Real Estate

A clouded title can kill your day before it happens. It means that someone other than you may have a legal claim to your property: an old lien, a missing signature, or an heir who has not been accounted for. Until this claim is resolved, you will not have a clean title, and buyers and…

Missouri does not give home buyers a cooling-off period. Sign a purchase agreement and you are bound by it. There is no three-day window to change your mind and walk away clean. If you want out later, the contract itself will have to give you a reason. There Is No Statutory Right to Cancel Some…

Owning property with another person can work well at first. A lot of people buy property with family, friends, business partners, or romantic partners. Some people get property together when a loved one dies. But things can get complicated when co-owners can’t agree on what to do with the property. One person may want to…

When someone dies and leaves behind property without a will or other legal documentation, ownership can become murky. The title to the property becomes “clouded” if no one is categorically named as the new owner, and it is unclear who legally owns it. What happens next depends on the facts and what steps the family…

Closing on a home or other property is exciting, but it can take months to get there. Along the way, there are many legal and paperwork steps, and even one small mistake, like a missed lien or a simple filing error, can throw everything off. These problems take time and money to fix, and sometimes…

Anyone looking to sell a house in Minnesota must give buyers important information about the property. State law requires sellers to share any “material facts,” which are anything that might affect the buyer’s use or enjoyment of the home. Real estate agents are also required to give buyers any important details of which they are…

Reading CC&Rs and other homeowners’ association documents can be a labor-intensive process, but it is an important step when buying a home. Homes in planned communities often offer benefits like shared amenities or gated security. However, they also come with an HOA and its rules, which is why it’s important to have a skilled Missouri…

If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners’ association, you get a lot of benefits: nice amenities, a well-kept community, and a clean, attractive neighborhood. But one of the biggest advantages is that an HOA can help keep property values high. When your home’s value goes up, your investment grows, and you may be…

Before canceling a Missouri real estate contract, you must understand exactly how the process works. In almost all cases, both parties have to sign a written agreement officially ending the contract. The agreement should clearly highlight why the contract is being canceled, such as one of the parties failing to do what they promised, or…

Boundary disputes can kick off when neighbors don’t agree about where one property ends and another begins. If they aren’t handled carefully, these minor skirmishes can quickly devolve into serious legal problems. Resolving boundary issues quickly saves you stress, money, and time. It can also help you maintain a civil relationship with the folks next…