Real estate deals often boil down to experience and perseverance. Clients have come to depend on the attorneys of Foster Swift for both of these qualities.
The real estate attorneys of Foster Swift have a broad range of experience successfully handling sophisticated transactions and difficult litigation. Our transactional services include drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, construction contracts, financing and lending documents, as well as resolving title, zoning, utilities, environmental and real estate tax issues.
Our attorneys regularly appear before municipal and state administrative agencies concerning real estate matters. We have been trying cases for over 100 years in state and federal, trial and appellate courts.
Regardless of the type of service, we use a team approach. Matters routinely handled include:
- Land division and subdivision approvals secured under the Michigan Land Division Act
- Construction contract negotiation, including AIA and AGC documents
- PUD and development agreements, and condominium documents
- Environmental due diligence and Brownfield funding agreements
- Industrial exemption certificates
- Rezoning, including conditional rezoning, and easements and restrictive covenants
- Variances, site plan approvals, and special use permits
- Conservation easements and required open space preservation documents
- Troubled real estate, loan sales and purchases
- Representation of developers on projects having significant impact on roads, traffic, flood plains, wetlands, and other protected areas
- Utility and technology agreements
- Construction liens
- Title disputes, title examinations, and title insurance claims
- Appeals of Property Tax and Special Assessments, and State tax cases (MBT, sales and use tax) before the Michigan Tax Tribunal, State courts and the Michigan Department of Treasury
- Defense of builders in occupational licensing actions, building code violations, and workmanship issues, and
- Representation of property owners in detachment, annexation, and Act 425 agreements
- Representation of subdivision and condominium associations in restriction and lien enforcement
Our wide range of services, coupled with a passion for personal attention to our clients’ needs, have earned the Foster Swift real estate group a reputation for practical, results-oriented value to clients.
Foster Swift has been named a Tier 1 firm in Real Estate Law in Lansing by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Recent Blog Posts
Publications & Alerts
- Farming Land Leases: Get it in Writing, January 2019 Agricultural Law News, January 17, 2019
- Beyond the Basics - Commercial Leases From a Tenant’s Perspective, November 2018 Finance Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law News, November 9, 2018
- Detroit Landlords and Enforcement of the City’s Inspection Ordinance, September 2018 Finance, Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law News, September 24, 2018
- The Dos and Don’ts of Leasing Property Owned by a Municipality, August 2018 Municipal Law News, August 15, 2018
- Transferring Property and the Qualified Agricultural Property Exemption, July 2018 Agricultural Law News, July 15, 2018
- Court Protects Lakefront Landowners From Liability in Recent Injury Case, June 2018 Finance Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law News, June 13, 2018
News
- Foster Swift Rated Tier 1 in 27 Practice Areas in Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms", November 1, 2018
- Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity Elects Schlender as President, October 1, 2018
- Six Foster Swift Attorneys Named Best Lawyers® 2019 "Lawyer of the Year", August 15, 2018
- Foster Swift Elects Executive Committee Members for 2018, February 13, 2018
- Attorney Russell Appointed as Litigation Practice Group Co-Leader, January 29, 2018
- Three Foster Swift Attorneys Named to dbusiness 2016 Top Lawyers, November 9, 2015
- Jonathan David awarded Honorable Mention in Michigan Bar Journal Short-Story Contest, August 3, 2015
