By William Phillips, AXA Advisors
Abstract: There may be many reasons for an individual to establish a trust.
While most people think trusts are only for the wealthy, trusts are commonly used to distribute property after death or to protect one’s assets in the event of physical or mental disability. A trust is simply the legal relationship [...]

By Scott Bloom, Washington Property Management
Goal: It is not abatement, rather it is designed to contain, control, and clean up any lead based paint contamination.  A “do no harm” type of approach for renovations.
Effective Date: April 22, 2010
Triggers for this particular regulation:

Potential for disturbing lead based paint
Pre-1978 Housing
Child occupied facilities that will disturb lead based [...]

NAIC Survey Shows Lack of Awareness among Consumers When it Comes to Their Homeowners Policies
Article Courtesy of NAIC

SAN FRANCISCO (June 4, 2007) — A large percentage of U.S. homeowners mistakenly believe that standard
homeowners insurance protects them from a wide array of perils, according to new research by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). In [...]

By Nancy L. Gusman, Esq., BuckmanLegal, PLLC/Palisades Title Company
In an opinion issued March 22, 2010, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that “a trier of fact could hold [a member of an LLC] personally liable for lead paint-related injuries suffered by children who occupied a dwelling that the LLC owned.”
Under the facts of this case, [...]

On Friday, January 15, 2010, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a measure intended to “bring stability to home values and accelerate sale of vacant properties.”
The temporary new policy will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance is meant to allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties.
Effective February 1, 2010, FHA, while maintaining what the release [...]

Over the years, the term “flipping a property” has developed several different interpretations by the real estate investment community.  Believe it or not, it is not illegal to flip a property.  What is illegal, is the fraud which is usually associated with this type of transaction.
First, we should define various types of “flipping”.
Flipping the Property: [...]

When purchasing properties in the current economic environment, you need to be aware of certain governmental and financial institution regulations regarding the resale of the property. We all know that lenders have used “seasoning requirements” for several years to weed out the fraudulent “flip” transaction. However, there are rules you must be aware of if purchasing an REO property from FannieMae and/or selling to a purchaser who intends to obtain FHA financing.

Jury awards $2 million — are you in compliance with Maryland’s Lead Law?
Read About It

Maryland passes sweeping changes to condominium law, particularly in the area of insurance.  Owners of condominiums in Maryland should immediately contact their management and their insurance carriers to be sure they have the proper insurance and that there is no duplication of coverage.
The law now REQUIRES condominium master policies to cover the reconstruction of the [...]