Real Estate

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 The harshness of caveat emptor has been replaced by the Real Estate Condition Report or “RECR.”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...

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...

The law, to borrow a quote from Winston Churchill, “is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.” That “key” is often found in the Wisconsin Statutes which is affectionally referred to as the book of surprises.  Hence,...

Ever wonder what it takes for land to be considered and taxed as “agricultural land”? In State ex rel. Peter Odgen Family Trust of 2008 v. Bd. of Review, 2019 WI 23, the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently held that a “business purpose is not required in order for land...

Many properties in Wisconsin have some form of shared access. It can be as simple as a portion of the driveway crossing the neighbor's property to more complicated scenarios where an access road crosses multiple properties and provides access to numerous...

The vacation rental market has exploded in recent years due to the popularity of online sites such as Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway.  While these sites have created a booming marketplace for homeowners and renters alike, they have also created a myriad of...

When using an “as is” clause, the seller and the realtor are still obligated to make disclosures about the property, unless the buyers executed a valid waiver to receive the real estate condition report. Under Wis. Stat. § 709.01, the law requires that sellers of real...

There is little risk in presuming that the majority of homeowners rate their property as their most important asset. Paradoxically, homeowners likely know more about their car insurance than the insurance purchased for the purpose of protecting...

Many sellers of real estate do not realize the costs associated with selling real estate in Wisconsin. I am frequently in meetings with clients and catch sellers by surprise when I start mentioning the fees that are associated with the standard...