by Gary Pickren | Jan 24, 2018 | Legal Tips
In 2005 Congress passed the REAL ID Act as an attempt to prevent tragedies like 9/11 and other terrorist attacks. Because the process of applying for and receiving an identification card varies greatly from state to state, the REAL ID Act attempts to create a national...
by Gary Pickren | Jan 19, 2018 | Legal Tips
Real estate tax season for 2017 has come and gone. Don’t let the tax bill for 2017 ruin your 2018 closings. In South Carolina, an owner-occupant pays taxes at a 4% rate whereas an investor or non-occupant owner pays taxes at a 6% rate and does not get any education...
by Gary Pickren | Jan 12, 2018 | Legal Tips
I have received several questions from real estate agents asking if advertising another agent’s listing on Facebook is proper and legal. The answer is, it depends. Leave it to a lawyer to give you a non-answer! The answer lies in the statute, the Multiple Listing...
by Gary Pickren | Jan 5, 2018 | Legal Tips
Over the past few months we have discussed how your client could easily become a victim of wire fraud. We know that real estate agents are prime targets of hackers. These hackers break into real estate agent email accounts and monitor activity. Once they see a real...
by Gary Pickren | Dec 22, 2017 | Legal Tips
Recently several agents have asked what the closing date in the contract means. Most real estate contracts state that the transaction will “close on or before” a date. But what happens if the buyer or seller wants to close before the date in the...
by Gary Pickren | Dec 15, 2017 | Legal Tips
Section 10 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act sets limits on the amount of borrower money that a lender may hold in escrow. An escrow account may include taxes, homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, private mortgage insurance and other charges...
