Baytown Commercial Real Estate Lawyers

Find the right Commercial Real Estate attorney in Baytown, TX

Commercial Real Estate Law in Texas

Commercial real estate is any type of land or structure in Baytown, Texas which is used for business purposes, primarily the sale of goods and/or services to the public.

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

Buyers and renters of residential property enjoy a considerable 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 Baytown, Texas

Financing: Some small businesses in Baytown, Texas find it necessary, at some point, to purchase a piece of real estate, for various reasons. However, most owners of small to medium-sized businesses can't afford to make a real estate purchase up front, with the cash they have on hand. Simply put, very few people have hundreds of thousands of dollars just sitting in the bank. One solution to this is a mortgage, which is similar to most other types of secured loans: a bank lends you money, and you put up some piece of property as collateral, so the bank has some security in the event of default. With a mortgage, however, the property being purchased with the loan also secures the loan, authorizing the bank to foreclose on it in case the buyer defaults.

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 responsible for any harm this defect cause, as well as the reduced value of the property, or the cost of repair.

Duty to Inspect: Lest you believe that the duty to disclose defects relieves any duty of diligence on the part of the buyer, the law will not reward such lapses with a major cause of action. Buyers have a duty to conduct a reasonable inspection of the property before they buy it, typicallyy with a licensed building inspector. If the buyer fails to do this, they won't be able to recover any damages for defects which they could have discovered through a reasonable inspection.

Encumbrances: An encumbrance is any interest held in a piece of property by a party other than the seller and the buyer. These property interests might make it very challenging for the buyer to use the land as they intended when they bought it. A typical type of encumbrance in Baytown, Texas is the easement. An easement is some right that a third party has in a piece of property. For example, suppose that, many years ago, a neighbor adjacent to the land you want to buy, paid a previous owner for the right to cross his land to reach a public road. Unless the agreement states otherwise, this right will usually apply to subsequent owners, and has to be honored. Therefore, it might interfere with the intended use of the new owner.

Can a Baytown, Texas Attorney Help?

These issues can be very complicated, and most people consider such financially-weighty decisions to be very necessary. If you are one of those people, it's a smart move to contact a Baytown, Texas real estate attorney if you are facing any of the issues discussed above.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Baytown

Baytown is located in Harris and Chambers County, Texas. Per the 2010 census, the population of the city is 71,802 people.

Some great attractions to check out while in Baytown include Baytown Nature Center, Houston Raceway Park, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the Baytown Symphony Orchestra, and the San Jacinto Mall.

Famous residents include Bobby Fuller, Gary Busey, Leeland Mooring, Joe Tex, Drew Tate, Romany Malco, and Rocky Bernard.

Top industries include construction, education, transportation, and retail. Although legal services is not included, there are many established law offices and firms in and near Baytown. These entities train excellent attorneys to handle any and every legal need of residents and businesses.

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