Did you know that some of that boilerplate language in your lease might cost you thousands of dollars in a lawsuit brought by your tenant? It can happen to you if you are a landlord in the City of Cleveland. The little known Chapter 375 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, titled “Landlords and […]
Over the few years I’ve been active on the website BiggerPockets, I’ve seen a few commercial printers pushing their top-of-the-line products for direct mail — official-looking envelopes that look like they’re being sent from the government. Here’s one example, from the “Department of Rate Notification Services,” in an official looking “zip envelope.” Here’s another example, […]
The debate about the legality of wholesaling burns brightly on BiggerPockets and the rest of the Internet. I’ve said my peace on the matter before, so today I want to talk about something different: deceptive practices. Wholesalers often find themselves stretching the truth to close the deal, whether it’s misrepresenting that you’re the end buyer, or even […]
A standard Buy-Sell Agreement might provide for an appraisal prior to a buyout. These agreements don’t anticipate there being a conflict after the appraisal — what happens if the appraisal comes in lower than the departing member expects, or higher than the remaining member expects? What about situations where appraisal of the company’s value is […]
I get it. Who the heck has ever used the word “quitclaim” in conversation? It’s an unfamiliar word. So it’s not surprising, then, that many people mishear the term and instead think that they’re hearing “quick claim.” There’s a pervasive notion in the world of real estate that using such a device will somehow be […]
Discrimination is a bad, bad thing — especially in housing. But what if I told you there was a quasi-police force out there who pays shills and plants to apply for your rental apartment, record your every word, and hunt for signs of housing discrimination? What’s worse, when they find something, they sue you, recover […]