Guess Who Can & Can’t Claim Homestead?
To qualify as homestead[1], property must be owned by a “Natural Person”[2], which surprisingly has been broadly construed to include…
It’s Time To Self-Report – The New Corporate Transparency Act
Reporting Requirement. Beginning January 1, 2024, a new Federal regulation called the “Corporate Transparency Act” goes into effect requiring most…
40 Year Listing Agreements?
Florida’s Attorney General Files Suit. Two (2) months ago, Florida’s Attorney General filed a forty (40) page lawsuit against MV…
How To Buy Properties with Cryptocurrency
In this article, I interviewed crypto-lender Milo, because it is locally headquartered in Miami, was a featured speaker at the…
THE SEC vs. REALTORS
Watch What You Promise Buyers. In October 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a multi-count Federal lawsuit…
RESPA – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Anti-Kickbacks in Real Estate.
Why RESPA was enacted. In the 1970’s the title and mortgage industry asked Congress to step in to stop real…
Florida Gives $25,000 in Real Estate Assistance to “Hometown Heroes”
First let me point out, I said “Gives $25,000,” I did not say “Forgives $25,000.” So here is how Florida’s…
REAL ESTATE’S 2022 LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AND UPDATES
Each year Florida’s Legislature revises, updates, and enacts new laws which typically have an effective date of July 1. This article gives a general overview, and short summaries of 36 of the 149 New Florida 2022 Laws.
Real Estate – How Should I Take Title / Ownership?
Why is it called Real Estate? Florida has a limited number of estates in land. The term ”estates” refers to…
DEAL OR NO DEAL? — CAN TEXTS/EMAILS CREATE A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT?
The Issue Presented To The Court. On March 23, 2022, a case of first impression was decided in Florida, answering…
“Real” Estate in the Metaverse
What is the Metaverse? The Metaverse is the next version of the internet. Interest in metaverses skyrocketed when Mark Zuckerberg…
Spotting Title Company “Junk Fees”
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) On January 26, 2022, the CFPB launched an eight (8) page initiative to crack down…
iBuyers vs. Real Estate Agents
What is an iBuyer? A novel and innovative tool in real estate has flipped the script by providing sellers a…
Summarized – 2022’s Real Estate Experts Market Predictions
On the Rise. In 2022, Housing prices, rents, mortgage rates, home sales, and income / wages / salary / paychecks…
Real Estate Closings Afterhours And on Weekends – Real Time Payments (RTP®)
Consumer Expectations. It starts with the consumer experience. We all want things to happen as quickly, easily, and securely as humanly…
Real Estate’s 2021 Legislative Changes and Updates
Fla. Stat. §119.07 – Inspecting Public Records Prohibits an agency receiving a public record request from responding to the request…
Buying Property During Hurricane Season
We know major storms come, so how should realtors and practitioners in disaster prone areas prepare to minimize disruptions in…
Get Your $#!T Out of My House! – Understanding Bailments
In real estate, buyers commonly ask if they can place their stuff in the home before they even bought the…
Undoing Deeds – Disclaiming Property Rights
So why would someone want to refuse property given to them? Scenario #1 – Disinterested. The first thought cloud that…
Giving the Bird. Lady-Bird Deeds
History behind the Lady Bird Deed – Myth Busted. “When you have a choice of printing the truth or the legend—print…
Buying Property With Bitcoin – Unlikely
Using cryptocurrency to purchase properties could present numerous issues. But there is a way. When buying real estate, there is…
FAIRNESS OF “FAIR MARKET VALUE”
The unfairness of “Fair Market Value” (FMV) is, well… who is to say what dollar amount is considered fair? That…
ANONYMOUS CORPORATE OWNERS OF REAL ESTATE? – NEW DISCLOSURE LAW
On January 1, 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) establishing new mandatory self-reporting requirements for corporations, LLCs, and similar entities. …
The 411 on §1031 Exchanges
§1031 in a Nutshell. Assume an investor wants to sell a property for a $200,000 profit. The profit is subject…
Realtor Resolutions – Maybe in 2021
Resolutions are short lived and fade by February. A goal on the other hand is a dream with a deadline. – Napoleon…
REALTOR GIFTS – How do you compare?
Why do business gifts, these spontaneous tokens of unexpected affection work? Because they make someone feel good? Create bonds and…
REAL ESTATE’S 2020 LEGISLATIVE CHANGES
Senate Resolution 1008 “Great American Realtor Days” is designated for February 3-5, “in recognition of the outstanding services realtors provide to residents…
How to Protect Real Estate Buyers During Hurricane Season
We know major storms come, so how should realtors and practitioners in disaster prone areas prepare to minimize disruptions in…
How to Get offers accepted in a Hot Market – 28 Secret Weapons
In a hot market with low inventory, meaning there is a glut of available properties for buyers to purchase, when something comes on the market; you have to be lighting-fast and come out with guns blazing a strong offer!! Sellers are receiving multiple offers at-and-above asking price, the market is highly competitive, and you need your offer to stand out. So how do you get to yes? Here are some ideas categorized by the: (1) Kindness Approach; and (2) Economically Strategic Approach; on how to get your buyers’ offers accepted:
How the CFPB Protects Buyers in Real Estate. Common Questions Answered.
Discusses: (1) The History behind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); (2) What is the CFPB; (3) Who does CFPB watchdog (hint… Mortgage brokers)? (4) June 29, 2020 Supreme Court case, is it still valid or abolished?; (5) Many common questions answered by the CFPB, reorganized by topics of common mortgage broker violations
Unequal≠Housing
No tool may be more powerful and scary than the threat or accusation of a Fair Housing violation. Our July article in LifeStyle Magazine, breaks down: (1) The History behind the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (“FHA”); (2) Passing of the FHA, and how it tied into MLK Jr.; (3) Who does the FHA apply to? (4) Prohibited Discriminatory Practices In Housing Sales and Rentals; (5) Words to Avoid when Advertising your Properties; (6) Exemptions from Discrimination; (7) Not so Obvious Examples of Discrimination; (8) Undercover Informants (“testers”); (9) HUD Enforcement; (10) HUD’s Tools for forcing Compliance; and (11) Civil suits.
eNotes and eVaults – Why are they eSpecial?
Many of us are familiar with DocuSign as a quick and easy means of signing documents electronically. But why can’t…
PropTech, turf-war for Realtors, or welcomed change?
PropTech, refers to technology in real estate. It focuses on ways to optimize the way people research, rent, buy, sell,…
How Pandemics like COVID-19 infect Real Estate
This article addresses (1): The origins of COVID-19, “Wet Markets”, and the Chinese sale of Wildlife; (2) Chinese buyers are…
RON’s finally here! – Sign/Notarize Documents Worldwide
I jokingly say now, “We can now close a real estate deal even for an astronaut in outer space!” Effective…
Homestead + 14 Other Property Tax Exemptions
Do I qualify? If by January 1, your property is either your permanent home, or the permanent home of a person…
Pocket Listings: Real Estate’s Dark Web
In the 1800’s, real estate agents trying to sell property held physical gatherings, sharing information about real estate in return…
FHA Opens Door for Condo Loans
What is the FHA? Created in 1934 to encourage lenders to loan money for single and multifamily homes, the government’s Federal…
Whoa Pilgrim, The Advent of Title Insurance
When I think of Pilgrims during Thanksgiving, I think big black buckled hats, square toed shoes, and outstretched socks that…
Selling Real Estate in the Eye of the Hurricane
We know major storms come, so how should realtors and practitioners in disaster prone areas prepare to minimize disruptions in…
FIRP-DUH! – Selling Real Property for Foreigners
What is FIRPTA? Say a foreign seller wants to sell their real property; well, everyone is expected to pay their fair…
Real Estate’s 2019 Legislative Changes
Fla. Stat. §604.71 Vegetable Gardens.?When city fined homeowner for vegetable garden, Florida said That’s fertilizer!, essentially voiding local regulation of residential vegetable/herb…
Attracting Out-of-State Homebuyers Using S.A.L.T.
I always heard other states pay more taxes than Floridians, but I had no idea how much?!? State and Local Tax…
WeedEstate – Real Estate up in Smoke
Intro. Mom says “Yes,” but Dad said, “No.” That’s what this hot topic is like. Even though Florida legalized medical (not recreational)…
Will Short-Term Rentals be Curbed?
In 2017, Airbnb sued to stop Miami from banning property owners and investors from renting out their houses as short-term…
RON – Remote Online Notaries-Closings Worldwide?
Florida proposed two bills, HB-409 and SB-548, to allow Remote Online Notaries (RON) using audio-visual technology over the internet, instead…
GTO’s – Laundering Real Estate
The U.S. Treasury commissioned FinCen (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) under the Bank Secrecy Act to combat: money laundering, tax evasion,…
World of OZ – Opportunity Zones
What is an Opportunity Zone? This is the new real estate rage. To spur investment in places investors might otherwise overlook,…
Speed and Efficiency
Speed and efficiency are two different things. I mean sometimes the fastest way down is to just jump off a…
We Took the Title
Title insurance is a billion dollar industry. On October 11, 2018, our website (FTIC.net) was crowned the BEST Title Insurance Website…
Insuring Boat Docks & Dockominiums
Boat sales increased reaching almost 1,000,000 and according to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ latest annual registration…
Comedy was the Answer
Last week, I was asked to teach a class at Broward’s Urban Housing League to new home buyers who haven’t…
Personalize Your Business Gifts
So you think your clients think about you all the time? News flash… they don’t! As the not so Greek philosopher Janet…
KREPLACH* is our mission at FTIC
There’s nothing sexy about title insurance but we’re nerds and really good at it. But being good is not enough today. I…