Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Real Estate-Technical

Technical Real Estate Insight on the Issues that Move Value—Legally, Operationally, and Financially

Legal issues, valuation realities, operational pitfalls, and market shifts—explained in plain English.

Real estate isn’t just “location, location, location.” It’s contracts, compliance, conditions, valuation, and the little details that turn good deals into expensive lessons. My articles cover technical and legal issues, ownership and operations across residential and commercial property, and the market trends reshaping what works (and what doesn’t). If it affects risk, value, or performance, it belongs here.

Most deals don’t fail on the headline numbers—they fail in the details: condition, documentation, liability, tenant/legal exposure, and assumptions that don’t survive due diligence. I write about real estate the way it behaves, benefits, detriments, valuation methods, and the shifting landscape that changes your risk overnight.

Search Results

Lending On Environmentally Challenged Properties

Look For Solutions Through Midigation

A Borrower And Their Insurance Agent Defrauded The Lender

The Pretended That The Policy Was Effective When The Insurance Company Declined Coverage

Accidentally Building on Your Neighbor's Property

Terrible mistake Full Of Stress and Financial Misallocation

The Successor Trustees of a Family Trust Are Hostile Toward Each Other

One Wants To Protect Momma, and the Other Wants The Cash Now

Cross Collateralization and Cross Default Provisions In Loan Documents

Asking For Additional Protective Equity

Subordination And Inter-Creditor Agreements

This Document Protects Both Parties

Financial Elder Abuse in Real Estate Lending

We Must All Guard Against Financial Elder Abuse

The Borrower Objected to Paying for Adequate Property Insurance

Stupid Is As Stupid Does, As Forrest Gump Stated

Land Parcels Containing Manufactured Homes

A Great Life Style for much Less Money and Off the Social Grid

The Property Lacks Easements for Ingress/Egress

There Is No Way To Get In And Out Of The Property

Loaning To A Borrower With No-Skin-In-The-Game

The King and Queen of Leverage

Construction Completion Loans

Loaning To Complete A Project is a Good Subset Of The Private Money Lending Industry

The Co-Trustees (Two Sons) Want to Encumber the Trust Property

Family Sticks Together And Solves The Problem

Lending on Non-Conforming Strip Retail Centers

Private Money Lenders Save the Day

Loaning On Property With Deffered Maintenance

Value By Upgrading The Property

Chapter I- Private Money Loans: An Overview

For Non-bank deals

Liens and Encumbrances in Real Property Transactions

How Recordation Clouds The Title Of The Real Property

The Borrowers Were silent. They Did Not Disclose Their Bankruptcy To The Lender

Silence Is Not Always Golden

Purchasing Property Subject to a First Lien Without Notifying The First Lender

For Borrowers Trying To Get A Lower Interest Rate On Their First Loan

A Borrower Witholds Material Facts In A Loan Transaction

Intentional or By Accident?