Beware of the Promises Yo…

Beware of the Promises You Make

Some time ago, a client of mine signed an agreement to sell real estate that he co-owned with his wife. Unfortunately, he failed to consult with her beforehand. When she refused to go along with the sale, my client tried to get out of the deal by arg… Read More
Read More
Commercial Landlords &…

Commercial Landlords & Cannabis Leases

Tenants who intend to operate a marijuana business must negotiate for substantial changes to the boilerplate provisions of the landlord’s form lease. There are several factors to consider when navigating a new lease: Most leases allow the landl… Read More
Read More
Lien In

Lien In

Disputes between contractors and homeowners are common. The owner runs out of funds midway through the project and cannot pay what is owed to the builder. The owner is unhappy with the quality of work and refuses to pay until the alleged mistakes are… Read More
Read More
Substantial Change to Pro…

Substantial Change to Property Tax Foreclosures

A few years ago, we helped a client who had lost a residential income property to tax foreclosure for failing to pay what began as less than $100 in property taxes (attributable to an inadvertent oversight). The house was ultimately sold by the count… Read More
Read More

Title Theft… Should I Be Worried?

I’ve been hearing a lot of ads lately for a subscription service that promises to protect you and your property from title theft – for a monthly fee, of course. According to the ads, the FBI believes that title theft is the fastest growing cyber-… Read More
Read More
The Right Direction on Re…

The Right Direction on Reverse Mortgages

“It’s easy to think [a reverse mortgage] can be the answer to your prayers,” said Danielle Laura of the Wayne Metro Community Action Agency. “My advice would be that a little healthy skepticism never hurt anyone.” Revers… Read More
Read More
Does Taxable Value Equal…

Does Taxable Value Equal Market Value?

If you’ve lived in Michigan a while, you know that we have a quirky system for determining the “Taxable Value” of residential real estate. Under Proposal A (passed in 1994), the increase in the taxable value of residential real estate cannot ex… Read More
Read More
Real Property Pitfalls

Real Property Pitfalls

I’m constantly amazed at the number of ways that people can mess up real estate transactions. Just this past week, two particularly striking examples crossed my desk. The first was an easement agreement prepared by one attorney and reviewed by a se… Read More
Read More

The Scams Just Keep on Coming

Scams can be big and bold, small and pesky, or anything in between. Here are a couple that probably qualify as small and pesky, yet are of interest because they target us here in Michigan: The Principal Residence Exemption (PRE), which gives Michigan… Read More
Read More

Spot the Difference

Real estate transactions are a big part of what we do at Wright Beamer. Lately I’ve noticed an uptick in sales involving commercial properties using residential purchase agreements. Here are a few reasons why it is never a good idea to use a one-si… Read More
Read More