Real Estate Law

I enjoy working on real estate matters, and I have found that people planning their estates and people running their businesses often have to consider the real property they own.

I help people who are buying real property with their negotiations and contracts. This includes review and advice on sales contracts, escrow instructions, installment contracts, required disclosures and so forth. I can advise on the implications of title insurance and liens you may discover on the property, and the ways in which you may want to take title, which can include cotenancy, joint tenancy, community property, and community property with rights of survivorship. If you want to acquire property through a legal entity such as a limited liability company, I can steer you in the right direction.

I can advise you on working with real estate brokers and their duties, including the rules on licensing, property management, inspections and disclosures, listing properties, broker commissions and advertising.

I can also help you work with mortgage brokers, with lenders and with appraisers.

As an attorney experienced with wills, estates and trusts, I know the ins and outs of selling property through a trust or through a probate.

International Real Estate Issues

As you might have guessed, I am able to advise people who own property in another country with the legal issues they face. U.S. citizens, for example, often don’t realize that they need to report income from a property abroad, to report the sale from a property abroad or to need report the inheritance of property abroad worth more than $ 100,000.

I have a particular interest in working with people who own property in France or other French-speaking countries. I am able to collaborate with the notaire and other French professionals who will effect transactions in real estate.