by Lauren Jackson | Jan 6, 2025 | Deed, mortgage, Quit claim deed, Real Estate
A very common estate planning practice is to draft a trust and title your real estate in the name of the trust. This practice lets the trust “own” your real estate holdings. There are many positive reasons why one would do this. However, if the property owned by the...
by Lauren Jackson | Nov 11, 2024 | Attorney, buying a home, Lawyer, mortgage, Real Estate, real estate closing
When searching for a home loan (mortgage) or refinancing an existing mortgage, it is confusing to compare one loan to another. We all want to get the best deal. One might think the loan with the lowest advertised interest rate would always be the best option....
by Lauren Jackson | Aug 26, 2024 | Attorney, buying a home, Contract for deed, Contracts, Deed, Lawyer, mortgage, Real Estate, real estate closing, selling a home
A contract for deed, also known as a land contract, installment contract, or a bond for deed is a legal agreement between two parties, a buyer and a seller. Unlike most traditional real estate transaction that involves a mortgage from a bank, in a contract for deed...
by Lauren Jackson | Jan 25, 2024 | Attorney, buying a home, Lawyer, Mechanic Lien, mortgage, owner's title policy, Real Estate, selling a home
If you make your living in real estate, an instrument you should know is the mechanic lien. Also known as a construction lien or a contractor’s lien, a mechanic lien is a legal claim that a contractor or other construction professional (carpenter, architect, plumber,...
by Lauren Jackson | Jul 22, 2023 | Attorney, buying a home, Elgin, foreclosure, Lawyer, mortgage, Real Estate, real estate closing, selling a home, Short Sale, St. Charles
When having to deal with a short sale real estate transaction, you should never allow a buyer to move in before the process has been finalized. Allowing a buyer to move can be a risky decision for several reasons and we will explore a couple of them below. Based on...
by Lauren Jackson | Apr 3, 2018 | buying a home, mortgage, Real Estate, real estate closing, selling a home
As a real estate attorney, I have seen every reason or excuse as to why a buyer can’t close on time and requests an extension of the closing date. The most common reason being that the buyer’s lender is not ready with the loan approval, due to a plethora of reasons,...
