Real estate developers in Florida are buying and improving rural land at a record pace. In many cases, this land has been devoted to purposes which resulted in the land being categorized as agricultural for real estate tax...more
Billboards are ubiquitous in the landscape along major Florida thoroughfares, at times seemingly blending into their surroundings. They dot (some would say mar) the landscape on farms and ranches along interstates and on...more
If you are an investor buying a leased property, you are undoubtedly looking to the rental income as the return on your investment, in addition to the appreciation in the value of the property that is likely to occur over...more
The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida (the Board of Trustees) is vested with title to all land lying under navigable waters within the State of Florida, which land is known as...more
Florida imposes sales tax on rent payable under commercial leases. The rate imposed by the state is 5.5%, but local governments have the right to impose a surtax which varies based on the jurisdiction....more
The central Florida housing market is still going strong at the moment, with the result that developers are continuing to create new residential subdivisions in traditionally rural areas. Much of this rural land is comprised...more
Property managers play a significant role in commercial real estate operations. With thousands of property managers to choose from, finding a suitable one may be daunting. This article addresses some of the factors to...more
Many investors who own and rent out single-family homes struggle with the selection of a form of residential lease to use, especially when starting their investment portfolio....more
Most Leases contain what are called automatic subordination clauses, pursuant to which the Tenant agrees that the Lease is subordinate to any Mortgages granted by the Landlord, whether they are already in existence when the...more
There’s no doubt about it, the U.S. real estate market is strong. With low interest rates and low unemployment rates, it is not surprising that the National Association of Realtors included parts of Florida among the top 10...more
1/17/2020
/ Building Permits ,
Closing Date ,
Construction Permits ,
Construction Project ,
Economic Development ,
Florida ,
Housing Market ,
Liens ,
Loans ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Notice Requirements ,
Property Improvements ,
Real Estate Development ,
Real Estate Market ,
Recording Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Single Family Housing ,
State and Local Government
Landlords and Tenants sometimes confuse these two terms, which have totally different meanings but apply to similar situations. Each can cover circumstances where a casualty or other unforeseen event occurs which disrupts a...more
Commercial tenants sometimes bargain for “free rent” periods from landlords as part of the lease negotiation process, and both tenants and landlords may view free rent periods as a “concession” by the landlord in lease...more
The Central Florida real estate market is still relatively strong. As a result, some speculators have been placing single and multiple properties under contract for purchase, only to offer to sell the property that they don’t...more
It is not unusual for Tenants, especially larger ones, to negotiate for so-called “self-insurance” in their Leases. This concept can be applied to any form of insurance that a Landlord may require from a Tenant, except for...more
The use of unmanned aircraft systems, typically called drones, is becoming increasingly common as technology has made them smaller and cheaper. ...more
If you are a commercial Landlord or property manager, hopefully you are taking advantage of a Florida statute that allows you to limit the Landlord’s liability for lien claims resulting from work performed by your Tenants’...more
A utility company that provides service to an owner’s property usually requests the owner to sign a standard form of easement that is intended to allow the utility company to enter onto owner’s property in order to install...more
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) receives numerous telephone calls each year reporting black bear sightings significant enough to prompt safety concerns. Since 2013, there have been several...more
On Monday, October 16, 2017, the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners voted (4-1) to direct County staff to draft a moratorium ordinance that would postpone County approval of new development applications for three to...more
10/19/2017
/ Community Designs ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
County Planning Commissions ,
Design Directive ,
Impact Fees ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Moratorium ,
Public Hearing ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development
With Hurricane Irma approaching Florida, people are naturally focused on preparations for its arrival and the potential adverse impacts that it will have. For businesses, that should include analysis of contractual...more
Title insurance companies and closing agents handling transactions involving homeowners’ and condominium associations have long been frustrated by the timing and cost associated with obtaining estoppel letters from these...more
It is sometimes said that law is what separates humans from wild animals. While humans have been developing laws since the Code of Hammurabi, they have also been developing land, so much so that both commercial and...more
Permits are often an overlooked component of real estate transactions. So-called “open” permits can cause headaches for owners who are selling or financing their property. While title searches disclose encumbrances such as...more
There are many ways to acquire a distressed residential subdivision for what may seem to be a bargain price. Whether an investor is buying the property at a foreclosure sale or purchasing a defaulted mortgage loan on the...more
Developers and builders who wish to acquire a failed developer’s residential subdivision, when there are existing homeowners in the subdivision, should BEWARE that a statutory turnover of HOA control may have occurred!...more