Two people exchanging money and real estate under new FinCEN real estate reporting rule targeting money laundering in property deals

New Real Estate Reporting Rule

New real estate reporting rule affecting buyers The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued a rule intended to ferret out and deter money laundering in the U.S. residential real estate market. The rule requires certain information to… Read More
Read More
In the Family

In the Family

Have you ever wondered what happens when a family inherits property without a clear plan? Often, it leads to complications, especially when multiple family members become co-owners. To address these challenges, Governor Whitmer recently signed the Un… Read More
Read More
On the Record

On the Record

Governor Whitmer recently extended the deadline under Michigan’s Marketable Record Title Act (MRTA) to September 29, 2025. Certain property interests are extinguished if they are not protected by appearance or reference in a property’s chain of t… Read More
Read More
Short-Term Rental Review

Short-Term Rental Review

Short-terms rentals have become increasingly popular with real estate investors and those who want to purchase a retirement or vacation home for the future but are willing to rent it to vacationers during the intervening years. Whether you are consid… Read More
Read More
Let the Buyer Beware

Let the Buyer Beware

Do you hear a soft exhale on the summer breeze? Home sellers statewide are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Just last week, the Michigan Supreme Court overturned a 2021 Court of Appeals decision that made home sellers liable for a building code… Read More
Read More
Tailoring leases for shopping center tenants

Tailoring Tenant Terms

A shopping center’s tenants may include gyms, retailers, and restaurants. However, the landlord will likely present all tenants of the shopping center with the same boilerplate “form lease” that does not account for the tenants’ different nee… Read More
Read More
Homeowner calculating principal residence exemption

It’s All in the Paperwork

Michigan homeowners can claim an exemption on the property taxes levied against their primary residence. The size of the exemption is not insignificant. If the “taxable value” on your notice of assessment is $150,000, for example, the “principa… Read More
Read More
In Exchange

In Exchange

Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code provides a valuable tax deferral mechanism for real estate investors. The provision, commonly referred to as a “like-kind exchange,” allows for the exchange of one investment property for another… Read More
Read More
For rent sign on the side of commercial building

Get the Memo!

Many commercial leases contain a provision either permitting or prohibiting the parties from recording a Memorandum of Lease. Although a Memorandum of Lease is not the most complex aspect of any lease, it may provide crucial protection to certain ren… Read More
Read More
Commercial lease on desk with rent payment, keys, and calculator

Commercial Leases and Frustrated Purposes

Unlike residential tenants, most commercial tenants were not relieved of the obligation to pay rent during the pandemic. In a recent case, the tenant alleged that the purpose of the lease—to use the property to operate a gym—was frustrated by the… Read More
Read More