Los Gatos Commercial Real Estate Lawyers

Find the right Commercial Real Estate attorney in Los Gatos, CA

Commercial Real Estate Law in California

In Los Gatos, California, "commercial real estate" is any type of land or building which is used for a business, as opposed to residential, purpose.

The laws covering commercial real estate in Los Gatos, California are quite different from those applying to residential real estate.

Buyers and renters of residential property enjoy a massive number of legal protections. Many of these protections don't apply to buyers or renters of commercial property.

These include implied warranties of habitability, rent control, and covenants of use and quiet enjoyment, among many others. Of course, the most basic protections, such as prohibiting the seller from actively concealing defects, apply to both.

Common Commercial Real Estate Law Issues in Los Gatos, California

Financing: Most small business owners in Los Gatos, California don't have the money to buy real estate with the cash on hand. However, there is a solution to this problem, allowing people without massive sums of money (but with a steady income) to buy real estate: the mortgage. A mortgage is a loan used to buy real estate, and the real estate being purchased is used as collateral for the loan.

Duty to Disclose Defects: It is of the utmost importance that sellers and lessors of commercial real estate be up front about any defects that might be present in the property. Failing to disclose them can be bad, and actively concealing them can be much worse. In general, if a defect is serious enough that it would influence a reasonable person's decision to buy a piece of property, and the seller knows about it, the seller should disclose it. Failure to disclose can have serious outcomes. If the buyer later discovers the defect, they can sue for the cost of repairing it, or for any reduction in the property's value caused by it. And, of course, if it causes any injuries, the buyer can sue the seller for those, as well.

Duty to Inspect: This is a companion to the duty to disclose defects. Typically, buyers of real estate are expected to inspect the property. If they fail to conduct a good inspection, they might not be able to recover damages if they are harmed by any defects which an inspection would have revealed.

Encumbrances: These are defects to title, rather than physical defects. They are legal issues which might make it difficult or impossible for a landowner to make full use of their land. In Los Gatos, California, these might include easements. An easement is a right to use property held by a party other than the owner. This use is often very limited in scope, such as allowing the holder of the easement to cross the property to access a public road, or something similar. Such rights usually have to be recognized and honored by new owners, so if they buy property not knowing about them, they might be seriously inconvenienced.

Can a Los Gatos, California Attorney Help?

Because of the importance and potential complexity of the issues surrounding commercial real estate, it's almost always advisable that, before engaging in any real estate deal, you obtain the counsel of a good Los Gatos, California real estate attorney.

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Life in Los Gatos

Los Gatos, California is a city in Santa Clara County, in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population is currently about 25,000 people. "Los Gatos" is Spanish for "the cats." The name refers to the mountain lions which used to roam the area.

The nearest large city to Los Gatos is San Jose. It is also a fairly short drive from the other major Bay Area cities of San Francisco and Oakland, meaning that residents of Los Gatos, California have access to a wide variety of amenities and job opportunities that these three large, and very different, cities offer.

Being located in the Silicon Valley region of California, several high-tech companies, including Netflix, ImageShack, Cryptic Studios, among others, are headquartered in Los Gatos, California.

Thanks to the presence of companies like those, many national and international law firms have Silicon Valley offices, many of them close to Los Gatos. Of course, you don't need to be able to afford the rates charged by a large law firm to get quality legal representation in Los Gatos, California. There are many quality and affordable Los Gatos, California lawyers who can help you with almost any legal issue you might be facing.

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