Midterm 1 Flashcards
Two types of property
Tangible and intangible
Tangible property
Physical assets that can be owned
Can be real or personal property
Intangible property
Nonphysical assets such as stocks, bonds, mortgages, leases
real estate as a tangible asset
- raw land
- improvements TO the land
- structures (improvements ON the land)
real estate as a bundle of rights
- exclusive possession of the real property
- use or enjoyment
- disposition
- can be unbundled in many ways
3 things that determine real estate value
- user (space) markets
- capital markets
- governmental sectors
how much of the worlds wealth does real estate represent
1/2
real estate also includes
area above and below the surface
raw land
a larger area that does not include any improvements
real property
real estate
personal property
things that are movable and not permanently affixed to land
what is the value of a bundle of rights
a function of the property’s physical, locational, and legal characteristics
physical
age, size, design, construction, quality of structure, natural features of land
locational
convenience/access to places of employment, schools, shopping, health care (residential), visibility, access to customers, suppliers, employees (commercial)
acre
43,560 square feet or 209 feet square. 640 acres in 1 square mile
how many acres is a typical single family residential lot
1/5-4/5 acre
local user/space markets
competition among users for physical locations and space
- where rental rates are determined
- seperate markets for different property types
capital markets
serve to allocate financial resources among households and firms requiring funds. Participants invest in stocks, bonds, mortgage contracts, real estate etc with the expectation of return on investment
two categories of captial markets
equity interests (owners) debt interests (lenders)
property markets
determine the required property, specific investment returns, property values, capitalization rates, construction feasilibility
-integrated, nOT segmented like the space market
capitalization rate
the ratio of a property’s annual net income to its value
- a fundamental pricing metric in commercial real estate markets
because of segmentation, rental prices can
vary widely for physically similar space across locations and property types
in capital markets bidding by investors determines
- risk free rates of various maturities
- required risk premiums for risky investments
public capital markets
small homogenous units (shares) of ownership in assets traded in public exchange
- many buyers and sellers
- price quotes available for all to see
- high degree of liquidity
equity in capital public markets
publicy traded RE investments trusts (REITs), real estate companies
debt in capital public markets
commerical mortgage backed securities (MBs), and mortgage REITs)
private capital/property markets
- absence of centralized markets (or even price list)
- assets trade infrequently in private transactions(lack of transparency)
- less liquidty than public markets
- higher transaction costs
equity in private captial markets
individuals, partnerships, LLCs, private equity funds, hedge funds
debt in private capital markets
banks, thrifts, insurace companies, fianance companies, private lenders
government role in real estate
affects the market, zoning codes, land use regulations, building codes, property taxes, federal insurace
what determines rental rates
space market equilibrium and expected cash flows
where are risk premiums determined
in capital markets
when property values are more than cost of new construction
incentive for new construction and excess profits but ultimately, rise in supply causes rents/market values to decrease
when property values are less than cost of construction
-overbuilt market
a combo of reduced construction, demand growth, steady obsolence of existing stock is required to push market rents and property values back to required levels to be profitable
hetergeonity
each property has unique features (even in suburbs)
immobility
not able to be moved
what does it mean when “real estate markets are localized”
potential users usually lie within short distance to each other
what is real estate segmented by
product price
investment grade properties
larger, more valuable commericial properties generally over 10 mil
(institutional grade real estate)
what are rights?
claims the gov is obligated to enforce
- nonrevocable
- enduring
personal rights
freedoms in the bill of rights/constitution
property rights
rights to things both tangible and intangible,
- exclusive possession
- enjoyment of use or benefit
- freedom to dispose as one pleases (within safety limits)
fixture
real property that was formerly personal property
rules for determining when something becomes a fixture
- manner of attachment (will removal cause damage)
- character of the article and manner of adaptation (custom things)
- intention of the parties (most dominant rule, if sold: remain w/seller , if rented: remain w/owner)
- relation of the parties
(trade fixtures [personal property], agricultural fixtures)
interests
a bundle of rights that is dismantled into lesser bundles or any set of rights in real property
estate
a real property interest that includes the right of exclusive possession
nonpossessory interests
- easements
- restrictive covenants
- liens
ownership estates (freeholds)
estate interests having unlimited duration; title interests
- fee simple absolute
- fee simple conditional
- life estate w/remainder interest
fee simple absolute
all possible rights, has greatest value, limited only by the powers of the government
fee simple conditional
all rights, but revocable if specific condition is violated (trigger event) will cause ownership to revert to previous owner
reverter interest
the uncertain interest held by the previous owner
ordinary life estate
created by the owner, the rights of dispostion of the fee simple absolute are unbundled and seperated completely.
ex: college wants to purchase neighborind home, owner wants to sell but not move
remainder estate
the ownership interest subsequent to a life estate which upon the death of the life estate owner becomes a fee simple absolute
ex: college will get home when she dies
legal life estate
created by the action of law
-can also arise from marriage
leasehold estates (nonownership or nonfreehold)
the interest or rights of a lesee or tenant in a leased property, including the possessory rights that are temporary conveyance of the rights of exclusion, use/enjoyment but NOT disposition.
tenancy for years
specific period of time
- must be written if more than one year
- written lease contract governs entirely
periodic tenancy
no definite length of time
- often by oral agreement
- more risk for misunderstanding but simple and quick
- length of period is implied by payment period
tenancy at will
granted by landlords to tenants allowing them to remain in possession without written agreement, a short period when it suits both landlord and occupant to continue
tenancy at sufferance
when a tenant that is supposed to vacate does not
non-possessory interests in land
- easements
- liens
- restrictive covenants
easement
the right to use land for a specific and limited purpose
government limitations on ownership
eminent domain, police regulatory power, taxation
private limitations on ownership
liens, deed restrictions, easements, leases
easements appurtenant
a right of use a dominant parcel of land “enjoys” over an adjacent (servient) parcel of land
- affirmative or negative
- consrained or diminished by the easement
- runs w/ the land
affirmative easements
- driveway or access right of way
- sewer line
- drainage
- common wall
negative easements
- light and air easement
- scenic easement
easement in gross
the right to use land for a specific, limited purpose unrelated to any adjacent parcel
- no dominant parcel
- transferable w/o transfer of parcel of land
examples of easements in gross
-right of ways for roads, railroads, irrigation, water, communication/cable lines, gas lines, billboards, mineral/oil extraction, harvest crops, wetlands preservation
license
permission to use the land
(the RIGHT to use the land is an EASEMENT)
-revocable
-automatically terminated at the death of the grantor or sale of the land
exclusive easement in gross
conveys all rights of the easement, recipient can convey access to tohers
nonexclusive easement in gross
rights limited to one user only
- cannot extend access to others
- only the owner can convey access to others
restrictive covenants (deed restrictions)
impose restrictions on the uses of land
-created at conveyance of land to a new owner
examples of restrictive covenants
- height restrictions
- minimum floor area
- no freestanding structures
- no chain link fences
- no RVs or boats in view of street
- required use of professional lawn service
- no satellite dish
two methods of creating restrictive covenants
- restriction in a deed conveying a single parcel of land to a new owner (grantor or heirs)
- restrictions imposed on an entire subdivision at its creation (mortgage loan holders, renters)
enforcement of restrictive covenants
- court injunction
- only by “parties at interest”
- courts will be reluctant if changed neighborhood, public policy, abandonment
lien
an interest in real property that serves as security for an obligation
-usually a debt
general lien
arises out of actions unrelated to ownership of the property
- court awarded damages
- federal tax liens
specific lien
directly from events related to the property
- mortgage
- mechanics lien
- property tax
attach
to place a lien on
assesement lien
lien assessment by local governments to ensure that those who receive the primary benefit of neighborhood improvements will be charged their “fair share”
community development district (CDD) lien
secures finances for improvements within a private community
- not a gov lien but enjoys same priority
- tax exempt debt
mortgage
an interest in property as security for a debt
mechanics lien
arises from construction and other improvements to real estate
consequences of liens
can result in sale of property to compensate the creditor
three levels of liens on a personal residence
- property tax/assessment liens
- mortgages/mechanics liens
- judgment liens
forms of co-ownership
direct and indirect
indirect co-ownership through a single entity
persons in a business organization acquire real estate
direct co-ownership
each co-owner holds a titled interest in the property (freehold estate)
- a house with multiple owners
examples of direct co-ownership
tenancy in common
joint tenancy
tenancy by the entirety
condiminium
tenancy in common
“normal” form of direct co-ownership, close to fee simple absolute, each co-owner retains full rights of disposition, is free to mortgage or to convey their ownership share to a new owner (like to heirs)
-bad form for owning an operating business
joint tenancy (survivorship)
2 or more owners hold equal shares and have equal rights of possession. the surviving partners divide the interests of a deceased partner
- difficult to create and easily disrupted
- prevented or restricted by law in some states
- restricts inheritance to heirs of last survivng owner
tenancy by the entirety
a form of joint tenancy for husband and wife
- simplifies effect in minor children are present
- protected against liens arising from either spouse alone
condomimium
a form of ownership combining single person ownership with tenancy in common
-the owner holds a fee simple interest as an individual owner to a certain space but the owner is a tenant in common in the community elements
examples of indirect co-ownership
general partnership limited partership LLC corporation trust
condomimiun bylaws
the official rules and regulations that define owner rights
- share of all obligations
- restrictions on sale or rental
- methods of altering bylaws
condominium declaration
the master deed creating or establishing the conominium corporation
- sets restrictions
examples: kids, ages, etc
cooperative
a form of individual ownership of apartments, the property is owned by a corporation of which each resident is a shareholder entitled to a proprietary lease (no term and no rent)
- cannot mortgage individual interests
- owner is mutually liable for any specific liens
dower
gives wife 1/3 life estate for a surviving spouse in real property of a decedent spouse
curtsey
husband version of dower
elective share
a modern subsitute for dower/curtesy which gives a surviving spouse a share of most wealth of the decedent (1/3)
community property
the automatic right to 1/2 interest in all property acquired “out of the fruits of the marriage”
- not property owned before the marriage
- not gifts or inheritances to one spouse
- growing in acceptance as superior arrangement to elective share
seperate property
excluded from community property, acquired prior to marriage or gifts of inheritance received during marriage
timesharing
multiple individuals have use of property but interests are not simultaneous
- buyers acquire leasehold interest for a fixed number of years
- floating time intervals
- never a financial investment
rights to oil, gas and minerals
can be seperated from land ownership
-owner receives an implied easement to retrieve the minerals
rule of capture
the owners of an oil or gas well could claim all that is pumped from it, regardless of whether the oil or gas migrated from adjacent property
reasons why conveying real estate is complex
- real property is a complex bundle of rights
- rights to land are enduring
- land is a continuous surface
deed
a special, written contract for conveying a permanent interest in real property
- fee simple absolute
- life estate
- conditional fee
- easement
- oil, mineral, or water rights
- MUST BE IN WRITING
requirements of a deed
- grantor (and signature) and grantee
- words of conveyance
- covenants
- habendum clause
- exceptions and reservations clause
- acknowledgment
- delivery
grantor
person or entity conveying real property
- must be of legal age
- must be legally competent
- must sign deed
grantee
recipient of real property
- no need for legal age
- no need to be competent
- only needs to be identifiable
recital of consideration
a minimal statement of “for 10 dollars and other good and valuable consideration”
words of conveyance
-does hereby grant
-bargain
-sell
-convey
these words affirm intention to convey real property AND determine the type of deed
covenant
legally binding promise
three main covenants
- covenant of seizin
- covenant against encumbrances
- covenant of quiet enjoyment
covenant of seizin
grantor has good title and right to convey it
covenant against encumbrances
no encumbrances except as noted in deed (liens, easements)
covenant of quiet enjoyment
no one with better claim to title
habendum clause
defines interest being conveyed
-required drafting by a knowledgable legal professional
in habendum clause, “for use as” implies
easement
in habendum clause, “so long as” implies
conditional fee with reverter
in habendum clause, “and his/hers heirs and assigns forever” implies
fee simple absolute
exceptions and reservations clause
- deed restrictions
- clauses withholding mineral or oil rights
- creation of an easement
property descriptions
- must be unambiguous and enduring
- street address and tax parcel number are UNACCEPTABLE
acknowledgment
confirmation that grantor acted voluntarily
-notarized or equivalent
delivery
observable, verifiable intent that deed is to be given to grantor
examples of failure of delivery
- deed found in a desk/safety deposit box and handed to named grantee
- grantors attorny hands deed to named grantee without explicit instructions to do so
how deeds differ
by number of covenants
types of deeds
- general warranty deed
- special warranty deed
- deed of bargain and sale
- quitclaim deed
general warranty deed
all 3 covenants: seizen, no encumbrances, and quiet enjoyment
special warranty deed
all 3 covenants but “no encumbrances” limited to grantor’s ownership
deed of bargain and sale
no covenants, but still is regarded as implying ownership
quitclaim deed
no covenants and makes no assertions about grantor’s interest
conveying real property voluntarily with a deed
- normal transaction
- patent
conveying real property voluntarily without a deef
- implied easement
- easement by estoppel
- dedication
conveying real property involuntarily with a deed
- probate
- bankruptcy
- divorce
- condemnation
- foreclosure
conveying real proerpty involuntarily without a deed
- easement by prescription
- title by adverse possession
- action of water
ways title can transfer
- voluntary conveyance by deed
- involuntary conveyance by deed