REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION, DEVELOPMENT AND SALE

Ironically, before you open for business, you often must close. If you are a real estate developer, broker or other real estate professional, you know what we mean. Closing isn’t just half the battle, it’s sometimes the bulk of the war.

Siebers Mohney, with offices in Grand Rapids and Holland, enjoys a vast array of experience and expertise in nearly all legal matters related to real estate, and continues to provide innovative, aggressive techniques on behalf of its real estate clientele. We enjoy counseling and assisting business owners, developers and real estate investors with all matters related to a project – from acquisition entity selection, title and survey matters, environmental matters, use and tax planning, financing, special tax exemptions and abatements, and zoning approvals, to project development, land divisions, easements, platting, expansions, modifications, sales, leases and 1031 exchanges.

Our Condominium and Lake Michigan waterfront property experience is rivaled by few in the West Michigan area. Our real estate attorneys have pioneered the creative use of site, traditional, mixed, multiple use, conversion, and derivative condominiums and continue to excel in recognizing and resolving many of the unique issues related to the purchase of multi-million dollar property on the shores of Lake Michigan.

The experience of our team of real estate attorneys results in practical, efficient, and highly effective representation when any of these real estate matters are disputed and your plans are disrupted. Our job is to overcome these hurdles, and place your plans back on track, making all of your openings (and even closings) occasions to celebrate.

In addition to the more general topics mentioned above, our real estate attorneys are also experienced with these complex issues:

• Acquisition, development and financing of malls, shopping centers, apartment complexes, office buildings, hotels, industrial facilities, affordable housing apartments, single and multi-family residential projects and vacant land
• Representation in all forms of real estate investment and real estate financing transactions including acquisition and development loans, construction loans, mezzanine debt, conduit loan financing, defeasance transactions, private funding, partnership agreements, llc operating agreements and tenant in common agreements
• Guidance and assistance with the filing and foreclosure of mortgages and constructions liens
• Guidance and assistance in all forms of real estate litigation, including boundary disputes, construction disputes, adverse possession claims, title disputes and specific performance of real estate purchase agreements
• Preparing and negotiating commercial and residential leases, including ground leases, triple net leases, modified gross leases, gross leases and sale leaseback arrangements
• Representation before municipalities in zoning, rezoning, special use permit, special exception, variance, site plan and Planned Unit Development (PUD) matters
• Structuring like-kind exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code
• Structuring real estate sale and other transfers to minimize state and local taxes, including the minimization of real estate transfer tax
• Preparation of traditional condominiums, site condominiums, mixed use condominiums, derivative condominiums, office condominiums, industrial condominiums and condominium conversions
• Representation of Condominium Associations and Homeowners Associations
• Acquisition, sale and development of Lake Michigan waterfront property, including Lake Michigan cottages, time shares, co-ops, family partnerships and family llcs, as well as the representation of property owners in title, riparian, boundary and use disputes
• Environmental issues
• Property tax assessed valuation appeals

For more information on the Real Estate Services offered by Siebers Mohney please contact Jack A. Siebers, Paul D. Yared, Jennifer B. Van Regenmorter, Jason S. Schnelker, or Ryan E. Lamb from our Real Estate practice group.

For answers to some frequently asked real estate questions, please read our resources on the Purchase, Sale and Ownership of Lake Michigan Waterfront Property.

For more information on our West Michigan locations, please visit our Grand Rapids and Holland offices.