Real Estate

Exceptional real estate counsel, from the ground up.

We all need some space—for houses and subdivisions, condominiums and apartment buildings, stores, offices, hospitals, manufacturing plants, farmland, sports venues, hotels and restaurants, schools, etc. When you consider all the factors and potential pitfalls inherent to modern commercial, industrial, and residential real estate transactions, you’ll recognize the importance of having Howard & Howard’s real estate attorneys on your side.

From single-parcel homeowners to Fortune 500 companies with extensive real estate portfolios, we provide advice on the wide variety of property interests held by our clients acting as:

• Commercial, industrial, and residential buyers and sellers
• Landlords and tenants
• Homeowner and condominium associations
• Builders and developers
• Contractors and trades
• Lenders and investors
• Brokers and agents
• Property and portfolio managers
• Retailers, wholesalers, and warehousers
• Tax-exempt and religious organizations
• Power plant and solar/wind farm developers/operators
• Hazardous waste disposal facility operators
• Gas pipeline and power transmission developers
• Niche use owners including social, equestrian, canine, and yacht clubs

Because time is money for most of our clients, we make it our priority to draft, negotiate, and close deals quickly. It’s no exaggeration to say there isn’t a real estate transaction or issue we haven’t handled successfully, including:

• Ownership structure (LLCs, joint ventures, tenants in common, condominiums, etc.)
• Acquisitions, dispositions, and 1031 tax-deferred exchanges
• Site selection, parcel assembly (including land divisions), and opportunity zones
• Zoning and land use planning
• Architectural and construction contracts including design-build
• Title defects and irregularities
• Mortgages, financing, and syndication
• Residential and commercial leasing
• Permits and licenses including liquor licensing
• Development incentives and tax credits
• Environmental assessments, brownfield redevelopment, and regulatory compliance
• Riparian rights and public access
• Easements and use restrictions
• Private land use and development arrangements
• Mineral rights
• Condominium conversion and deconversion
• Brokerage and property management
• Real and personal property tax assessments
• Public-private ventures
• Conveyances and transfers associated with estate planning

Disagreements over real estate can often occur, and our real estate litigation attorneys seek to settle differences through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. When parties cannot find solutions amicably, we advocate for clients in state and federal courts and before local boards and commissions, tax tribunals, and administrative agencies. Our far-reaching real estate litigation experience includes:

• Breach of contract actions
• Title challenges
• Land use disputes
• Design and construction disputes (scope, defects, payment, liens, etc.)
• Boundary disputes
• Landlord-tenant disputes
• Forfeitures and evictions
• Foreclosures, workouts, and business bankruptcies
• Real and personal property tax appeals (including exemptions)
• Condemnation and eminent domain proceedings
• Environmental actions
• Zoning appeals
• Real estate agent commission disputes

Howard & Howard’s devotion to real estate law is comprehensive. We constantly monitor real estate issues and trends to anticipate changes and tailor contracts accordingly. We are thought leaders on real property topics, authoring articles and papers and giving presentations to educate the industry. We help to establish and change the law through appellate advocacy and government relations. Ultimately, we do all of this with one goal in mind—to maximize the value of our clients’ real estate holdings, investments, and interests.