Best-case scenario, the right agent shows …
TENANTS IN COMMON OR JOINT TENANCY?
In Missouri, as is the case in other states, both real and personal property may be titled in many different ways. An individual may hold title to property. A corporation …
GIFT TAXES
A gift occurs when a voluntary transfer for less than full consideration or compensation occurs from a donor to a donee. A valid gift must satisfy the following criteria, to …
HOW MEDICAID RECOVERS THE COST OF LONG-TERM CARE FROM YOUR ESTATE AFTER YOU DIE
If Medicaid pays for nursing home care, the state can try to collect reimbursement for these costs from the person’s assets after he or she dies. Medicaid will often pay …
10 RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE SCAMS
1. Hackers Stealing Your Down Payment “A hacker could fool you into thinking he’s your agent and trick you into sending him money, which you’ll never get back. It’s so …
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MORTGAGE AND DEED OF TRUST?
Promissory Notes To fully understand the difference between a mortgage and a deed of trust, you must first understand promissory notes. Homebuyers usually think of the mortgage or deed of …
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TO OWNING A HOME
Owning a home is the fulfillment of the American dream. For others, it is their worst nightmare. Purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make …
ADVANTAGES OF AUCTIONING YOUR PROPERTY
An auction is a highly efficient and expeditious way to sell any type of real estate. The terms are straightforward and competitive bidding generates market value. Below are some key …
YOUR REALTOR NOT REPRESENTING YOUR INTERESTS?
It may be hard to believe, but I receive calls regularly from buyers and sellers that have become estranged from there realtor or feel they are being taken advantage of …
FSBO TRENDS IN THE MARKETPLACE
FSBO TRENDS IN THE MARKETPLACE The traditional way of selling real estate continues to change exponentially because of 1) a general dislike of real estate agents, 2) the desire to …
How do 20 somethings pay there rent? What is the effect of parental support of 20 somethings?
Almost half of people in their early 20s have a secret, one they don’t usually share even with friends: Their parents help them pay the rent. Moving into adulthood has …
Boundary Disputes
by: Andrew Sarazin Encountering a boundary dispute with an adjacent neighbor is a fairly common issue for landowners. There are many ways a boundary dispute can arise. Sometimes, deed descriptions …
There’s a Reason It’s Called the Practice of Law
A guy walks up to a lady on a New York City street and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” And the lady says, “Practice, young man. Practice.” …
Big Changes in Residential Real Estate Closing
?Changes mandated by the CFPB spell the end of “Closings” and the advent of the “Consummation.” The lending process for residential real estate closings is poised for dramatic changes later …
Residential Housing Post WWII
Background The end of World War II marked the beginning of a housing boom throughout the United States. Many returning soldiers became first time home owners with the help of …
Changes in the real estate market over the last 10 years
Homeowners are getting choosier.?Coldwell banker says?59% of homeowners accepted the first offer on a home sale 10 years back. Now, only 46% do so, suggesting owners are pickier in selling …
5 Most Common Seller Mistakes
Mistake #1 ? Overpricing Everyone wants to realize as much as possible when they list their home for sale. Here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, just like the …
Residential Housing after WWII
After world war two soldiers came home and mass prduced housing in suburbs became popular. ?In the Kansas City Area this is reflected in many subdivisions within the I-435 loop …
11 Reasons Why I Never Want To Own A House Again
11 Reasons Why I Never Want To Own A House Again Kelly Phillips Erb ,FORBES STAFF Homeownership isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Learn how to find the perfect …
The Internet Economy
Since the day the first domain was registered in 1985, the Internet has not stopped growing. It has sailed through multiple recessions and one near-collapse and kept on increasing in …
Mechanic’s liens Must be done right to be Effective
By Adam R. Burrus Mechanic’s liens provide vendors and laborers with an important way of protecting themselves from the danger of not being paid. However, if the liens are not …
HOW THE SHARING ECONOMY IS CHANGING THE MARKETPLACE
IN ABOUT 40 minutes, Cindy Manit will let a complete stranger into her car. An app on her windshield-mounted iPhone will summon her to a corner in San Francisco’s South …
Pay attention to this before making a decision on choosing a listing agent
The agent suggests the highest price for your house. If you’re selling your house, get listing presentations from at least three agents, who will tell you what comparable homes have …
Listing a property for sale?
7 Negotiating Points In Broker Listing Agreements Most sales of commercial real estate begin when the seller retains a broker. The seller’s choice of the broker can depend upon a …
What every 22 year old graduate should know about the job market
Maybe its because were taught to find an older mentor. Or maybe its because people who are gray around the temples simply look wiser. Whatever the reason, when you are …
New ways to profit from single family homes
Two-and-a-half years into the U.S. housing recovery, the real-estate industry is rolling out new ways for individuals to invest in the property market. Brokers, property managers and others are helping …
Is home ownership a thing of the past?
Kristi Taylor can pinpoint the precise moment she let go of the dream of homeownership. It was a few months ago, as she and her husband and infant son were …
Missouri Eviction Law
Any landlord who wishes to evict a residential tenant in Missouri must follow the steps of the Missouri eviction process. There are number of valid reasons for which a landlord …
Benefits of Owner Financing
Offering owner financing is a sensible way to sell property and extremely common all over the country (it has been estimated that approximately 10%-15% of property sold is now done …
11 questions to ask your property manager
While many investors spend a large amount of time and effort carefully researching the property markets and then finding the top investment, they ignore the role that a professional property …
How the Internet Changed the Real Estate Industry Forever
From the MLS to personal networks, the real estate industry thrives on the timely dissemination of information. Until recently, real estate professionals were the exclusive custodians of that information, and …
Real Estate Brokers/Unauthorized Practice of Law?
Unlike attorneys, real estate brokers do not have the same professional duties of loyalty to their clients. In many states, brokers are permitted by law to engage in “dual agency.” …
Sellers Disclosure Statement
The Riskiest Business Property condition disclosure is a major legal risk for brokers today, according to findings from NAR’s new Legal Scan analysis. OCTOBER 2011 | BY G.M. FILISKO The …
Enforcing a Judgement for Possession in Missouri
Your first priority may be to evict the tenant from the leased premises, which you will be entitled to do if you obtained a judgment for possession. Caution: To avoid …
Pros and Cons of being a Real Estate Agent
Would you like a career with a stable and steady income, guaranteed days off and a five-day workweek? Then being a real estate agent is NOT the job for you. …
Being a landlord: Is it worth it?
by Ellen Cannon Published on October 18th, 2012 This is a guest post from Holly Johnson. Holly is a 32-year-old wife, mother of two, and frugal lifestyle enthusiast. She blogs …
The incredible shrinking work space
The ?open office? environment has become increasingly popular as many corporate clients have made a concerted effort to reduce their real estate footprint while increasing collaboration among employees. The traditional …
Disclosures in A Residential Real Estate Transaction
Disclosing Defects When Selling a Home When a person is selling a home, they are generally obligated to disclose any material defects?or problems in the property. While laws covering full …
How are property taxes calculated?
By Chris Seabury ?| Every year, millions of homeowners deal with property taxes. In most situations, when the tax bill comes, if it seems reasonable, most people would pay it …
Is your neighbor or someone else stalking you? If so what can you do?
What if you live in Missouri and have a next door neighbor that has made living next to a living hell?. ?Such as spotlights being placed on the house so …
Here is a very good link for what sellers should do first before hiring a real estate agent
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/to-do-before-hiring-agent-1.aspx
Right to Marry Ruling: How it Affects Beneficiary Rights
by John Paul Ruiz, QKA, CISP, Director of Professional Development on Jun 29, 2014 On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban on same sex-marriages in the …
Overview of real estate markets
The main participants in real estate markets are: Owner/user: These people are both owners and tenants. They purchase houses or commercial property?as an investment and also to live in or …
Avoid Common Title Problems By Better Understanding the Different Types of Ownership
We often hear from taxpayers — all well-intentioned — who lost or seriously compromised their valuable exemptions or Save Our Homes (SOH) protection when they made ?do-it-yourself? changes to a …
Joint Tenancy
What is a Joint Tenancy? Joint tenancy is a form of ownership by two or more individuals together. It differs from other types of co-ownership in that the surviving joint …
Tenancy by the Entireties exemption for Married Couples Holds ? Case Law Update
By Kansas City Divorce Attorney Mark Wortman on February 8, 2009. The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Southern District of Missouri has just recently upheld the Missouri exemption (protection …
10 Things Landlords Should Know About Fair Housing
By Kristi Bunge Sounds pretty simple if there are just 10 things to advise Landlords about with regard to fair housing law. Unfortunately there are more than just the 10 …
How to Profit From Your Basement Rental
Renting out part of your home can boost cash flow, but first take a look at what it takes to be a landlord. By Pat Mertz Esswein, August 2011 Homeowners …
Current state of the real estate market (2015)
Wild fluctuations in the nation’s real estate cycle have taken investors on a roller coaster ride since the early part of this century. From the first decade, marked by overheated …
Current state of the Kansas City Real Estate Market
KC Star 12/4/2015 Over the past five years, the Missouri housing market has been slow to recover. However, some argue the market’s recovery started in 2011. It wasn’t until 2012, …
Beware of garage doors
From Kansas City Star 7/22/2015 – You pass through it every day, often multiple times a day. Heading to work. Dropping the kids off. Running errands. The garage door has …
Illegal use of premises in Missouri
Be carefull what you do if you are a tenant. ?Missouri law allows a landlord an expedited proceedure for eviction in the case of certain illegal uses of the premises. …
Boundry Disputes
Humans have the territorial instincts of jungle beasts. Boundary disputes costing thousands of pounds in legal and surveyors’ fees are often fought over a few centimetres. A spiral of charges …
REAL ESTATE TRENDS 2015
BY BETH BRAVERMAN, The Fiscal Times March 27, 2015 Along with green shoots and chirping birds, one sure sign of spring is popping up in neighborhoods across the country: For …
Population growth north of the river remains a key asset in creating a more vibrant future for Kansas City.
BY YAEL T. ABOUHALKAH abouhalkah@kcstar.com Welcome to the fastest-growing county in the Kansas City area, where houses, schools and shops are being built to serve a flood of new residents. …
The Tax Benefits of Equity Real Estate Investing
Written by Realty Mogul Equity real estate investing has real tax benefits The tax benefits of real estate investing are attractive, but until recently many investors had difficulty participating in …
Seller Financing
Seller financing can be a useful tool in a tight credit market. It allows sellers to move a home faster and get a sizable return on the investment. And buyers …
Foreclosures Further Fade Away
DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015 Foreclosure inventory plunged nearly 25 percent in April as the number of completed foreclosures which reflect the total number of homes …
Winners and loosers if inflation rises
The word “inflation” strikes fear into the hearts of many Americans. It conjures worries of a stagnating economy, rising prices, a falling dollar and an income that just can’t keep …
Financial gain better for the older generation
Most Americans suffered serious losses during and after the recession, knocked off balance by layoffs, stagnant pay, and the collapse of home values. But apart from the super-rich, one group’s …
Real Estate Services Available
Real Estate Services: Construction Law Purchase Agreements Financing Refinancing Title Insurance Claims Title Examination Short Sales Foreclosure Sheriff’s Sale Trustee’s Sale Eminent Domain Condemnation Loan Documentation Commercial Transactions Boundary & …
Ted Ehney Jr. – Second Chances
ROB ROBERTS | KCBJ A partnership led by Ted Ehney Jr. plans to redevelop this tower and attached annex at 601 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kan., into a mixed-use …
Non Traditional Home Sales – Seller Financing, Lease Purchase, Installment Sales
In today’s changing market homes are selling in more “nontraditional” ways than in the recent “bubbly” past. ?The three most common varieties of nontraditional sale are private money (otherwise known …
New Ways to Profit From Renting Out Single-Family Homes
By ANNAMARIA ANDRIOTIS Two-and-a-half years into the U.S. housing recovery, the real-estate industry is rolling out new ways for individuals to invest in the property market. Brokers, property managers and …
Kansas City: Real Estate and Market Trends
By Than Merrill? ?Over the past five years, the Missouri housing market has been slow to recover. However, some argue the market’s recovery started in 2011. It wasn’t until 2012, …
Sellers market
May 28, 2015 Kent Hoover Sellers are in the driver’s seat in the housing market since there are lots of buyers looking at a limited number of houses. Sellers are …
All cash buyers……
One in three buyers of U.S. homes is paying cash, a record high number, according to data made available to McClatchy Newspapers. The trend is being driven by retiring baby …
KCLAWYER serving the following Missouri communities
kcrealestatelawyer – Mark A. Roy – ‘serves clients in Jackson County, Clay County, Platte County and Ray County and the communities of Kansas City, North Kansas City, Raytown, Grandview, Lee’s …
If you plan to buy your first home, trade up to a larger home, or downsize now that your children are out on their own, or are in the process of selling your property, Mark A. Roy, a real estate lawyer can provide you with insight and legal guidance from start to finish.
If you’re a buyer, our lawfirm can: Explain the terms of your purchase contract Protect you from hidden liabilities with respect to your new home Review real estate documents that …
Does bankruptcy ever make sense?
Filing bankruptcy can be a long-term solution for some people, depending on what the debtor is trying to accomplish. ?Benefits provided by bankruptcy: Surrender ? If a debtor wishes to …
From Broke to $4,600/Mo in Passive Income By Age 28
By Brandon Turner I knew it would be the worst day of my life. Throughout my childhood and teen years, I saw it coming. And it scared me to death. …
US Home ownership rate will be at a plateau for several more years
Only about one in four former homeowners who lost property during the housing crash will soon become buyers again as tight credit keeps many out of the U.S. real estate …
Are the days of Real Estate Investment over?
Real estate has been one of the best performing assets since 2009. No, we’re not talking about regular people’s homes. The biggest gains have come from so-called real estate investment …
The effect of Inflation on Housing Prices
A house is a better hedge against inflation than a savings account. Inflation is often defined as a sustained increase in prices for a broad range of goods. Economists explain …
THE NEW URBANISM TREND: LIVING AT THE SHOPPING CENTER
THE NEW URBANISM TREND: LIVING AT THE SHOPPING CENTER The 10-year-old Zona Rosa, the $200 million mixed-use neighborhood up north at Barry Road, is largely credited as jump-starting the latest …
Tips on staging your home for showing prospective buyers
Even with forecasts for a rise in home-improvement spending this year, it’s still going to be a challenge to convince sellers to pay for upgrades that will please buyers. But …
Getting your mortgage paid quickly and not over 15-30 years
For most people, a 30 year mortgage is the easiest path to home ownership. While a 30 year loan makes it a lot easier to land a new home, it’s …
Ten Landlord Legal Mistakes to Avoid
Asking Discriminating Questions A landlord should refrain from asking certain questions to a prospective tenant. This is one of the more serious legal mistakes that landlords make. Because the federal …
Trends in residential real estate
BY BETH BRAVERMAN, The Fiscal Times March 27, 2015 Along with green shoots and chirping birds, one sure sign of spring is popping up in neighborhoods across the country: For …
Is forgiveness of debt on a home loan taxable income?
Unfortunately – this act expired December 31st, 2014, however the exceptions below are still in effect. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation If you owe a debt …
Traditional Sale vs. Auction?
When you hear of a property going to auction, do you immediately assume that the property is in the hands of a bank or a foreclosure company attempting to recover …
Hire an agent or attorney? Get both – Mark A. Roy Attorney/Broker(agent)
It’s no secret that real estate agents earn high commissions. Although the commission is usually paid by the seller, the cost may be indirectly passed on to you. And real …
3 keys to success for investors
Investors should consider three keys to success: 1. Pay off the mortgages. Assuming you purchase property that is profitable from the start, not having a mortgage every month can significantly …
REAL ESTATE SALES SUGGESTIONS
Selling your house can be one of the most tense and emotional tasks you will face in your life. For most, the house became a place to express yourself and …
Sellers Market
All numbers appear to be indicate that as of today 4/9/2015 it is a seller market. If you have a portfolio of properties to sell this would be a great …
Homebuilder confidence is falling
Homebuilders’ confidence fell in October 2014 after four months of gains that had pushed the indicator to the highest level in nine years.
Mortgage rates tumble
Mortgage rates tumbled this week. The 30 loan hit its lowest since June 2013 as Treasury bond yields marked new lows amid concern over global economic weakness.
KC Area sees home sales decline slightly, but prices rise
Sales of new and existing homes was down 1% from July 2013. Existing home sales fell 1% but new home sales were up 2% from 1 year ago. The average …