You get an official looking letter that says that you have won the $50,000 sweepstakes. There may even be a realistic check from a real company and drawn on a real bank. There is a catch. Before you can claim …
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Buying Commercial Real Estate
You may be looking to buy real estate for your new office, retail store or other business. A common mistake many people make after finding property they like, is to sign a purchase agreement prepared by a realtor and then …
Now What Do We Do With the House
Mom and Dad are now gone, but they left the house. What is going to happen? What do you do? The answer is: “It depends.” But on what? It depends upon how the property is titled. Different titling requires different …
Estate Planning for Out of State
You are a Michigan resident, but you do not spend all year in Michigan. You may spend part of the year in another state, such as Florida or Arizona. You may even own a mobile home, condominium or house in …
Top Estate Planning Misconceptions
As you go through life, you probably have found that there is no shortage of people who want to give you estate planning advice. This may include your friends. The likelihood is that you realize that these friends are not …
Is Your Home an Asset or Liability
Home ownership, the American dream, or is it? The Federal Reserve recently reported that the falling real estate prices are eating away at home equity. The Fed says that the equity Americans have in their homes in the first quarter …
Do Homework Before Signing With Loggers
If you have some wooded acreage, you probably have thought at one time or another about removing or selling some of the timber off your property. You may have even had a logger approach you to buy your standing timber. …
Homeowners May Not Be Responsible for Acts of God
We have had a lot of pretty big storms lately. Along with these storms have come lighting strikes, wind micro bursts and sustained high winds. This has resulted in a number of downed trees. You may have had that ancient …
Repeal of New 1099 Reporting Requirements
For you rental property owners and businesses who were dreading the implementation of the new 1099 reporting requirements, you need not fret anymore. On Thursday, April 14, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange …
Even Estates of the Rich & Famous Can Crash & Burn
If you are like most people, statistically 70%, you have done no estate planning. If that is the case, you are in good(bad) company. There are many others that also have not planned. You would think that attorneys, trained legal …