Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Law Blog

How to protect your property title with a warranty deed

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

Finding the right home can be a tough process. You have a list of features you want, an idea of what area you want to live in and a budget to stay within. When you are home shopping, you may end up compromising on some things. One thing you never want to compromise on is making sure you have a clear title on your property.

Many people protect their new home’s title through buying title insurance. When you sign up for title insurance, a company searches for possible claims or liens against your property’s title. The insurance company then remedies any issues and continues to insure your claim to the property.

Issues that lead to real estate litigation

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Real Estate Disputes on Friday, September 14, 2018.

Real estate disputes can be caused by a range of problems, some of which are very easy to fix and others that require litigation to solve. Depending on the dispute, you very well could find yourself sitting face-to-face with the other party in a courtroom because you've exhausted all other options. Let's take a look at the issues that can lead to real estate litigation when involved in a dispute.

One of the most common reasons a real estate dispute ends in litigation is a breach of contract. It's very easy to breach the terms of a contract even though it is wrong. Breach of contract occurs when one or more parties involved in a contract break the terms of that contract by either failing to complete the requirements or not issuing payment after services have been rendered.

Items needed in a real estate contract for it to be approved

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Residential Real Estate on Friday, September 7, 2018.

If you are planning to enter into the real estate market in Fort Lauderdale, or any other area in South Florida, it is important that you know what is required in order to have a valid and binding contract. You will want to ensure that when you enter into a contract to buy or sell your property that every "I" is dotted and "T" is crossed so that the purchase/sale does not fail because the contract is faulty.

Investigation launched in Florida into mortgage investment deal

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Commercial Real Estate on Thursday, August 30, 2018.

An investigation has been launched by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation into the promise of thousands of dollars in investments for borrowers of home mortgagees. The investigation was launched into Five Star Elite Services, which is headquartered in Orlando. The investigation came to fruition after an investigative report from News 6.

According to the offer from the lender, the recipient would be able to earn thousands of dollars in investment payments that would come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through what is known as a REMIC. A REMIC is a real estate mortgage investment conduit.

Fisher Island condo sold after legal dispute involving buyer

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Real Estate Disputes on Monday, August 27, 2018.

A condo on Fisher Island was recently sold after a previous legal dispute involving the buyer was resolved. The condo on Fisher Island was purchased for $6.44 million by a Mexican billionaire. The unit, which is part of Bayview at Fisher Island was purchased through the Antarctica International entity.

The condo, which has three bedrooms, was sold by one of the richest women in Poland. She is a well-known collector of art. The last time the unit changed hands was in 2008 when it was sold for $3.8 million at that time. The Polish art collector sold the unit to its most recent buyer for roughly $1,800 per square foot.

Common issues with property titles

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Mortgages on Friday, August 24, 2018.

When you prepare to purchase a new home, you will likely hear discussions about property title searches from the realtor or your real estate attorney. This is something important to listen to and understand so that you do not come across any issues down the road. Let's take a look at the most common issues with property titles.

One of the most common and devastating issues with a property title involves liens. Liens might have been placed on your new home because of unpaid bills or other issues from the previous owner. Even though you are a new owner, the liens will still be placed on the property until they are resolved.

What legal documents will I need to sell my home?

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Real Estate Transactions on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

The decision to sell your home is never an easy one, even if you have to move because of work or some other important reason. As you prepare to list the home on the market in Fort Lauderdale, you will want to make sure you have all the required legal documents in order. Preparing these documents prior to listing the home can make the sale a smooth one for both parties.

The deed is above and beyond the most important legal document you will need when selling your home. If you cannot find the deed, you will have to obtain a copy of it from the county clerk. The deed will be used to transfer the ownership of the home from you to the buyer when the time comes.

Home appraisal came in low? There are options

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. on Thursday, August 2, 2018.

Are you a home seller who was hit with an appraised value of your house that came in lower than you expected? It most likely put a screeching halt to an impending sale. This will happen when you accept an offer only to have it negated with an appraisal on your home that comes in lower than the agreed upon price.

Since banks usually only lend enough money to purchase a home priced at or above the appraised value, the gap between the selling price and appraised price may stop the sale. The good news, there are ways to challenge your appraisal and possibly get the value back in line with your asking price.

Tips for purchasing a vacant lot

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Residential Real Estate on Friday, July 27, 2018.

It can be extremely difficult to find the home of your dreams, especially when you are looking at older homes that need a lot of work. Even though the market fluctuates, it can still be hard to find what it is you want in Fort Lauderdale. One way to circumvent this problem is to purchase vacant land and custom build the home of your dreams.

You need to know that there are quite a few issues that can arise when building your dream home on a vacant lot. The process isn't as simple as buying the land, hiring a builder and then moving into the home once it is complete. You need to deal with zoning laws, easements, environmental factors and much more.

Reasons you need an attorney for a commercial transaction

On behalf of Law Office of Kimberly A. Abrams & Associates, P.A. posted in Commercial Real Estate on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

Commercial transactions are some of the most complex real estate transactions you can enter into in Florida. Purchasing or selling a commercial property should never be ventured into without the assistance of an experienced commercial real estate attorney. Today, we will discuss some of the most common reasons why you would need an attorney for a commercial transaction.

There's no guarantee that the commercial transaction in which you are involved will be a simple one. You could run into a lot of problems and find a lot of holes in the contract that has been presented. It is nearly impossible to handle such a transaction by yourself. You need to have a keen eye for detail and spend hours pouring over laws, rules and contract terms to ensure that you are not getting the short end of the stick.