By Ron Holmes 1, a Member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States – At the end of June, the Supreme Court announced decisions related to race-based college admissions, student debt relief, and several other topics. The following is an apolitical summary of the Court’s holding and reasoning for three of …
With rising property taxes in Texas, especially in the DFW area, everyone is wondering how to decrease their property taxes. On numerous occasions, Texas politicians have stated that cutting property taxes would be top priority. So much so that the Texas legislature set aside $17.6 billion from the state’s budget for property tax relief. The …
By Ron Holmes – Yes, the capital markets for larger real estate transactions appear to be a bit sleepy. This year we have not seen financing for many large-scale transactions, but the appetite for $20 million and under transactions has been steady. I don’t have a crystal ball, so your guess as to the future …
We are pleased to announce that Ron Holmes recently represented the Developer in the closing of the construction loan for a 54-story multi-family tower in the Austin, Texas CBD. Ron attended the ground breaking ceremony in Austin in March, 2022. When completed, this project will be Austin CBD’s tallest single-purpose, for-rent multi-housing high-rise. It’s slated …
by Scott A. Meyer – The American Families Plan currently being considered by Congress has a dangerous new component that would require banks to significantly expand what they have to report to the IRS, including account balances and all transfers in and out of accounts. The purpose behind the proposed change is to provide more …
By Ron Holmes – For reasons I cannot explain, our real estate practice is on fire. During and for some time after the Pandemic, we continued to see steady activity in what I call “meat and potato” transactions (sales, acquisitions, and development in the under $30 million category) and, of course, strong activity in Lease/Financing …
The 2021 Texas Legislature made significant changes to Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code (the “Texas Mechanic’s Lien Statute”) which governs mechanics’ and materialmen’s liens. Effective January 1, 2022, House Bill 2237 amends the Texas Mechanic’s Lien Statute in several significant aspects. Architect, Engineer and Surveyor Lien Rights Expanded HB 2237 expands the group …
by Ron Holmes The Fourth Quarter of 2020 was, shall we say, interesting. Our bigger transactions were on COVID-19 pause, while our meat and potato transactions proceeded as almost normal. Some sectors (e.g. self-storage, industrial and multi-family) remained active while others (e.g. retail) came to a near halt. What will 2021 bring? My crystal ball …
By Brian Fisher If you are the landlord of commercial property, then the odds are good that during the Covid-19 pandemic you have been or will be requested by a tenant to permit some form of rent relief. There are three (3) rent relief scenarios: Rent is due but the tenant not yet paid same. …
by Ron Holmes – The ten-person group limit on outdoor gatherings applies… maybe Some time ago, Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA-28 (the “Order”) imposing a ten-person group limit on outdoor gatherings. On August 1, 2020 the Attorney General’s office issued an informal legal opinion that the ten person limitation on outdoor gatherings applies to …