Legal & Legislation

Tenants signed lease, agent then requested commission, attorney canceled
Legal & Legislation
Palatine, Illinois
Tenants signed lease, agent then requested commission, attorney canceled

Illinois landlord seeking advice My wife and I listed our rental in Palatine, Cook County, Illinois, on Facebook Marketplace. We handled the listing and paperwork ourselves to avoid hiring a leasing agent. A tenant’s agent contacted us and asked whether we were willing to cooperate with an agent....

LA & NY landlords - where does compliance live in your week?
Legal & Legislation
LA & NY landlords - where does compliance live in your week?

A landlord called me yesterday with a question I had to say no to. He asked if the software I build handles LA compliance. It doesn't. It tracks rent. That's all it does. But I keep thinking about why he asked. He wasn't shopping for features. He was tired. In his telling, LA is out to trip up la...

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old mortgage was missed by title company
Legal & Legislation
Upstate New York, New York
old mortgage was missed by title company

I bought a house last summer. Used attorney, title search was completed by local company (vanguard title), obtained title insurance for purchase price of $50k. I rehabbed house put $65k in to it and in the last week I was there December 2025, was notified there is a previous reverse mortgage on t...

Dog Bite Issue
Legal & Legislation
Dog Bite Issue

Has anyone had the experience of their tenant having a dog that has bitten a neighbor? what steps did you take to mitigate liability and ensure the dog doesn't bite anyone else? this was an ESA animal which we HAD to accept , another instance of landlords hands being tied by the government....ug.

A Signed Real Estate Contract Is More Than Just a Purchase Price
Legal & Legislation
Baltimore, Maryland
A Signed Real Estate Contract Is More Than Just a Purchase Price

As a Maryland real estate attorney, one thing I see often is buyers and sellers focusing heavily on the price of the property while overlooking some of the smaller details in the contract. Those “small” details can become very important once the contract is signed. Before signing a Maryland real ...

Question on the rent cap for a family owned single family rental with mortgage
Legal & Legislation
California, California
Question on the rent cap for a family owned single family rental with mortgage

If I understand correctly, since our Santa Clara, CA rental (primary converted to rental) is owned by me and my husband and not by an institution, we are exempt from the AB 1482 rent cap rule. Problem is, we weren't aware of this change and we used an old CA lease template to get a fixed term 2 y...

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Any Contingency Title Insurance Attorneys?
Legal & Legislation
Miami Beach, Florida
Any Contingency Title Insurance Attorneys?

Hey guys, I had recently purchased my first apartment for Airbnb about 3 years ago. After I purchased the unit, the City of Miami Beach had sent a notification about my unit having unsafe structures violations and work without permits. The city was going after the previous owner for 6 years befor...

Seeking real estate attorney recommendations
Legal & Legislation
Memphis, Tennessee
Seeking real estate attorney recommendations

As above, looking for an attorney to verify my understanding on my contract.

Real Estate Law Firm Owners?
Legal & Legislation
Real Estate Law Firm Owners?

Hey everyone, I'm a current law student and am interested in Real Estate Law with the goal of one day having my own firm within the RE M&A niche. I'd love to hear about any firm owners' perspectives on building a real estate law firm! What experience did you have prior to building your firm? How ...

Arizona property — rent-for-work lease with GC tenant, need attorney referral
Legal & Legislation
Tucson, Arizona
Arizona property — rent-for-work lease with GC tenant, need attorney referral

I'm active duty military, recently stationed in New Mexico, and I own a single-family rental in Tucson. While I was overseas during COVID, my property manager stopped doing their job — squatters moved in, the house was trashed, and I need it rehabbed. A general contractor found the squatters, hel...

A Good Deal Can Still Stop at Title
Legal & Legislation
Owings Mills, Maryland
A Good Deal Can Still Stop at Title

In my work as a Maryland real estate attorney, I have seen transactions slow down because an ownership issue, old lien, or estate problem was discovered later than anyone expected. By that point, the buyer may already have financing lined up, inspections completed, and a closing date on the calen...

How can I provide security when using OPM in acquisition strategies?
Legal & Legislation
How can I provide security when using OPM in acquisition strategies?

I’m looking for guidance on how to safely structure partnerships when using other people’s money (OPM) to acquire real estate. My goal is to bring on capital partners who feel protected, clearly understand the risks, and have confidence in how their funds are being used. I’ve seen discussions abo...

Changing Title from Personal Name to LLC in Texas….Options to Avoid Loan Acceleratio
Legal & Legislation
San Antonio, Texas
Changing Title from Personal Name to LLC in Texas….Options to Avoid Loan Acceleratio

Hi all, I bought a single-family rental in Texas under my personal name with a conventional (non-FHA/VA) loan. I now want to transfer title to an existing Texas LLC I already own, but my lender said that if I transfer title they’ll invoke the due-on-sale clause and demand payoff. Looking for prac...

Forming an LLC Is Only the First Step in Protecting a Rental Property
Legal & Legislation
Baltimore, Maryland
Forming an LLC Is Only the First Step in Protecting a Rental Property

In my work with Maryland real estate investors, I often see people form an LLC and assume their property is now fully protected. But creating the LLC is only the first step. How you manage it afterward matters just as much. Some of the basic steps investors often overlook include: ✔ Keeping perso...

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Process and help for transferring a property from my name to LLC
Legal & Legislation
Austin, Texas
Process and help for transferring a property from my name to LLC

Hi, I have two new investment properties, long term rentals, in my name would like to transfer them over to our LLC. I've looked through search but wondering if there is any legal advice that someone can lend in the Austin or Texas area.

Seeking HOA Advice and/or attorney in Osceola County FL
Legal & Legislation
Orlando, Florida
Seeking HOA Advice and/or attorney in Osceola County FL

Hi all, This is complicated and I'm not sure I understand it myself. I bought a STR condo in September in Kissimmee with a complex that has it's own HOA. I received a letter from a law office about a month after closing advising that I was responsible for past due HOA fees and legal fees for a se...

Missouri statues on SFD property lease non- renewal
Legal & Legislation
St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri statues on SFD property lease non- renewal

Last week I conducted an annual property inspection of my single family residence rental in St. Louis, Missouri. The tenants have rented from me for the past 6 years and pay rent every month before the 5 day grace period elapses. The inspection revealed extreme clutter, borderline hoarding, espec...

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Need legal advice/clarification on security deposit
Legal & Legislation
Salt Lake City, Utah
Need legal advice/clarification on security deposit

I am about to renew my lease with one of the tenants. Non refundable security deposit came down to an issue. In Utah, we are allowed to do non refundable deposits. However, I took the security deposit about 4 years ago. Is it not legal to convert part of the deposit non-refundable? When we renew,...

Projected non-lease renewal pending tenant corrective actions
Legal & Legislation
St. Louis, Missouri
Projected non-lease renewal pending tenant corrective actions

Last week I conducted an annual property inspection of my single family residence rental in St. Louis, Missouri. The tenants have rented from me for the past 6 years and pay rent every month before the 5 day grace period elapses. The inspection revealed extreme clutter, borderline hoarding, espec...

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Legal Advice / Services Needed
Legal & Legislation
Cleveland, Ohio
Legal Advice / Services Needed

All - I'm looking at acquiring my first STR in MI. The current owner is providing facts/figures etc on the subject property. My question is how do I protect myself from the seller making false claims? My thought was to put all the Q&A in a doc and then have them attest to it perhaps? Any advice o...

Can I hire a real estate agent to only prepare the Texas REALTOR's Residential Lease?
Legal & Legislation
Austin, Texas
Can I hire a real estate agent to only prepare the Texas REALTOR's Residential Lease?

Hi I found my new tenant on my own without a realtor representing me. However I want to use the Texas Association of REALTOR's residential lease --- I saw that only licensed realtors can use it, and I hired an agent just to fill in the lease (no representation beyond drafting the lease, therefore...

When a Will Feels Unfair, Is It Invalid in Maryland?
Legal & Legislation
Baltimore, Maryland
When a Will Feels Unfair, Is It Invalid in Maryland?

Most people do not think about a will contest until grief, confusion, and family tension are already present. As a Maryland attorney, I have seen how difficult it can be when someone passes away and family members begin questioning whether the will truly reflects that person’s wishes. Those conce...

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Colorado LLC amendments
Legal & Legislation
Denver, Colorado
Colorado LLC amendments

Looking for some advice from anyone who’s been through this before, especially any real estate attorneys or investors familiar with Colorado LLCs. We have a property-specific LLC that currently owns one investment property. Right now it’s owned 50/50 between my LLC and my business partner’s LLC. ...

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Legal advice - seeking legal representation
Legal & Legislation
Baltimore, Maryland
Legal advice - seeking legal representation

Hi all. I searched the legal category forums, for Maryland specifically, but did not see any past threads. Please redirect if there is some place better for me to ask this. Can anyone help us get started in finding legal advise/aid for a large claim rental court case we plan to file in Maryland (...

Looking for an attorney who can help with an HOA billing issue
Legal & Legislation
Columbus, Ohio
Looking for an attorney who can help with an HOA billing issue

I'm dealing with an HOA billing dispute involving one of my rental properties and could use some guidance or recommendations for an attorney who handles HOA/accounting disputes. The HOA's account ledger appears to be inaccurate, and a significant number of late fees have been added. They also fai...