Florida real estate investors have long used land trusts as a versatile legal tool with multiple benefits. The basic framework of a land trust is as follows: The property owner conveys title through a deed to the new owner, the trust. The trustee of the trust holds legal title, while the beneficiary owns a beneficial interest in […]
A common investor buyer practice, especially among wholesalers, is to file a document in the public records to preserve their contract rights and “cloud” the property’s title in case the seller fails to honor the contract. Investors are taught to file a “notice of contract” or similar document, which will turn up during a title […]
Inheriting Real Estate I previously have written about considerations for heirs inheriting real estate in Florida who want to sell the property, such as in this blog article: https://www.legalteamusa.net/strategic-default-appropriate-decision/. Now, I’ll discuss issues related to how heirs can generate income through seller-financing an estate property. Many heirs have a greater need for income than to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Option: Selling to an Investor There are many real estate investors very interested in buying properties out of probate. Some investors specialize in this market and manage marketing campaigns targeting heirs. The most common way to reach heirs is by getting their addresses through public record probate filings used to send direct mail pitches to […]
All Florida landlords should read and understand the state’s landlord-tenant laws found in Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes. A part of the law that contains pitfalls and has historically caused problems for investors is 83.49. This subsection covers tenant security deposits and the rules governing how landlords may hold and refund deposits following the […]

