With apologies to Randy Newman and his classic 1970’s song, Short People, this refrain, “Don’t Want No Short Sales ‘Round Here,” equally applies to the lenders who must process and approve requests for short sales as well as the attorneys and closing agents and their...
PACE financing is a fast way to finance improvements to your home if the improvements increase energy efficiency and lower operating costs, and/or improve resistance to hurricane damage. PACE, which stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy, is administered by the Ygrene Energy Fund and is...
How many times do clients, looking for ways to save money at closing, ask whether they really need a survey? Hopefully, not too often because a survey, and in particular, an ALTA survey, is required to satisfy the title insurance requirements to delete the survey...
Very often, contract negotiations get hung up on two important, but related issues: price and entitlements. Why are these issues related? Because to a buyer, land has far less value without entitlements than it does if fully entitled. Most sellers, however, believe that they are...
Many contracts and leases leave the parties to determine a future purchase price or rent between themselves as set by the then “Fair Market Value” (FMV). The crafty draftsperson will often try to sneak in language “as determined by seller (or landlord)”. But smart buyers...
Usually, it is a good thing when an anchor tenant decides that it is time for a massive renovation that requires Landlord to totally renovate and redesign the shopping center. It should mean a good face lift and upgrades for the local tenants. However, there...
In 1983, the New Jersey Supreme Court, in the landmark case, Burlington NAACP v. Mt. Laurel Township, limited the use of exclusionary zoning as a means of preventing the construction of affordable housing in wealthy communities. The Mt. Laurel case shaped zoning law across the...
Over the last 30 years, I have handled more residential closings than I can remember. I have grown pretty numb to the process that my buyers and sellers go through. While I like to think that I patiently answer all their questions, I know that...
The Miami-Dade County Commission has given zoning approval to Triple Five Worldwide Group’s plan to build American Dream Miami which will be the largest mall in North America. To call American Dream Miami a mall is not a fair description. It will be a 6...
Florida Statutes Section 713.13 provides that an owner shall record a Notice of Commencement prior to commencing to improve real property, or recommencing completion of any improvements after default or abandonment of the construction. Without going into all of the details and nuances of Florida’s...