Blog Posts

Personal Guarantees in real estate are hitting the news at the moment because of a new law in New York City. Though that won’t impact all Long Island real estate owners, it’s worth taking a look at how they work.  A personal guarantee is basically a clause on a contract that pledges private assets to…

If you’re an elderly homeowner a deed with life estate is a tool worth considering. This real estate planning tool achieves several key aims. First, it keeps your home out of probate when you die. While the probate process might pass the home to your heirs anyway it is a long, drawn out process. Like…

The pandemic may be slowing the real estate market, but it hasn’t ground it to a complete halt. The short answer is you may absolutely buy or sell a property at this time. The question is whether it will be advantageous to do so, and how you can protect yourself while you do.  Closings and…

The COVID-19 crisis means that Force Majeure clauses are getting brought up a lot these days. It seemed an ideal time to discuss what these clauses are. Force Majeure is a French phrase meaning “superior force.” It’s a contract provision designed to relieve both parties of their obligations in the face of large, unforeseeable events.…

COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to everyone’s lives, and if a property owner isn’t exactly in the same position as a gig worker or hourly employee there is nevertheless a lot to think about. Issues of safeguarding tenants, limiting liability, and dealing with inevitable rent disruptions are right at the forefront.  Here are…

Business is tough, and there’s always a chance you’ll go out of business or will have a need to change locations before your commercial lease is up. Yet you should always consult a Long Island real estate lawyer before you do, as there can be some significant legal and financial consequences for taking this action.…

New York imposes very little in the way of disclosure requirements for sellers. Sellers have numerous ways to avoid or limit liability for a property’s poor condition.  In fact, in many cases it is highly disadvantageous for sellers to disclose any information beyond the bare minimum. All this means that if you’re a Long Island…

If you co-own a property with others you have to be careful, because there’s a legal action your co-owners can use to force you to sell it. It’s called a partition action. Co-ownership happens in a number of common circumstances. Multiple siblings inherit a property together. Divorce leaves two ex-spouses in control of a property.…

Long Island has strict laws governing the interactions between landlord and tenant. In fact, taking certain actions against your tenant can even result in felony or misdemeanor charges. More often, it results in civil penalties.  Either way, they’re penalties you don’t want to face.  Some of the things which count as harassment may surprise you.…

Earlier this month, Newsweek released the disheartening results of a 3-year undercover study. The study focused on real estate agents and brokers across the Long Island area, and found that while these agents may be “all smiles” with some buyers, they would nevertheless treat people of color differently from white people. Only two agencies, The…