Real Estate
What is the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act?
When you are buying real estate there are many different documents that need to be executed at closing. One of those documents is the FIRPTA Affidavit. Although this document is only executed by the Seller, it is still important that the Buyer understands the...
Joint Tenancy vs. Tenants in Common, What is the Difference?
When buying real estate in Wisconsin, one of the items you will need to consider is how you would like to take title of the property. If you are buying the property as an individual, then this is usually not an issue; however, this item will play an important role if...
Wisconsin’s Home Improvement Code Protects Homeowners When Remodeling
There has been a significant increase in home remodeling projects since the pandemic began over a year ago, and many people choose to hire a contractor to assist them. Not all contractors provide written contracts with the details of the project, such as total costs,...
What is a Title Commitment?
In almost every real estate transaction title work will be ordered and a title commitment will be provided to the parties to review prior to closing. A title commitment is a document that provides information pertaining to the property that is subject to the...
Defective Home Construction? Know Your Rights and Responsibilities
Are you thinking it is time to build your new dream home or do some remodeling to your existing home? Are you a busy homebuilder just trying to keep up? In either case, you should be aware of a Wisconsin statute that sets out procedures for addressing defects that...
Contractors Beware – the Theft by Contractor Statute Imposes Stiff Penalties
Wisconsin has codified a “Theft by Contractor” statute under Wis. Stat. § 779.02(5) which imposes stiff penalties if violated. There are several potential penalties for violating this statute. If such a claim is proven, a contractor could be subject to criminal...
County Claims on Residence for Delinquent Property Taxes
If you own real estate in Wisconsin, you are familiar with the annual property tax bills that arrive in the mail each December. You are also aware that you are required to pay your tax installments to the County Treasurer by January 31st and/or July 31st of each...
Disclosing Defects with the Real Estate Condition Report (RECR)
Wisconsin law has left the dark ages of caveat emptor or also known as “let the buyer beware” in the sale of residential property. The harshness of caveat emptor has been replaced by the Real Estate Condition Report or “RECR.” Basically, the RECR requires sellers to...
Contingency Clauses in Real Estate Contracts
If you have ever bought or sold real estate, you may be familiar with the contingency clauses contained in these agreements. These clauses offer the option to back out of a sale if certain events occur. The meaning and consequences of these contingencies can be...