Author Archives: Larry Bray
Prequalification and Preapproval for Home Loans: What’s the Difference?
Let’s say you’re trying to sell a house, and your agent or attorney tells you that a potential buyer is prequalified for a loan. Great news—it looks like if you contract you won’t have to worry about the loan contingency! Or is it great news? Does your buyer need to be pre qualified or… Read More »
Land, Trees, and Property Boundaries
When we buy or own property, we are distinctly aware of the boundaries—we know where our property ends and begins, and where our neighbors’ property does the same, and we know what is on our property is ours and the same for our neighbor. But trees and foliage don’t really care about your property… Read More »
The Pros and Cons of Hard Money Lenders
You may have heard of friends or others, who get loans for real estate purchases through what are known as hard money lenders. Many speak positively about the benefits of hard money lending, but before you resort to using them, there are things that you should know about them. What is a Hard Money… Read More »
What Does a Title Search on Property Reveal?
People have contradictory feelings when it comes to title searches, when they’re buying property. Many see them as an extra expense, a nuisance, or another barrier to just buying the property that they want. Until the title search reveals something that the buyer wouldn’t have otherwise known, in which case, the buyer breathes a… Read More »
Including (and Leaving Out) Step Children in an Estate Plan
For many of us, step children are like our flesh and blood; it doesn’t matter what the biology is, our step-children are ours like any other person’s child. But the law doesn’t see it that way, when it comes to inheritances. That’s why, if you have step children, you may have to do some… Read More »
Spotting Dementia Early is Important in Estate Planning
Dementia, and the signs and symptoms of it, play a large and unique role in the world of estate planning. That’s because estate planning is largely about creating legal documents that distribute your property. If you don’t have the mental acuity or competency to do that knowingly, everything you create could get challenged, or… Read More »
How and Why Realtors Get Sued
Real estate agents and realtors play important roles in the closing process. But, as the saying goes, with power comes responsibility. And sometimes, real estate agents either don’t use that power correctly, or else, upset buyers or sellers will point the finger at real estate agents, leading to lawsuits. Why do real estate agents… Read More »
Make Sure You Understand Your Commercial Lease
Residential leases tend to be somewhat standard. Although they can differ from lease to lease, Florida statutes do regulate, to some extent, what landlords can and cannot do, and the burdens, duties and obligations of landlord and tenant. But commercial leases aren’t the same thing. Commercial leases are very much the “wild west” of… Read More »
The Personal Representative’s Role in Probate Cases
When you are making and creating an estate plan, you will be asked to name a Personal Representative. Even if you’re not making an estate plan—there could come a day when you are named as and called on to serve as a Personal Representative. All this is why it is important to know what… Read More »
How and Why to Value Assets Left in Your Estate Plan
Other than things that we tend to collect specifically for their value, or perhaps with real estate that we own, we often don’t give much thought to how much the things that we own are actually worth. But when it comes to estate planning and probate, the value of what you are leaving to… Read More »
