- Introduction and Agenda (15 mins)
- Bundle of Rights (use, enjoy, control, dispose) as a way to understand the rights and obligations that are conveyed to others
- Contractual nature of commercial real estate due to size of investments
- Legal requirements for commercial real estate transactions and contracts in Massachusetts
- Recording and other public notices
- Types of commercial real estate contracts
- Licenses for Commercial Users (10 mins)
- Temporary right to use property for a specific commercial purpose
- Revocability
- Examples of licenses
- Insurance, hold harmless and other risk considerations in licenses
- Easements for commercial users (15 mins)
- Permanent or long term nature
- Specific rights conveyed
- Types and applications
- Removing or modifying easements
- Commercial Leases (10 mins)
- Longer term conveyance of specific real estate rights
- Key terms and conditions
- Tenant and landlord responsibilities
- Lender interest in a lease
- Validity of leases in bankruptcy
- Commercial Sale Leasebacks (15 mins)
- Transaction motivations, structuring and timing
- Key terms and conditions
- Accounting considerations
- Synthetic Leases
- Buy back options
- Commercial Ground Leases (15 mins)
- Ground lease versus property sale
- Key terms and conditions
- Rent setting and adjustment
- Reversion of improvements at end of term
- Mortgage considerations
- Valuation of ground lease interests
- Purchase and Sale Commercial Agreements (20 mins)
- Commercial Buyer and Seller perspectives
- Commercial real estate due diligence considerations
- Timing, contingencies and options
- Allocation of costs
- Adjustments to price
- Requirements, obligations and closing
- Tax-Deferred and Tax-Free Exchanges (10 mins)
- Tax considerations of real estate sales
- Types of exchanges
- Rules, structure and timing
- Intermediaries and Exchange Accommodators, receipt of proceeds
- Re-investment of obligations
- Installment Commercial Sales (10 mins)
- Use of installment sales
- Tax considerations and recognized gain
- Purchase money mortgages
- Elections
See below for descriptions of commercial transactions.