Office rents nationwide declined 8.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the previous year, according to Reis, Inc., a real estate research firm. At the same time, office vacancies rose. At the end of the third quarter, tenants were leasing some 19.6 million square feet less than at the beginning, according to Reis. For the first three quarters of 2009, the net reduction in rented office space was 64.2 million square feet, the
It can be a great idea to buy a “fixer-upper” – as long as you’re sure the local zoning rules will allow you to actually fix it up. Unfortunately, many people have bought a home or other property with the idea of remodeling it to their tastes, only to discover that what they had in mind is against the law.
Two days before a commercial landlord in Nebraska was to receive a $90,000 rent payment for some cropland, the tenant filed for bankruptcy. What happens? Can the landlord still collect? The law is somewhat unclear, but in this case a federal appeals court sided with the landlord and ruled that the tenant had to pay the entire $90,000. The tenant was a business and it filed a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy (as opposed to liquidating under
If you own rental or other income-producing property, you should consider putting it into a limited liability company. This can be a great way to protect your assets, while at the same time you can reap some tax advantages. Suppose someone slips and falls on your rental property and sues you. If you own the property as an individual, all your assets would be at risk – your home, your investments, your savings accounts, etc. But
In a challenging real estate market, there’s been a growing interest in lease/purchase options, which can benefit sellers and make it easier for prospective purchasers to buy. A common problem today is that, due to new lending restrictions, many potential buyers can’t qualify for a loan even though they have saved toward a down payment and are generally a good credit risk. The solution for both sides might be a lease/purchase option. Basically, the prospective purchasers
Inflation may be low and the economy may be struggling, but the cost of elder care is continuing to increase, according to a new Metlife survey. The average cost of a private room in a nursing home rose 3.3 percent in 2009 to $79,935 a year – or $219 a day. The average cost of an assisted living facility also climbed 3.3 percent, to $37,572 a year or $3,131 a month.
The amount you can deduct on your taxes as a result of buying long-term care insurance has been increased by the IRS for 2010. Generally, you can deduct part of your premiums if the premiums, together with your other unreimbursed medical expenses, amount to more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income.
Tax-free college savings plans and prepaid tuition programs – known as “529 plans” – can be used to buy computer equipment and Internet services for students during 2010. This change was part of the stimulus bill enacted by Congress last year. Many grandparents and other relatives set up 529 plans (named for section 529 of the federal tax code) to help young people with college expenses. Family members can contribute up to $13,000 a year to
Once you’ve written a will and created an estate plan, you need to figure out what to do with the will itself. Obviously, it’s very important to keep track of the location of your current will – as well as any old wills. The safest place to keep the original copy of your will is in a bank safe deposit box, but it might not always be the most practical. If the will is in a
The criminal conviction this past October of the son of New York society matron Brooke Astor on charges of taking advantage of her while she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease could lead to more prosecutions for financial abuse of the elderly…and this includes ordinary families, not just wealthy socialites. As many as a million older people are taken advantage of financially each year, according to a study by MetLife. In most cases, the culprits are family members
Attorneys licensed to practice in Florida | Massachusetts | New Hampshire
Business Law | Civil Litigation | Elder Law | Estate Planning | Family Law | Probate & Trust | Real Estate | Tax
