Live in Laramie Real Estate recently became the lucky owners of a Matterport 3D camera... and we love it!  We are super excited to offer this new technology to our sellers and hope that it will be a great tool to help us to present the best features of their properties. The Matterport tour is also great tool for buyers.  They can virtually walk through any property from the comfort and convenience of their own homes, or anyplace they can connect to the internet.So far we have used it with three of  our new listings and we have been very pleased with the results with each and every one of them.  The photo above illustrates the birds eye view feature which I love because, voila, instant floorplan!  How cool is that to be able to offer to our sellers - and potential buyers alike?!I look fo... 02/07/2018

I have to admit, by this point, I thought I would have consolidated several of the ways to take title into one post, especially the more "businessy" ones:  Partnership, LLC, Corporation, and Trust .  Then, I realized they each deserved their own description - whether I liked it or not!Here are the key points of taking title as a Corporation: A corporation can be considered a whole unit.  As one entity a corporation can hold title in severalty, or as a tenant in common. Since a corporation is not an actual person, it cannot die.  Even if one of it's officers, shareholder or directors dies, the corporation will continue to exist until it is formally dissolved. A corporation has a board of directors who manage and operate it according to it's charter (rules it established for operating and... 02/02/2018

In Wyoming, you have the choice of taking title of real property as a Trust.The legal and tax implications of setting up a trust are complex and vary widely from state to state.  Attorneys and tax experts should always be consulted on the subject of trust.*That being said, the basic premise of a trust is the transfer of ownership to a third party to hold or manage for a beneficiary.                                                                  There are three main participants in a trust:  The Trustor - the creator of the trust The Trustee - The party who holds legal title and is "entrusted" to carry out the purpose of the trust as defined by the Trustor The Beneficiary - The party who benefits from the trust. Any of these parties may be a real person, or a legal entity, such as a co... 01/28/2018

Taking Title as a Limited Liability CompanyOne of the choices for taking title in Wyoming is taking title as a Limited Liability Company (LLC).  Once more, for me to even try to explain it in my own words is ridiculously out of my league!  So here is a nice explanation taken directly, word for word, from:    Modern Real Estate Practice, Seventeenth Editionby Fillmore W. Galaty, Wellington J. Allaway and Robert C. Kyle2006 by Dearborne Financial Publishing, Inc.  (pg 143)"The limited liability company (LLC) is a relatively recent form of business organization.  An LLC combines the most attractive features of limited partnerships and corporations.  The members of an LLC enjoy the limited liability offered by a corporate form of ownership and the tax advantages of a partnership.  In additi... 01/27/2018

Taking Title in Wyoming as a PartnershipIf you choose to take title as a partnership then you will undoubtedly  need the services of a competent attorney knowledgable in these matters.  As a matter of fact, even explaining the next 4 forms of ownership interest are so far over my head that I am going to copy word for word the explanations (and fully credit the source, of course!):                                                                                    "A partnership is an association of two or more persons who carry on a business for profit as co-owners as defined in the Uniform Partnership Act, in force in a majority of states.  Under this act, a partnership can hold title to real property in the name of the partnership, holding by tenancy in partnership.  An advantage to th... 01/26/2018

Taking Title in Wyoming as Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship"The Language of Real Estate" by John W. Reilly (2006, by Dearborn Financial Publishing, Inc) was used as the main source for this article.  This book devotes three pages alone to explaining this concept.  It is not simple.  I provide only the basic elements below. If you have any questions about entering into a Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship or if you may be buying someone else's share in a Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship, consult an attorney.  I  AM NOT an attorney. Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship (JTWROS) is created when two or more parties take ownership of real estate, all owning equal shares.  Title is held as though all owners collectively constitute one person.  The death of one Jo... 01/25/2018

Taking Title in Wyoming as Husband and WifeNaturally, the main requirement for taking title as Husband and Wife in Wyoming is that you be married. For what constitutes legal marriage in Wyoming go to:  http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/statutes.aspx?file=titles/Title20/T20CH1.htm  Suffice it to say that you can only take title as Husband and Wife if you meet the state requirements as to what a husband and wife is.Just because you are married does not mean that you have to take title as Husband and Wife, but if you do here is some of what that means: A husband and wife will own the property as if they are one entity.  As one entity they are each considered to have equal, undivided ownership. One partner or the other may not sell their individual interest in the property because, in th... 01/24/2018

Taking title in Wyoming as a - Sole OwnerThe words "sole owner" make it pretty obvious what this means.  Sole ownership occurs when ownership of a property is vested in one person, or entity (like a city or county), alone.  This means that they alone are responsible for any debt or obligations on the property and they alone can make decisions regarding the property, even to sell. What may not be obvious is that, in Wyoming even a married person can be the sole owner of a property excluding their spouse from any ownership interest.  This could apply to any property acquired before or during marriage under the name of just one spouse or the other.  I won't try to explain the whole law or exceptions to the law but if you are curious you can read over it at: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/stat... 01/23/2018

Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate:  Tenants in CommonIn Wyoming, taking Title as Tenants in Common is one of the eight standard options.  The BASIC concepts of a Tenancy in Common as described in  "The Language of Real Estate" by John W. Reilly (2006, by Dearborn Financial Publishing, Inc) are: It is the most commonly held form of co-ownership Each entity or person with ownership interest can be referred to as a co-tenant Each co-tenant has an undivided interest in the whole property Each co-tenant is entitled to undivided possession of the property according to his or her proportionate share Ownership interest is considered to be equal among co-tenant unless conveyance documents indicate otherwise No right of survivorship If one co-tenant dies their share will pass to heirs or beneficiaries... 01/22/2018

In Wyoming, you have the choice of taking title of real property in 8 different ways: Sole Owner                                        Husband and Wife Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship Tenants In Common Partnership LLC Corporation Trust Often, deciding on which way to take title is straightforward.  But other times,the nature of the relationships between owners and ownership interests will determine the best way title should be recorded.  Over the next few days I will explain what each way to take title entails.  Though, as always, (big disclaimer here!) consult with an attorney to get the best advice for your situation.   01/22/2018

When it comes to cattle, Wyoming is a  FENCE OUT State.  That means if you live in rural Wyoming and you do not want cattle to roam freely on your land, then it is your job to fence them out!  Isn't that a funny concept?!Sheep, goats, swine and elk(?!), on the other hand, are required to be fenced in.  Though, permissions are given that allow herds of sheep to be crossed from one grazing area to another by going through someone else's land if necessary.  However, that is "only as long as the animals are not allowed to stop and de-pasture the enclosure."  Good luck telling the sheep that!       Someone wrote an in depth summary about the origin of this law from which I borrowed the "de-pasturing" quote at: http://wlsb.state.wy.us/LE/fencelaw.htm.   You can also check out a lively, online... 12/23/2017

People from out of town ask the darndest things!  The #1 question that always makes me smile..."Does that home have air conditioning?"Air conditioning?!  In Laramie?  Ha ha ha ha ... you are kidding, ....right?!?  Oh, you're not?!  Yes, there are a few homes in town with actual, whole-house air conditioning and many businesses have air conditioning, too.  However, when it comes to our own houses, most people get by with fans and open windows.  Though, I do have to admit in the last few years, we are seeing more and more homes in town with air conditioning.We have been able to get by all these years because the hot, hot days of summer last only 4 to 6  weeks. And even then, these hot, hot temperatures rarely make it out of the 80 degree range.  Then, just about when we think we couldn't ... 11/02/2017

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose art is that way, too.  So it was with an open mind that I accompanied our children on a field trip to Laramie's latest installment of Sculpture, A Wyoming Invitational,  in June of 2008. Seriously?!  Was this a practical joke?  The artist, a man from New York state, took this work quite seriously.  He seemed annoyed by the children who didn't get the deeper meaning of it and could only see it as a giant earth worm.  Me, all I can say is "Bless their little hearts" as NOT one of them made a single reference as to what else this looks like!I think the real title of this was "Over and Under".  Thankfully, there was a plan to take it down late the following summer and they did.  I always wondered what the people driving by on the... 11/01/2017

We had the pleasure today of being one of the many downtown Laramie businesses handing out candy to a huge swarm of trick or treaters.  It was so fun -  costumes abound!  Not just for the little ones but for the  Moms, dads, friends, family, and business owners too! We dressed up as Real Estate Superheros - The Closer and The Listener!  Maybe next year we'll add the go-go boots and tiaras.....After our candy ran out (there were way more costumed masquaraders than we anticipated) we headed across the street to where a local law office was hosting an elevator ride DOWN to the haunted house they had created in their basement.  It was very well done and quite  scary.  An older brother had the job of escorting his much younger siblings through and it turned out to be more than the little one... 10/28/2017

Yikes!  You've signed an agreement to have a  REALTOR  help you market your home.  You cleaned up and  made everything, neat,clean and sparkly.  Finally, your home is out there . . . or so you thought.  When you looked for your house online, you found no pictures, or just one picture, or worse yet, pictures that make your home look dingy, dark and unattractive.Maybe - your home is dingy, dark and unattractive, but probably not.  If you find your home being represented in an unflattering way, then contact your agent to find a solution.  Most agents will want to do the best they can to put your home's best foot forward - especially since most buyers today start their home search on the internet.   Often, the information and pictures buyers find online can be the difference between wanting... 10/22/2017

Two brief snowstorms under our belt and the temperatures are getting cooler.  The sprinklers have been blown out the and the lawn mower put away.  Guess it is time to embrace the inevitable arrival of winter. Really, though, it's not so bad!  I'm looking forward to snowy, chili and cornbread days, fires in the fireplace, the scraping sound of the snow shovels on the driveway and piles of wet mittens and boots by the door.  I suppose there is a certain comfort in the rituals that come with each season.  I hope you are ready to welcome the rituals of your winter wherever you may be! 10/21/2017

Earnest Money is an advance deposit a buyer submits with their offer to purchase a property.  It says " Pick me! I am earnest, I am acting in good faith to make a legitimate offer on your property."   While 1% of the purchase price is often the suggested amount of earnest money to include with an offer, a buyer can choose to go  higher  or lower depending on a number of things.  Just remember that an offer submitted with a higher amount may be given more consideration than one with a lower amount.  Owners need earnest money because when they accept an offer, they will be temporarily, hopefully permanently, taking their property off the market.  By agreeing to the terms in a buyer's contract, they are essentially saying "No" to all other real or potential buyers.  They need to know that ... 10/20/2017

I got such a big kick out of the unexpected appearance of this phone at a visitor's station in the middle of the forest. I suppose there was a time that if you needed to make a call while out in the wilderness that this would have been your only option.  It's unimaginable to believe that that time was only about 10 years ago!  Even now with limited coverage in mountains and valleys, I suppose this little pay phone still gets used.  So add a quarter to your emergency survival kit for your next trip to the mountains! 10/19/2017

Woo hoo, closing day is almost here!  You've worked hard with your lender and real estate agent to make it all happen.  You've had  your financial history exhumed all the way back to  the payout on your first lost tooth.   Finally, you hear the magical words "Clear to Close".....  So, enough already . . .          When can you move in?!   The answer - when the deal is DONE.  Not a minute sooner.  In Laramie, that typically means after all the papers are signed and the deal is funded  at closing.  Sounds obvious, right?  It is, but . . . what can it hurt to just put a few things in the garage?  Or how about sneaking over and watering that yellow patch of grass?  Or getting the premium cable installed so it's ready when you get there? No,  No  and  No.To be fair, there are occasions where... 10/18/2017

Watching Over Tract #216 at Wild Horse RanchI've listed quite a few properties out at Wild Horse Ranch over the years.  This, however, has to be my all time favorite listing photo. It was August of this year, 2017, and it seemed when I went out to photograph this property that this fellow had appointed himself the guardian keeper of this land.My first hint was when we had a bit of a standoff on the road bordering the northwest end of the propety.  As I crept closer and closer in my large four door, Toyota Tundra, he stood his ground.  Finally, he submitted and bounded off a few yards to the south.  I was allowed to creep by while he stood vigilantly eyeing me as I passed.  Had I been without vehicle, I'm not so sure I would have been permitted to pass so easily.    He kept a wary eye on... 10/13/2017