Real Estate Newsletters

The Doctrine of Waste

The rationale behind the doctrine of waste is that one who is entitled to receive a future interest in real property is entitled to receive the property in the same condition it was in at the time the future interest was created by the original grantor. Although the doctrine of waste may prevent changes that increase the value of the property, more often it refers to action or inaction that damages the property in some respect.

Insuring Your Real Estate against Liability

A homeowner, a landlord, or a tenant may be subject to liability if someone is injured on the premises. If there is no insurance, the damages will have to be paid out of pocket. Various types of insurance policies can shift liability from the property owner to an insurance company in exchange for the payment of premiums.

The Deed in a Residential Real Estate Sale

A transfer of land from a seller to a buyer must be accomplished through written documentation in order to satisfy requirements of the Statute of Frauds. Typically, real estate transactions involve many written documents from the offer, which is usually in the form of a contract to purchase, to the deed.

Preparing to Sell Your Home

So you have decided to sell your home! With so much to do, it is often difficult to determine where to start. In the way of a few helpful suggestions to make the process more manageable, you might consider the following:

Wrap-Around Mortgages

A wrap-around mortgage refers to a type of loan transaction. With a wrap-around mortgage, a lender (often the seller of property) assumes or continues responsibility for an existing mortgage and makes a new mortgage for an additional sum which essentially "wraps" around the old mortgage, because the lender will make the payments on the old mortgage.