If you are looking for a primer with tips and suggestions about how to lease office space and commercial real estate, I authored a 3-part series on this subject at another legal blog, The Startup Lawyer. It’s a pretty decent size read but it is also one of the most popular blog entries.

The increase of commercial office space construction, primarily of the 1,000 to 5,000 square feet office park variety, is providing businesses with more location options and the ability to occupy brand new office space. However, signing a lease for office space not yet built can lead to negative consequences when the landlord doesn’t finish [...]

Most businesses require office space. While a commercial office space agreement constitutes a huge financial commitment for these businesses, most often these leases are signed quickly without thorough review or negotiation.
Here are a list of some issues that should be negotiated before your company signs a commercial office lease:
-Right to renew the lease
-Right to [...]

Many choose to rent their residential real estate without using a legal entity. And that’s fine because it’s quick and easy. But if you are planning to rent out your real estate property for more than one term, you should consider forming a legal entity (preferably an LLC) for two basic reasons:
(1) Eliminate [...]

As you can see, I refurbished The Texas Property Lawyer blog. I hope you find it both visually pleasing and easier to access content.
There are still a few minor formatting kinks to work out in the next few days, such as the “sidenotes” section and newsletter function. I will also be adding a [...]

The MIT Center for Real Estate updated the RCA-based commercial property index to provide a look at commercial real estate returns for the end of year 2006. Some numbers that you might find interesting are that commercial office property yielded an 11.9% return while retail yielded a paltry 4.4%.
With all the recent talk about [...]

I came across an article on Bankrate.com that every residential real estate landlord or investor should read titled “Smart Landlords Do Serious Due Diligence.”  The article suggests  residential landlords should always take these 6 steps before leasing or renting residential real estate:

Check References
Buy Enough Insurance
Just say “No” to Form Leases
Heed Environmental Matters
Consider Hiring a Property [...]

The Lease, REA (Reciprocal Easement Agreement), and the Declaration dictate the various rights of the parties pertaining to use of a shopping center. Tenants’ rights under a lease are usually more restrictive than the rights of owner-occupants under a REA or declaration. Why? Fee ownership establishes a higher status. Plus, larger [...]

The Landlord’s agent LOVES it when you contact them directly about leasing office space. If you aren’t represented by a tenant’s agent (a commercial real estate agent that works for you, the lessee), not only will the landlord’s agent reap in double commission, they will get you to agree to unfavorable terms.
Thus, if you [...]

In commercial leases, Texas courts have held that a ‘warranty of suitability’ applies to all commercial real estate leases. This means that any latent defects in the building and land are the responsibility of the landlord, even if the tenant is contractually obligated to repair the premises. The theory is that the commercial [...]