Category Archives: Real Estate

Book Update: Friedman on Leases (Sixth Edition)

Friedman on Leases is a leading resource on commercial real estate leasing, offering comprehensive coverage of tenant and landlord issues. This twenty-third release continues to deliver not only the foundational knowledge required by novice practitioners, but also analysis of and insight into the most current and relevant developments facing seasoned practitioners in the commercial real estate field.

The new release (Release #23) includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 2, The Parties, updated discussion covers a recent Fourth Circuit decision involving the federal anti-harboring statute (Section 2:4).
  • Chapter 4, The Term—Possession, updated with the latest cases holding that although New York’s statute provides that a tenant may expressly waive the protections set forth in a lease, such waivers are unenforceable if the tenant is able to show that the landlord intentionally caused the delay (Section 4:2.1).
  • To aid in your research, the Table of Cases has also been updated.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

New Edition! Net Leases and Sale-Leasebacks

Net Leases and Sale-Leasebacks: A Guide to Legal, Tax and Accounting Strategies (2025 Edition) covers all aspects of the ownership, financing, documentation, taxation, and accounting for net leases with a focus on those areas where the treatment of net leases differs from the treatment of other forms of real estate investment. Given their unique characteristics, net leases may be regarded as belonging to their own asset class, and the real estate professionals practicing in this field need to be familiar with the distinct issues that may arise.

The new edition includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 2, The Lease, New section 2:2.5 discusses the tenant’s right of rescission, covering material breach by the landlord (including independent versus dependent covenants; constructive eviction; and landlord’s breach of the covenant to repair); mistake; and fraud.
  • Chapter 5, Tax Considerations, has been further expanded in several areas:
    • Subsection 5:1.3[A] covers tenant purchase options and SILO (sale-in, lease-out) transactions.
    • Subsection 5:3.9[A] discusses whether a section 467 loan can satisfy the requirements for qualified real property business indebtedness.
    • Subsection 5:7.3[C][1] discusses the exemption for transfer of a leasehold interest in Pennsylvania.
    • Subsection 5:9.1[D] expands the discussion of choice of entity for the owner-landlord.
    • Subsection 5:10.2[E] discusses layered allocations versus target allocations for partnerships.
    • Subsection 5:10.6 explores the difference in tax consequences between a sale and a redemption of a partnership interest.
    • Subsection 5:15 discusses solar federal tax credits in depth.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscriberscan access this title through their subscription. 

Book Update: Commercial Ground Leases

Commercial Ground Leases acquaints readers with key concepts, dispute resolution practices, and drafting strategies concerning commercial ground leases. The book features enlightening discussions on base and ground rents, reappraisals, tenant and landlord financing, subletting, exculpatory clauses, mortgage financing, insurance and damage considerations, defaults, redemption, and rights to repurchase, inflation indexing and other important commercial ground lease concepts, along with dozens of practice-ready forms and checklists. This sixth release of the treatise is significantly updated with the latest developments in the law and practice of ground leases.

The new release includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 3, Base Rent and Other Payments, dis­cusses the concept of holding rent, in the context of the preconstruction period section (Section 3:2.3).
  • Chapter 10, Ground Lease Term, covers the redevelopment option, the option to the tenant to redevelop the property at its then-highest and best use with a right to an extension of the term (section 10:8.3).
  • Chapter 18, Condemnation, discusses utility easements, as part of the discussion of partial condemnation and rental abatement (section 18:5.1).
  • Appendix A, Ground Lease, renamed the subsection “Extended Term” to “Reappraisal of Minimum Rent.”
  • In addition, the Bibliography, Table of Authorities, and the Index have been updated.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Book Update: Holtzschue on Real Estate Contracts and Closings: A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate (Third Edition)

Holtzschue on Real Estate Contracts and Closings provides thorough legal, technical, and strategic guidance to help implement dispute-free residential deals more quickly and easily. This book clearly explains the governing law and customary industry practices, enabling practitioners to efficiently handle real estate transactions. It covers managing the appropriate documents, tax issues, and brokers, drafting and negotiating the contract, with sample forms that save time and effort, preparing for the closing, including the documents and scheduling details, and closing the sale, including delivering and reviewing deeds and other paperwork, and dealing with insurance policies, tax documents, and closing checks.

The new release includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 2, Drafting and Negotiating the Contract, includes a new caveat emptor case that rejected the special facts doctrine, an article about a proposed amendment to RPAPL 881 concerning licenses, a new remedies case, a mortgage commitment contingency case where a purchaser acted in good faith, easement cases, and a time of the essence case where notice was too short.
  • Chapter 4, The Closing,discusses the uncertainty as to the effective date of the Corporate Transparency Act and rules.

The Tables of Authorities have also been updated.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Most Popular Books on PLI PLUS in 2024

The tallies are in! Here are the most accessed books on PLI PLUS in 2024.

Popular Banking Titles

  1. Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds Regulation
  2. Asset-Based Lending: A Practical Guide to Secured Financing
  3. Fund Finance
  4. Consumer Financial Services Answer Book
  5. Derivatives Deskbook: Close-Out Netting, Risk Mitigation, Litigation

Popular Corporate & Securities Titles

  1. Private Equity Funds: Formation and Operation
  2. Broker-Dealer Regulation
  3. Tax Strategies for Corporate Acquisitions, Dispositions, Spin-Offs, Joint Ventures, Financings, Reorganizations & Restructurings
  4. Drafting and Negotiating Corporate Agreements
  5. Corporate Compliance Answer Book

Popular Employment Titles

  1. Fragomen on Immigration Fundamentals: A Guide to Law and Practice
  2. Understanding Employment Law
  3. California Employment Law
  4. Sports Law
  5. Labor Management Law Answer Book

Popular Estates & Trusts Titles

  1. Manning on Estate Planning
  2. Art Law: The Guide for Collectors, Investors, Dealers & Artists
  3. Estate Planning Institute
  4. Private Clients Legal & Tax Planning Answer Book
  5. International Tax & Estate Planning: A Practical Guide for Multinational Investors

Popular Intellectual Property Titles

  1. Artificial Intelligence Law
  2. Technology Transactions: A Practical Guide to Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Agreements
  3. How to Write a Patent Application
  4. Faber & Kowalski on Mechanics of Patent Claim Drafting
  5. Intellectual Property Law Answer Book

Popular Litigation Titles

  1. Thinking Like a Writer: A Lawyer’s Guide to Effective Writing and Editing
  2. Stepping It Up: A Guide for Mid-Level Law Firm Associates
  3. Fundamentals of Taking and Defending Depositions
  4. Depositions Answer Book
  5. Attorney-Client Privilege Answer Book

Popular Real Estate Titles

  1. Real Estate Tax Forum
  2. Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property
  3. Commercial Ground Leases
  4. Holtzschue on Real Estate Contracts and Closings: A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate
  5. Commercial Real Estate Institute

Popular Tax Titles

  1. The Partnership Tax Practice Series: Planning for Domestic and Foreign Partnerships, LLCs, Joint Ventures & Other Strategic Alliances Ventures & Other Strategic Alliances
  2. Tax Planning for Domestic & Foreign Partnerships, LLCs, Joint Ventures & Other Strategic Alliances
  3. Tax Strategies for Corporate Acquisitions, Dispositions, Spin-Offs, Joint Ventures, Financings, Reorganizations & Restructurings
  4. Business Taxation Deskbook: Corporations, Partnerships, Subchapter S, and International
  5. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act Answer Book

Download a PDF flyer of this post to share with colleagues: Most Popular Books on PLI PLUS in 2024. See also the Top 10 Most Downloaded Forms on PLI PLUS in 2024.

Treatise Update: Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property (Eighth Edition)

Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property (Eighth Edition) delivers essential information and guidance to practitioners in the field of real estate conveyancing by helping readers to carefully consider all of the issues and options before finalizing a contract, handle unexpected problems and contingencies, factor in a relevant case law when structuring sound agreements, and avoid drafting ambiguous or incomplete contracts. This book explains common law principles, and thousands of statutes and court decisions, creating a road map for readers on what course of action to take and what to avoid at every stage of real estate conveyancing.

Providing more than 140 sample forms, sample clauses, and checklists that simplify and accelerate transactions, Friedman and Smith on Contracts is a comprehensive guide to every aspect of real estate contracts and conveyances.

The new release includes updates on the following topics:

  • Chapter 1, Contracts of Sale, provides updated discussion on whether attorney review clauses are illusory.
  • Chapter 2, Parties to Contracts, includes updated discussion on whether an entity’s change of name on the enforceability of a contract.
  • Chapter 8, Misrepresentations by Sellers and Buyers, defines seller conduct that amounts to active concealment of defects.
  • Chapter 9, Mortgage Financing, includes discussion of “points,” which are upfront payments made at closing, sometimes referred to as a premium or discount or origination fees.
  • Chapter 10, Existing Mortgages—Continuation After Sale, provides discussion of N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 274-A, a New York statute that requires a mortgage holder to provide a payoff statement to a mortgagor who has signed a contract to sell or has received a written mortgage commitment from another lender.
  • Chapter 23, Contract Remedies for Buyer Default, includes updated discussion of seller’s damages after buyer’s breach, specifically determining the time of breach.
  • Chapter 24, Contract Remedies for Seller Default, covers the English Good Faith Rule and the American Rile with respect to damages resulting from the seller’s inability to convey proper title.
  • Chapter 26, Deed Elements, covers updated discussion of conveyances where grantee exercises undue influence over the grantor.
  • Chapter 33, Land Descriptions, reviews the “being the same” clause.
  • Chapter 34, Surveys, provides new discussion on when boundary lines touch or pass through buildings.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Free Legal Form of the Month

PLI PLUS offers unlimited electronic access to more than 4,500 downloadable, searchable, and editable legal forms ready for use in your practice. In an effort to highlight this unique content type, we’ve selected one form per month and made it available for anyone to download for free – no subscription required.

December’s free form:

Ground Lease

More information about Legal Forms & Checklists:

  • Forms & Checklists Flyer – This flyer provides an overview of the forms & checklists on PLI PLUS and highlights a handful of popular examples.
  •  Popular PLUS Forms – This flyer provides a list of the top five most downloaded forms in prominent practice areas on PLI PLUS.

Send us an email at plus@pli.edu to learn more.

Treatise Update: Holtzschue on Real Estate Contracts and Closings: A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate (Third Edition)

Holtzschue on Real Estate Contracts and Closings provides thorough legal, technical, and strategic guidance to help implement dispute-free residential deals more quickly and easily. This practice guide clearly explains the governing law and customary industry practices to ensure that readers can successfully prepare for a sale or purchase of real estate, including knowing how to deal with the appropriate documents, tax issues, and brokers, drafting and negotiating the contract. Readers also receive a comprehensive dive and real-life examples of negotiation tactics, lease modifications, proactive planning of troublesome developments, drafting errors, liability mitigation measures, eviction considerations, on-premises conditions and repairs, and considerations relevant to different lease types.

The new release includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 1, Preparing for the Sale or Purchase, provides an updated discussion on financing.
  • Chapter 2, Drafting and Negotiating the Contract, includes the N.Y.S. Association of Realtors guidance effective August 17, 2024, for compliance with the National Association of Realtors’ antitrust brokerage commissions settlement.
  • Chapter 3, Preparing for the Closing, provides an updated discussion of deed descriptions.
  • Chapter 4, The Closing,includes the latest case developments.

The Tables of Authorities and Index have also been updated.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Treatise Update: Commercial Ground Leases (Fourth Edition)

Commercial Ground Leases (Fourth Edition) acquaints readers with key concepts, dispute resolution practices, and drafting strategies concerning commercial ground leases. The book features enlightening discussions on base and ground rents, reappraisals, tenant and landlord financing, subletting, exculpatory clauses, mortgage financing, insurance and damage considerations, defaults, redemption, and rights to repurchase, inflation indexing and other important commercial ground lease concepts, along with dozens of practice-ready forms and checklists.

The new release includes the following updates:

  • Chapter 3, Base Rent and Other Payments, includes an updated discussion of indexing and step rents.
  • Chapter 4, Reappraisal of Ground Rents, highlights a new discussion that traces the history of ground rent resets and provides an annotated form of reappraisal clause involving both use value and highest and best use reappraisal techniques.
  • Chapter 8 , Leasehold Financing, includes new lease provisions.
  • Appendix A, Ground Lease, includes updated Annual Minimum Rent provision during the Extended Term involves both use value and highest and best use reappraisal techniques.
  • Appendix X, Inflation Indexing, is updated with Chart 5, which covers the years 1950 to 2024, a total of seventy-five years.

The Tables of Authorities and Index have also been updated.

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Treatise Update: Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property (Eighth Edition)

Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property (Eighth Edition) delivers essential information and guidance to practitioners in the field of real estate conveyancing by helping readers to carefully consider all of the issues and options before finalizing a contract, handle unexpected problems and contingencies, factor in a relevant case law when structuring sound agreements, and avoid drafting ambiguous or incomplete contracts. This book explains common law principles, and thousands of statutes and court decisions, creating a road map for readers on what course of action to take and what to avoid at every stage of real estate conveyancing.

Providing more than 140 sample forms, sample clauses, and checklists that simplify and accelerate transactions, Friedman and Smith on Contracts is a comprehensive guide to every aspect of real estate contracts and conveyances.

The new release includes updates on the following topics:

  • Statute of Frauds: New discussion covers the doctrine of ratification, which sometimes overcomes a violation of the statute of frauds (see section 5:13).
  • Standard Clauses in Contracts of Sale: Covers attorney review clauses and provides a sample clause commonly used in New York (see section 6:27).
  • Property Quality: Updated discussion of radon inspection clauses (see section 7:2.1) and express warranties of quality (see section 7:3).
  • Marketable Title: Discussion of lapse of time updated to cover outstanding mineral rights (see section 14:7.3).
  • Encumbrances: New discussion of federal tax liens, including which parties and what property are affected (see section 15:4.1).
  • Risk of Loss and Condemnation: Discussion of con-tract provisions on risk of loss updated with review of Warner v. Estate of Allen, 776 N.E.2d 422 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002) (see section 18:1.5[B]).
  • Deed Execution and Delivery: Updated introductory discussion of delivery of a deed (see section 27:2.1).
  • Deed Covenants of Title: Updated discussion of estoppel by deed (doctrine of after-acquired title) (see section 28:5).
  • Bona Fide Purchasers and Notice: Updated discussion of recitals of fact (see section 30:3.2).
  • Title Products: Updated discussion of the measure of recovery under a title insurance policy (see section 31:3.4)

Order a print copy today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.