Emotional Support Animal Laws in Florida The Florida legislature recently passed SB 1084 to create clarity and more consistent legal standards for emotional support animals (ESA) in housing. On July 1, 2020, the law went into effect. This article discusses some of the most significant aspects of the new law. People with disabilities and disability-related […]
Widerman Malek Law Blog
Types of Joint Property Titles and Protecting Your Financial Interests
For better or worse, in an economic crisis real estate often becomes a leading topic of interest, especially for existing property owners and potential owners. Whether you currently own property or are interested in purchasing property that becomes available, understanding the property title is important. It can be even more crucial when the property is […]
Real Estate Market and COVID-19 Crisis: Impacts, Lessons and Plans
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has pushed the U.S., and the rest of the world, into an economic recession. All stakeholders in the real estate market – lenders, borrowers, landlords, and tenants – will suffer consequences, and many, severely. To help those who are affected understand and respond to the impacts, this article reviews the current […]
What New Real Estate Investors Should Know About Wholesaling
Real Estate & Wholesaling Real estate investing should be part of every wealth-building strategy. In Florida, we’ve enjoyed a hot real estate market for several years after recovering from the historic crash and global recession of a decade ago. A popular investing strategy, especially for new investors, is called wholesale investing or “wholesaling.” I have […]
Property taxes too high? How to use your county’s Value Adjustment Board to ensure you’re not paying too much
Are your property taxes just too high? Do you think that your home is overvalued on the tax rolls? You may be able to challenge the value of your home in front of your county’s Value Adjustment Board. If you received your TRIM notice from the Property Appraiser and believe your property is valued too […]
What you need to know prior to a Rezoning, Variance or other local government public hearing
In Florida, there are two types of hearings that a local government can have. Both of those decisions carry different standards of review and different methods of conducting these hearings. These hearing types are legislative and quasi judicial. It is important to note that the form of the local governmental decision does not control whether […]
Ways to Sell Real Estate with Deferred Payment: Seller-Financing and Option Agreements
Many property-owners encounter opportunities to sell their properties in unconventional ways. Often, these opportunities involve selling to a buyer who will not fully pay the purchase price, whether with cash or lender-financing, up front. There are situations beneficial to the seller to consider such options. This article will summarize two common scenarios for deferred payment […]
Understanding Liens—a Gold Mine or Land Mine, Part 3
We ended our last blog with a land mine many investors face during a purchase of a property in foreclosure – unknown or unforeseen liens such as past HOA dues. Because foreclosures present good purchase opportunities for investors, it’s important for investors to understand basic concepts in the foreclosure process. All foreclosures are actions are […]
Understanding Liens—a Gold Mine or Land Mine, Part 2
In Part One of this series, I discussed the importance for investors to know just what they are buying when seeking out distressed property. As described in the our first blog, it is ok to buy that 7-11 hot dog, but only if that’s the value purchase you intend to make. Investors should know what […]
Understanding Liens—a Gold Mine or Land Mine, Part 1
Warren Buffet is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time. Though he’s not famous for real estate investing, his principles are universal. Buffet built his fortune on value investing and the idea that you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. He has long talked about buying shares […]
