A consequence of advances in medical care over the last century is that people are living longer with diminished capacities. What would happen if you lost the ability to care for or make decisions for yourself, whether gradually or suddenly? How difficult would it be for your family to decide among them how your medical …
by D. Blake Wilson When acquiring commercial real estate, one of the negotiated issues is the requirements and costs of a survey of the property. If financing is involved, lenders tend to ask for, in addition to the minimum requirements of an ALTA Survey, most optional specifications or requirements (think Table A), thereby driving up …
by Ron Holmes The commercial real estate arena continues to boom in almost every sector, at least in our own backyard: Texas. We saw continuing strong activity through late fall and even now in the dead of winter. This cycle may not last forever, so let’s enjoy while it is here. A sample of transactions …
by Brian Fisher It is not uncommon for ownership of the oil, gas and mineral (together, the “Minerals”) interests located on, in and under a tract of land (known as the mineral estate) to be held by an owner (or several owners) who are different from the owner of the surface rights (known as the …
by Ron Holmes (A Dec 2016 update to this topic can be found here.) One of the most under-discussed major changes in the real estate development industry in recent years are the new Basel III Regulations (the “Regulations”) affecting construction and real estate lending. If you are not familiar with these Regulations, READ ON. Beginning …
by Ron Holmes AIA CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS — THEY ARE JUST FORMS Many developers and contractors believe the AIA Construction Documents are the industry standard and require no review by attorneys. Think again. The AIA Construction Documents are crafted by The American Institute of Architects, not developers or contractors, and (no offense to architects) they favor …
by Ron Holmes It has been a busy summer and fall in the real estate arena. We often see a decline in real estate transactions during the summer, but not this year. A sample of transactions on which we have assisted our clients recently are: Closed the acquisition of raw land at Victory Park, completed …
by D. Blake Wilson Texas Open Carry Gun Law Going Into Effect Soon: Time to Revise those Building Rules and Regulations Soon Texas citizens with proper licensing will be able to carry their handguns openly in public. Effective January 1, 2016, House Bill 910 authorizes individuals with a license to openly carry a handgun in …
In 1789, Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” If that remains true, it would be wise to plan for both. Everyone should plan ahead Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be wealthy to have an estate or to benefit from estate …
In our last newsletter, we announced that Ron Holmes was the Chairman of the 14th Annual Pathways Get Real Golf Challenge. The charity golf event was held on Monday, June 22, 2015 at Las Colinas Country Club. Almost $60,000.00 was raised for Pathways Core Training Inc, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Pathways provides training to help people …