For foreclosures filed after January 1, 2008, Colorado law no longer provides for an owner’s redemption period. (See Colorado Foreclosure Revolution (Part I). This article explains short pay-off transactions and the ramifications of the loss of owner’s redemption period.) A “short pay-off” or “short sale” is a transaction in which a lender agrees to accept … Continue Reading
Question: How can a buyer purchase a property and remain anonymous? Response: Contracts must identify a buyer against whom the contract can be enforced. Yet sometimes buyers seek to remain anonymous. For example, Joe Developer wants to assemble contiguous lots in downtown Denver on which to build a new skyscraper. Mary seeks to buy … Continue Reading
How To Own Residential Property With a Friend . . . Do You Want A Court To Decide, Or Would You Rather Do it Yourselves? The decline in mortgage rates over the past few years, along with the long-standing perception that real property is a good investment, has contributed to an increasingly-large pool of … Continue Reading
It’s often done with the best of intentions, but manipulating contracts, appraisals, sources of downpayment, and sale prices to help buyers qualify for a higher loan amount – even if it’s suggested by the lender – may make you guilty of loan fraud. Loan fraud occurs when a lender makes an inappropriate loan, because … Continue Reading
Question 1: I am the listing broker. The offer from the buyer, counter from the seller, and acceptance of the counter from the buyer was all done by fax. I received a faxed copy of the earnest money check from the buyer with the initial offer. The buyer accepted and signed the counterproposal five … Continue Reading
You think you have a construction defect and you want to sue now? New law requires notice process. On April 25, 2003, Governor Owens signed House Bill 03-1161 changing construction defect law. This article summarizes the new notice requirements before a lawsuit can be filed for defects in residential property. The article does not address … Continue Reading
I am listing a property and my Seller has entered into a contract with “Buyer 1.” We also received an offer from a second competing buyer, “Buyer 2.” We countered Buyer 2’s offer with a backup contingency. The closing date on Contract 1 is approaching and Buyer 1 has asked for an extension. If … Continue Reading
No matter how careful you are, don’t underestimate the importance of professional liability insurance. People sue even when they don’t have much of a case, and the financial drain can be crippling. Here are two actual cases and tips on how to prevent these nightmares from happening to you. Case 1: Three months after … Continue Reading
Co-Author: Eric R. Jaworski, Esq. What is a CLUE Report? CLUE stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. It is a comprehensive database of personal property information relating mainly to insurance claims on private property. CLUE was developed by, and is currently operated by, ChoicePoint Asset Co., a Georgia firm. What type of information is found … Continue Reading
I am aware of the legal concept that if an agent breaches his fiduciary duty to a client, the agent may forfeit his right to a commission, regardless of whether that breach of duty caused damage to the client. Does that same concept apply to transaction brokers? No. In the recent decision of Hoff … Continue Reading
