Category Archives: Real Estate
A Cautionary Tale: Are Home Warranties Worth It?
What follows is a case study on whether home warranties are “worth it.” I have been given permission to tell this story, but not to disclose the names of the parties involved. Therefore, I’ll call the homeowner in this story “Homer” and the home warranty company “HWC.” Incidentally, Homer is someone near and dear… Read More »
Texas Homeowners’ Association Rules vs. Municipal Ordinances
Houston, Texas, is a sprawling municipality, encompassing 655 square miles, the largest land area by far of the 10 most populated American cities. [1] When you travel our city, you quickly realize there are no true commercial, residential or high-rise areas of town, as there are no strict “zoning” laws that regulate development. There… Read More »
Home Equity Loan Restrictions Lifted in Texas with Low Voter Turnout
Texas voters amended the state Constitution in the last election (November 2017), to make home equity loans more accessible in the Lone Star state. In November 2017, seven new Constitutional amendments became law, despite few Texans going to the polls. According to the Texas Secretary of State, we have 15,099,137 registered voters, which accounts… Read More »
Caveat Emptor: Material and Nonmaterial Corrections to Deeds
In a previous article, we examined the anatomy of a deed. In this follow-up, we will examine a few options to correct certain errors in deeds. But first, let’s spend a moment on how errors in deeds tend to occur in the first place. The ordinary system of conveying title to real property can… Read More »
Anatomy of a Multifamily Real Estate Syndication
Two articles ago, I explained why “the best investment on Earth is earth.” Last month, I showed you why apartment complexes are the best of all real estate investments. But if you want to buy a midsize apartment building, unless you’ve got $10 million or so in cash sitting in your bank — in… Read More »
Hurricanes and Catastrophic Status in Texas Property Law
For those of us that live on the Texas Gulf Coast, and particularly Houston and surrounding areas, it is painfully evident that the struggle to recover from the floods of Harvey continues, and complete recovery is unimaginable. This blog follows several blogs by our firm touching on property law issues that have manifested in… Read More »
Hurricane Harvey Underscores Flooding Definitions in Real Estate
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have devastated property in the coastal regions of our country, especially in Texas and Florida. For insurance purposes, it may be necessary to determine whether damage to a particular property is a result of “windstorm” or “flooding,” which generally depends on how those terms are defined in the insurance policy…. Read More »
Why Multifamily Real Estate is an Evergreen Investment
In my last article, I showed you why real estate is the best investment out there – why “the best investment on Earth is earth.” And of all possible real estate investments – single-family, retail, office, industrial, you name it – apartments are the best of the bunch. If you buy a $4 million apartment complex… Read More »
Who Owns the Street?
They say that all roads lead to Rome, but does anybody ever wonder who owns those roads? We occasionally encounter that question in our practice, and the answer often varies. In common parlance, the term “road” generally refers to an unimproved public way, while the term “street” refers to an improved public way—hence why… Read More »
Why is Real Estate Investing So Ideal?
“The best investment on Earth is earth.” – Louis Glickman Chris Rock once famously explained the difference between rich and wealthy: Shaquille O’Neal is rich, Rock said. The man who signs his checks is wealthy. And if you want to get wealthy in America – to acquire life-changing, generations-lasting wealth – the surest and… Read More »