Cambridge Commercial Real Estate Lawyers

Find the right Commercial Real Estate attorney in Cambridge, MA

Commercial Real Estate Law in Massachusetts

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, commercial real estate is any type of real property (land or permanent structures) being used for business purposes.

The laws covering commercial real estate in Cambridge, Massachusetts are quite different from those applying to residential real estate.

Buyers and renters of residential property enjoy some pretty significant legal protections, because the law of most states presumes that shelter (being necessary to survive, for the most part) is more important than business. Therefore, many of these consumer protections don't apply to commercial real estate.

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 Cambridge, Massachusetts

Financing: Many businesses in Cambridge, Massachusetts can't save up enough money to pay the full asking price of a decent-sized piece of real estate up front. Nonetheless, it's sometimes necessary for businesses to acquire real estate. To solve this problem, most rely on a mortgage. A mortgage is a common type of loan, taken out to purchase real estate. The lending institution lends the full purchase price to the borrower, who then purchases the property. The property, in turn, becomes collateral for the loan, which must be paid back over a period of years, with interest.

Concealment of Defects: if the seller of commercial property acts to conceal a significant defect in the property, and then sells the property, he will be liable for any harm this defect cause, as well as the reduced value of the property, or the cost of repair.

Duty to Inspect: Buyers of commercial real estate are expected to be diligent, and a court will not reward a lack of diligence. Therefore, if the buyer fails to conduct a thorough inspection of the property before buying it, and thereby fails to discover defects which such an inspection could have easily revealed, he will not be able to sue the seller over these defects later on.

Encumbrances: Undisclosed encumbrances are defects of another sort: defects of title. An encumbrance is any interest that a third party has in the Cambridge, Massachusetts commercial real estate. These usually take the form of easements, which are rights held by third parties to use the land for a specific purpose. Easements can have profound effects on how a new owner can use the land, so it is essential to know about them before buying.

Can a Cambridge, Massachusetts Attorney Help?

These issues are sometimes complex, and almost always very important. Therefore, it's essential to seek the assistance of a Cambridge, Massachusetts real estate attorney if you have any dealings in this area.

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Life in Cambridge

Cambridge is part of the Greater Boston area. It is home to famous universities such as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge is home to around 105,162 people. It is the fifth largest city in Massachusetts.

Top employers include both Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Novartis, and the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. Many attorneys also live in or near Cambridge. Boston is home to many top-rated multinational law firms. There are also many small to mid-size law firms there as well. These firms train their attorneys to be the best and to succeed in winning any and every case, no matter how complicated the legal matter is.

Being such a historic place, there are any museums to visit in Cambridge. Popular attractions include the Harvard Art Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum, the Fogg Art Museum, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Semitic Museum, MIT Museum, and the List Visual Arts Center at MIT.

Cambridge, with its historical influence, also has many wonderful buildings to visit and tour that depict beautiful architecture. Such buildings include the Asa Gray House, Elmwood House, the First Parish in Cambridge, Harvard Lampoon Building, Urban Rowhouse, and Memorial Hall at Harvard University.

Overall, Cambridge is a wonderful place to visit or call home.

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