Recent News

Us residents of Washington State often consider ourselves lucky to live in an area with an abundance of beautiful trees. Naturally, however, the ubiquity of beautiful trees throughout our state has led to the growth of a significant body of law relating to the ownership and maintenance of trees as between neighboring property owners. Indeed, my colleagues… Read More

Real estate contracts were a common form of providing for the purchase and sale and financing of real estate. Under real estate contracts, the buyer purchased the property from the seller and agreed to pay the seller the balance of the purchase price in installments.  (Real estate contracts are to be distinguished from the now… Read More

In 2023, the Washington State legislature passed multiple statutes in an effort to tackle the housing issues facing the public, chief among them, HB 1110 discussed here and here, and HB 1337 discussed here and here (the latter discussing HB 1110 as well). The passing of these laws will have a significant impact on housing in Washington… Read More

Real estate sales usually involve professional realtors who earn commissions when a sale closes.  But buyers and sellers have no obligation to use a realtor.  Generally speaking, parties to a real estate transaction have three options: (1) realtor representation; (2) self-representation; and (3) lawyer representation.  You should give consideration to all three options before deciding… Read More

Most people have heard the phrase “earnest money,” which generally refers to money deposited (usually with an escrow holder) to show a good faith intention of a buyer to consummate a purchase of property (usually real estate).  Buyers often do not understand how earnest money operates and what determines its fate when a real estate… Read More

Clients sometimes tell me, “I would deed my property into a LLC, but I’m about to sell, so what’s the point?” The sale IS the point! If you own an investment property or vacation property, the most likely plaintiff you will face is your eventual buyer. The recent Washington Court of Appeals case Orvold vs.… Read More

In 2023, Washington State passed laws regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (HB 1337) and multiplexes (HB 1110) to create a systematic and comprehensive change in the availability of housing. These house bills establish general requirements that municipalities must follow, and which present developers and contractors with unique opportunities to take advantage of a vast change in housing regulations… Read More

Contractors must follow a slew of statutory requirements to file and collect upon their various liens. One such requirement is the pre-lien notice. Certain subcontractors must send notice to property owners prior to the start of the project. Essentially, the pre-lien notice says, “Dear homeowners, I may not be contracted with you directly, but I… Read More

In the realm of real estate law, we often consider the policy of title insurance one of the most important documents that an individual will obtain when purchasing real property. I have previously discussed the importance of title policies here and here. At the risk of belaboring the point, I again write a new post… Read More