Monday, July 2, 2018

Solar panels and title insurance

We are the New Jersey title insurance agent that does it all for you. For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us, Vested Land Services LLC. We can help.

With the demand everywhere for renewable energy, homeowners can have their own electrical generating system on the roof.  In fact, solar panels can be seen in just about any neighborhood in New Jersey.  But there are some issues that have to be understood.

From a title insurance perspective, does the homeowner own or lease the system?  The answer to this question can impact you when it comes time to sell or refinance your mortgage.

In addition, system leases can also seem to be unfair as this story from the Asbury Park Press reveals:

Nearly five years ago, Karen Coon signed up to put solar panels on her Lacey home without any upfront cost. She was attracted to the advertising and sales pitch that promised big savings on her monthly energy bills.
Coon said she didn't realize that when she signed the contract to lease the panels from Tredegar Solar Fund the agreement had a built-in rate hike that boosted the cost for her solar-generated electricity by 2.9 percent every year for 20 years.
With compounding, a $200-a-month bill today could top $340 a month at the end of the two decades — a 72 percent increase over the life of the contract.
Now, Coon said she made a mistake in signing up for solar power.
Read the full article.

If you have a question about the title aspects of solar panels, contact me, Stephen Flatow.

For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow@vested.com
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Something we take for granted in New Jersey - Where Residents Pay Buckets of Money—for Water

We are the New Jersey title insurance agent for you! For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us, Vested Land Services LLC. We can help.

From WSJ.com:

Where Residents Pay Buckets of Money—for Water

Who thinks of how much we pay for water?  In New Jersey and New York, residents pay reasonable amounts for the essential supply of water that we need. But, in California, not necessarily so.  From the WSJ, a comparison:

In the ritzy Long Island beach community of Southampton, N.Y., the average home runs about $1.4 million and a pound of lobster salad costs around 100 clams. Good thing for homeowners that their water bills are likely to be low. The average Southampton resident pays just $54 a month.
Meanwhile, residents in tony Pebble Beach, Calif., shell out $601 a month, on average, for their water.
Spread Sheet asked real-estate data firms ATTOM Data Solutions and UtilityScore to compile average water and sewage bills for almost 11,000 cities across the country. The results are a tale of two coasts: Homeowners in some of the wealthiest enclaves on the California coast pay buckets of money for their water relative to what Hamptons residents pay.
In addition to Pebble Beach, a number of upscale oceanside California communities like Carmel ($506), Santa Barbara ($469), Monterey ($439) and Malibu ($251) have some of the nation’s highest water bills. Long Island enjoys some of the lowest—even exclusive Hamptons communities like East Hampton ($50), Water Mill ($56), Sag Harbor ($54) and Montauk ($49).
Read the full story at WSJ.COM

For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow AT vested.com

#NewJersey #titleinsurance
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Friday, June 29, 2018

Bitcoin and real estate, title company perspective

We are the New Jersey title insurance agent that does it all for you.
For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us, Vested Land Services LLC. We can help.

Bitcoin Bonanza Hits Real Estate

June 28, 2018
By Jeremy Yohe
It’s been reported that more than 100,000 merchants worldwide accept Bitcoin. Companies such as Microsoft, Expedia, Newegg. Overstock and Subway all accept Bitcoin payments. The cryptocurrency is no longer just a risky investment opportunity for the adventurous. It’s becoming an alternative way of paying for regular things—like real estate. It was only a matter of time before the cryptocurrency made its way into real estate closings on everything from land on Lake Tahoe in California to Manhattan condos.
Bitcoin has gained traction in areas such as Miami, which is a hotbed for foreign investors. These buyers are much more comfortable with the cryptocurrency than American companies. A Miami penthouse was listed in December for 33 Bitcoins—a value of around $544,500 at the time. The seller specified they would not accept any other form of payment. In Seattle, a homebuyer just used Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for the downpayment on a home in January.
In September 2017, Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty reportedly became the first brokerage in Texas to close on a home purchased entirely with Bitcoin. Sheryl Lowe of Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty, the agent who represented the buyer in the sale noted, “In all of my 33 years of closing transactions, I honestly couldn’t have expected something so unique to go so smoothly. In a matter of 10 minutes, the Bitcoin was changed to U.S. dollars and the deal was done.”
Title Company Essential to Process
Lowe pointed to the team at Independence Title for keeping everything together. Jay Fitzgerald, general Counsel for Independence Title, said the company has closed a few other transactions involving Bitcoin since last year. Independence Title has educated its escrow officers on what they need to be aware of when facilitating transactions involving cryptocurrency.
“For our purposes, it’s the same as having anyone come in with some sort of currency that doesn’t constitute good funds under Texas regulations,” he said. “There has got to be a conversion. It doesn’t matter if its pesos or Bitcoin.”
While the Bitcoin satisfies the agreed-upon price of the property, Fitzgerald says difficulty can arise when handling the other settlement costs that require payment in U.S. dollars.
“There is some doubling back, and it can cause some timing issues for loan payoffs,” he added.
There are two general ways to convert Bitcoin to cash: buyers may use a payment vendor service like Bitpay or use a Bitcoin investment account. Fitzgerald said Independence Title is considering developing a relationship with Bitpay or other vendors. This would eliminate each seller having to register with the payment vendor service.
“Maybe we can arrange to work within the vendor system so the money from the Bitcoin conversion can be deposited with us,” Fitzgerald said. “That will facilitate seller payoffs or any other fees that need paid. The buyer would still tender the Bitcoin to a conversion service, which would then wire the money to us.”
While the use of virtual currency continues to gain traction, there remains plenty of nervousness around the lack of regulations and understanding as to how gains in Bitcoin are taxed.
In March 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a notice on virtual currency, such as Bitcoin. The notice provides that virtual currency is treated as property for U.S. federal tax purposes. General tax principles that apply to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency. Among other things, this means that:
  • Wages paid to employees using virtual currency are taxable to the employee, must be reported by an employer on a Form W-2 and are subject to federal income tax withholding and payroll taxes.
  • Payments using virtual currency made to independent contractors and other service providers are taxable and self-employment tax rules generally apply. Normally, payers must issue Form 1099.
  • The character of gain or loss from the sale or exchange of virtual currency depends on whether the virtual currency is a capital asset in the hands of the taxpayer.
  • A payment made using virtual currency is subject to information reporting to the same extent as any other payment made in property.
Things to Consider
With more consumers coming to the closing table with some version of a cryptocurrency, it’s important for title and settlement companies to have policies and procedures in place to handle these transactions.
Alan Fields, director of underwriting for WFG National Title Insurance Co., said the first question a title company must ask is about the type of transfer. The deal could either require the conversion of the Bitcoin to cash or be a Bitcoin-for-Bitcoin land exchange between the buyer and seller.
If the buyer has Bitcoin, but the seller wants cash, Fields said the transaction is no different than a “normal” transaction. As title professionals, we are not concerned with what legal assets—stock, bonds, other land, or Bitcoin—may have been sold to generate the funds which are ultimately wired into our trust account. Our concern is receipt of “good funds.”
It gets tricky when it’s a Bitcoin swap for land, because escrow laws in most states say funds must be held by a title agency in a federally-insured account. Currently, there aren’t any insured Bitcoin accounts.
“If you have a buyer that says they want Bitcoin, a seller’s property and a seller that wants Bitcoin, we treat it as a property-for-property swap,” Fields said. “This is how 1031 exchanges were originally handled.”
In this scenario, the title agent will want to make sure the buyer and seller both have a Bitcoin wallet, a software program that “stores” the virtual currency. The sale consideration would be handled between the Bitcoin wallets, and outside of the title agent or escrow officer. The parties would still need to deposit funds for charges and costs that are applicable to the transactions.
Fields encourages title agents to talk with their underwriters if such a deal arises. Although it’s not within the scope of your agency agreement, underwriters are available to help agents work through the special and very detailed escrow agreements unique to a Bitcoin transaction.
An issue with Bitcoin is that its value has been very volatile. After hitting a record high close to $20,000 in December, Bitcoin’s value slipped to just above $6,000 in June. It hovered around $10,000 in March but was fell below $7,500 at the end of March. While the parties can agree on the terms of their Bitcoin for land swap—“I’ll give you 20 Bitcoins for your house”—the title agent is still expected to make various tax and governmental reports. Fields said that the title agent has some responsibility to make sure the agreed value to be reported to the government is “within reason” for the fluctuating values as of the date of closing.
Fields says a title company needs thorough escrow instructions that covers all the variables to protect itself. Instructions should specify that the seller agrees to accept a certain amount in Bitcoin. They should also indicate the Bitcoin wallet to which the currency should be sent.
Additional concerns include:
  • Having enough money in U.S. currency to pay-off loans, pay taxes, releases, payoffs, recording fees and other things that require cash—and, of course, your fees.
  • What value to enter on the federally mandated Closing Disclosure
  • Reporting to FinCEN, the IRS and state tax authorities
Evolving Buyer
Ben Shaoul, president of Magnum Real Estate Group, said the buyer has evolved. They are now younger and want to pay in various ways.
“Cryptocurrency is something that has been asked of us—’Can you take cryptocurrency? Can we pay that way?’” he said. “And of course, when somebody wants to pay you with a different form of payment, you’re going to try to work with them and give them what they want, especially in a very busy real estate market.”
Shaoul was among the first to adopt Bitcoin for commercial real estate transactions. He recently developed hipster condos that he allows buyers to purchase using Bitcoin. In the hopes of attracting younger tenants, Development company Brookliv accepts Bitcoin rental payments for its brownstones. Beverly Hills-based Hubilu Venture Corp. accepts Bitcoin rental for apartments it acquired near the University of Southern California.
A little over a year ago—in a first for Southern California—a buyer used roughly 3,300 Bitcoins to buy a Cape Cod-style mansion in Manhattan Beach for $3.225 million. Had the buyer waited until later in the year, that same number of Bitcoin could’ve bought multiple beach houses, a few penthouse condos and a private island in the Caribbean.
Sites like Open Listings are making it easier to find properties you can purchase with Bitcoin with a search tool that allows you to look for the words “Bitcoin” or “Ethereum.” Experts warn that buying real estate with Bitcoin won’t be simple in every case. Open Listing notes, “Even if you are able to find a seller that’s willing to accept your offer in Bitcoin, it can be tricky to find title insurance and escrow companies who feel comfortable handling virtual currency transactions. To take on your home purchase, they may require you to cash out your Bitcoin so that your transaction can be treated more like a traditional house purchase.”
Ethereum is another digital currency that could disrupt the real estate industry. Ethereum is known for its “smart contracts” that are written on the Ethereum blockchain—the technology behind the cryptocurrency. Ethereum is the second-most-adopted cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, according to Joel Leslie—co-founder and partner of Propify, a blockchain-based real estate marketing solution platform. Unlike Bitcoin, when investors use Ethereum to purchase property, they can stipulate things within the smart contract that are binding and enacted as soon as buyers pay up.
For example, Leslie said sellers can stipulate Ethereum coins are to be transferred immediately following the transaction, and it will happen instantly.
“The evolution of cryptocurrencies will be exciting to see as time goes on,” Shaoul said. “Much like the Internet, we are seeing more of a commonality with just how important cryptocurrency is in the world, rather than without.”


Jeremy Yohe is vice president of communications for ALTA. He can be reached at jyohe@alta.org.


For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow AT vested.com
@vestedland
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Monday, June 11, 2018

New Jersey Senior Freeze Program - do I have to fill out the form every year?

Vested Land Services LLC is ready to help you make that home purchase a reality instead of a title headache.  Here's some background information about the New Jersey Senior Freeze Program that helps senior citizens with their real estate taxes from NJMoneyHelp.com.  Information about the current program can be found at the end of the article.

Q. Do I have to fill out a form every year for the Senior Freeze?
— Hater of paperwork

A. Let’s go over the Senior Freeze.
The Senior Freeze property tax reimbursement program reimburses eligible senior citizensand disabled persons for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence, said Abby Rosen, a certified financial planner with RegentAtlantic in Morristown.
To qualify, you must meet all the eligibility requirements for each year from the base yearthrough the application year, currently 2016.
You qualify if you, or your spouse or civil union partner, were:
1) 65 or older; or actually receiving Federal Social Security disability benefit payments (not benefit payments received on behalf of someone else).
2) You lived in New Jersey continuously for at least the last 10 years, as either a homeowner or a renter.
3) Homeowners: You owned and lived in your current home for at least the last three years.Mobile Home Owners: You leased a site in a mobile home park where you placed a manufactured or mobile home that you owned for at least the last three years.

4) Homeowners: You paid the full amount of the property taxes due on your home. Mobile Home Owners: You paid the full amount of mobile home park site fees due.
5) Your income did not exceed $87,007 for 2015 and $70,000 for 2016, as long as they meet all other requirements. Applicants whose income was over $70,000 but was $87,007 or less can establish their eligibility for future reimbursements by filing an application by the due date.
So yes, you must fill in a form every year to participate in the Senior Freeze, Rosen said.
“A form PTR-2 should be mailed to you annually if you filed an application the prior year and met all eligibility requirements,” she said. “You must file a PTR-1 if it’s your first time applying or you were ineligible the prior year.”
Rosen said you must file your application (Form PTR-1 or PTR-2) for 2016 on or before the extended due date of October 18, 2017. The original due date was June 1, 2017.
Information about the current program may be found on the official New Jersey website.
For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us. We can help. Located in Fairfield, NJ, we are the title insurance agent that does it all for you.

Follow us on Twitter @vestedland and FaceBook 

For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow AT vested.com
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

How to Keep Unwelcome Pigeons at Bay - it's not title insurance, but.....

Title insurance from Vested Land Services LLC, the consumer's title agent, will not keep pigeons away from your railings, roof or other places they might gather.  But here's a quick answer from the NY Times that might be of help.

How to Keep Unwelcome Pigeons at Bay

Q: I live on the 15th floor of an Upper East Side co-op with windows facing First Avenue. Pigeons are roosting on my window ledge. The birds’ vocalization is loud enough to wake me up in the morning and they leave behind gray and white stains from their droppings. I shoo the birds away when I’m home, but cannot do this all day. I want to be able to open my window in the spring without worrying that the germs from their droppings will enter my room. What can I place on my window ledge to discourage the pigeons from roosting there? I do not want to use anything that could fall off the ledge, endangering a pedestrian below, or poison the birds. What is a safe remedy?

A: You should be able to open your windows this spring without worrying that a pigeon will fly into your apartment or its droppings will soil your home. While their droppings do not generally pose a serious health risk, they are still unsanitary, and gross. But your building, not you, should get the birds off your ledge. As a shareholder, you are responsible for everything inside the walls of your apartment, and the co-op board is responsible for the building. So the board needs to figure out how to get the birds to find a new home.
 “Residents should not attempt a solution on their own,” said Daniel Wollman, the chief executive of Gumley Haft, a Manhattan property manager.
Write the managing agent and the co-op board a letter alerting them to the pigeon problem and insisting that they fix it. If the birds are nesting on your ledge, they are probably nesting on another resident’s, too. In the letter, ask that management also clean the ledge of any droppings.

The building should be able to get the birds to nest elsewhere without damaging the facade or risking the safety of anyone on the street below. For example, at a Gumley Haft-managed property with a pigeon problem in its inner courtyard, management suspended netting over the area to keep the birds away.


Netting will not solve the problem at your building, but there are other methods. John McGowan, the director of operations for Bugged Out Pest Management in Brooklyn suggested that your building consider using Bird Barrier Optical Gel, a bird deterrent, which he described as “awesome.”g

This article and others may be read on-line at

For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us. We can help. Located in Fairfield, NJ, we are the title insurance agent that does it all for you.


For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow AT vested.com
@vestedland
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