Kristin Rosan, Madison & Rosan, LLP | Hondros College Contributor

Technology continues to alter the practice of real estate. Letters and phone calls give way to emails and text messages. Professionals use online tools and programs to facilitate review and signatures on transactional documents. Understanding the parameters for conducting transactions electronically will help avoid risks to your clients or your practice. The Uniform Electronic Transactions… Read more

  The Ohio Supreme Court had declined jurisdiction to hear Smythe Cramer’s appeal from trial and appellate court opinions certifying a class action lawsuit against it for fraud and unjust enrichment. The underlying lawsuit stems from a case filed in 2012, wherein the plaintiffs allege that Smythe Cramer’s practice of collecting a $225 administrative or… Read more

Last month the 10th District Court of Appeals in Franklin County issued a ruling denying a commission rebate because the recipient, a principal in the transaction, was not a licensed real estate broker. The decision is a departure from the current practice of agents occasionally rebating commissions to principals in a transaction, provided the rebate… Read more

The Division of Real Estate has issued an update on the implementation of the new Ohio Home Inspector Program, which was signed in to law on January 4, 2019. The law mandates licensure of any provider of home inspection services. The law becomes effective on April 5, 2019, but is not operational until the Governor… Read more

Another consequence of the mortgage loan crisis was the incursion of vacant, abandoned and unsafe properties. These blighted properties adversely impact communities and neighborhoods. The property values of nearby properties are negatively impacted, as a result of overrun yards, trash accumulation, vandalism, squatters, and crime. Blighted properties are also associated with health concerns, such as… Read more

With the new year comes renewed concern on whether businesses are prepared to combat cyber threats from both national and international operatives. The FBI has identified the business email compromise as a sophisticated scam that is growing and targeting small, medium, and even large businesses. It reports between December 2016 and May 2018, there was… Read more