Contracts and Transactions
How to Help Your Real Estate Clients Avoid Deed Fraud and Scams
Deed fraud is on the rise, and real estate agents must be vigilant to help clients avoid these increasingly sophisticated scams. What is Deed Fraud? It typically involves scammers choosing a property (often a vacant home) and gathering information to then assume the owner’s identity. They forge their name on the transfer paperwork —and arrangeRead More
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Risks to Real Estate Agents/Brokers if Representing Sellers When Low Inventory
There are extremely low inventory levels for housing across multiple states right now. A significant portion of the real estate market are individuals who are simultaneously selling a home they live in and buying another they intend to live in. It’s very common to include buyer contingencies in the purchase agreement, which makes the purchaseRead More
Selling Deceased Estates — 4 Reasons Agents Can Be Sued
If you’re used to working with sellers, selling deceased estates has some risks you may not be aware of. While some parts of the process are the same, there are some key differences you need to know about. Here are 4 top reasons agents get sued when selling deceased estates or in probate sales. 1.Read More
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Escalation Clauses, Appraisal Addendums, and More (Nevada)
In a hot seller’s market, there are increased risks for real estate professionals. And we’ve uncovered more of them in looking specifically at Nevada. In this webinar, attorney Kathryn Holbert, from Farmer Case & Fedor, and Dave Miller, who manages the CRES Advantage Home Warranty Plan, discuss how real estate professionals can prevent claims inRead More
CRES Risk Management Webinar: Contingencies, Multiple Offers, Deadlines, and More — Preventing Claims in Hot Real Estate Seller’s Markets
Contingencies, Multiple Offers, Deadlines, and More In many markets right now, there’s a limited amount of inventory and a surging demand for property. In this “hot seller’s market” with fast-moving properties, real estate professionals face increased risks. In this webinar, attorney Jim Meseck, from White and Steele, and Dave Miller, who manages the CRES AdvantageRead More
Dealing with Transaction Coordinators
If you’re a busy real estate agent juggling many listings, you may feel overwhelmed by all the complex legal paperwork that comes with transactions. A Transaction Coordinator can be an asset in this situation, because using one will free up your time to do other work, such as generating new business. As with any formRead More
Disclaimers, Waivers and COVID-Related Clauses in Real Estate Contracts — How to Minimize Your Risk as a Broker
As COVID-19 continues to impact the world, it also continues to make its mark on the real estate industry across our nation. Many “business as usual” activities, such as open houses and home inspections, are increasingly risky in a COVID environment. Brokers now need to not only be great leaders in a challenging sales environmentRead More
How to Handle a Real Estate Buyer with a Criminal Background
You’re the listing agent, and your seller gets a cash offer $2000 over asking price. Nobody has signed anything yet, but your client is pretty happy! And then the seller does a search on the buyer and discovers what appears to be a criminal background in another state. The seller has concerns for their neighborsRead More
The Pitfalls Of “Love Letters” Sent By Potential Buyers Or Renters Of Real Estate To The Seller Or Landlord
In today’s competitive California real estate market, I have seen buyers attempt to obtain an edge on their competition by writing and sending letters to the sellers. These letters describe the buyers, their immediate family, and why they would be perfect buyers for the listed property being offered for sale. Some buyers include photographs ofRead More
5 Common Pitfalls When Filling Out the Residential Purchase Agreement + Properly Handling Dual Agency
The Residential Purchase Agreement is the most important form in a real estate transaction. But it’s also the cause of most of the litigation that occurs in real estate. In this webinar, Mark Carlson, attorney from Carlson Law Group and Dave Miller, who manages the CRES Advantage Home Warranty Program, discuss 5 key issues toRead More