The Colorado real estate market is hot. Prices are soaring, even in areas that were “left for dead.” In such a hot market, it is common to have a contract with a second buyer that is contingent on the deal falling apart with a first buyer called a backup contract....

Transferable Development Rights, Part II According to reports, part of why the city of Houston has been so devastated in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is because of the discrepancy between the city’s depression-era water and flood system and its modern-day buildings....

During the Great Recession of 2007-2009, a slew of houses across the country fell into foreclosure. The foreclosure epidemic triggered an avalanche of defaults in the financial and other sectors. In turn, there was financial chaos. The foreclosures triggered blight...

Withhold Rent in Colorado Colorado landlord/tenant law was designed to protect both landlords and tenants who engage in a deal. While the initial purpose of the rental is presumably for the benefit of both parties, misunderstandings, disputes, and the like can and do...

The tort of slander of title, codified under the Colorado Code, takes on many forms. It can be similar to libel in that it someone defames property that leads to some sort of damage. In addition to basic libel, the tort of slander of title includes various claims...

When the government wants to build a highway, school, or other piece of infrastructure, it has the legal right to take your house and pay you fair market value so that it can do those things. Article II, Section 15 of the Colorado Constitution provides: “Taking...

Often, a person will draft a will that devises, upon his or her passing, that property or properties will go to his or her heirs as “joint tenancy with the right of survivorship” or similar language. Per the joint tenancy and per Colorado law, each heir owns an...

Just because you own a piece of property does not mean that you can do whatever you want on that property. In simple terms, owning a car does not mean that you can drive in any way you want or cause damage with your car. In other words, despite ownership of property,...

As Colorado’s population grows and becomes more diverse, so do potential issues with respect to real estate and race. While Denver and other Front Range areas have long-standing Latin communities, others are relative newcomers to the scene. Though unlikely, it is...

The current explosion in Colorado real estate prices raises the question of whether the real estate market is headed into a boom and bust cycle. While the local real estate boom is on a grander scale than the national average and the housing bust of 2008-10 was on a...