Category Archives: Real Estate Law

Legal Coaching- Unbundling Legal Services

What is legal coaching?   Legal coaching, a form of “unbundling legal services”, is the process of contracting a lawyer to assist you with certain parts of your court case.   Lawyers used in these situations provide limited legal advice and assist you with select parts of the legal process that may be confusing or complex in nature. They act very much as a coach in the traditional sports sense, helping you prepare, plan your strategy, and assist in the execution of your legal case. They can do everything from assisting you with the preparation of legal documents to giving you advice on how to best present your case in court.   Who can use legal coaching? The use of legal Read More

Using For Sale by Owner VS. a Real Estate Agent

When most people hear the term “For Sale by Owner” or “FSBO” they might not know the exact meaning behind it, much less have considered trying out the practice for themselves. We want to explain not only how exactly the process can be done, but also how truly simple, painless, and financially beneficial it can be to homeowners considering selling on their own. In today’s world of advanced technology with the ability to get step-by-step instructions for virtually anything online with just a quick google search, electing to sell something “FSBO” means a lot more accessible do-it-yourself options.  Homeowners today looking to sell have access to much of the same information and resources commonly used by a real estate agent. Beyond Read More

Are You a Landlord in Baltimore? Listen Up! Big Changes Could Be Coming

Price and Keir assists numerous landlords and tenants in a variety of real estate issues.  A new bill could require more inspections for Baltimore City landlords. This would be the most significant update to rental housing regulations in Baltimore City since they were written half a century ago in 1966. The bill calls for licensing and inspecting ALL residential properties in Baltimore, not just larger buildings with three or more units, as is currently required. This means one and two unit rental properties will now require mandatory inspections. Currently, those properties only get inspected when tenants complain of violations. The goal is to improve overall rental quality in Baltimore by taking a more proactive approach, so Baltimore will follow some Read More

The Pitfalls of Online Legal Forms

There are many forms online now. You can find just about any contract simply by googling it: -Deeds -Wills -Divorces Many people use online legal forms to save money. They can sometimes work, but not always. So why even talk to a lawyer about your contract? There are risks in relying solely on online legal forms, without talking to a lawyer. At the bottom of a popular online legal form website, they even say: “We are not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. We cannot provide any kind of advice, explanation, opinion, or recommendation about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, selection of forms or strategies.” This disclaimer is here for a reason. Take, Read More

Renting Out a Room in Your Home? Read This First!

Renting out a room in your house sounds like some easy extra income. And it can be fairly easy, if you take the right precautions. We had someone call us recently. They were a landlord who advertised a room for rent on craigslist. They signed up a tenant, with no background check. Their first mistake. They took a security deposit, but never created a written lease. Their second mistake. Four months later, the tenant is destroying the property and the landlord of course wants them out of their home. And they want them out today. If you do not have a written lease, you have to give your renter up to 60 days’ notice before even beginning the eviction process. 60 Read More