Houston, Texas, stands out as the largest city in the United States without traditional zoning laws. The government of almost every other U.S. city divides its municipality into different zones or districts and specifies the allowable land uses for each zone. As...
Business-Minded Legal Solutions
Commercial Real Estate
Tax considerations for section 1031 exchanges in real estate
Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code offers a powerful tax strategy for commercial real estate investors. It allows an investor to sell a commercial property and defer paying capital gains taxes by reinvesting the proceeds into a like-kind property of equal or...
Ambiguities in commercial lease terms for landlords
Leasing commercial space is a pivotal aspect of running your business. However, when lease terms become unclear, it can result in disputes that may impact your livelihood. Understanding how to resolve such issues legally is crucial for commercial landlords....
Transit-oriented development ripe with possibility
The economy in Texas has been rapidly diversifying in recent decades, and there are many newer types of business opportunities. Some investors are looking at transit-oriented development (TOD) as a potentially sound investment. According to the Kinder Institute at...
Weighing the pros and cons of buying commercial property
Investors must consider various factors when choosing the right commercial real estate (CRE) property. Expertise in the market is valuable for recognizing opportunities, and experience can help determine priorities. The goal is to determine if the property fits the...
LLCs provide many benefits to commercial real estate investors
Individuals or groups looking to diversify their investment portfolio with commercial real estate might consider using a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) designed for this kind of investing. In determining whether an investment LLC is the right fit, the individual...
Surveys are crucial to commercial real estate transactions
Some question the value of a survey when it involves commercial real estate, but the right survey can be invaluable. It is also recommended not to rely on an existing survey if it does not reflect all existing improvements and easements, is blurry or damaged. Surveys...
What to do when real estate appraisals and purchase prices differ
It is common for buyers, sellers, lenders and real estate professionals to place different appraisal values on the same property. Reconciling the differing values is a significant part negotiations between the buyer and the seller. However, once they can arrive at an...
Why those bank failures impact commercial real estate financing
We wrote about commercial real estate indicators at the end of last year. At that time, there was concern about interest rates, inflation, recession fears, falling prices and other issues. We did not predict that the federal government would have to bail out banks,...
Passive real estate investments can be a viable option
Those who are financially strategic understand the necessity of diversifying their investment portfolio. Real estate investments are often complementary because they are less volatile than the stock market and include a finite and insured inflation hedge. Investors...