Add Real Value to Your Real Estate Investments & Deals

Real estate law can cover any issue that touches or concerns dirt.  From investor partnership formation and development agreements, due diligence, title, survey and environment work, to financing, purchase and sale, closing, construction buildout and lease-up, we’ve got your covered on all aspects of any transaction, as well as contract review, and strategic property advice.

Property owners facing a dispute over zoning may need to seek a variance to fully develop their property. Zoning laws typically define residential and commercial construction zones. They also regulate density for infrastructure requirements, the proximity of commercial developments near schools, housing requirements, parking, sidewalks, protected wetlands and more.

Land-use laws govern larger swaths of property for development for wetlands, wildlife, commercial development, large residential developments, new construction, easements, and public infrastructure like roads, schools, bridges, airports and more.

Commercial real estate transactions are a major investment for investors, developers and business owners. Our expert real estate lawyers will vet your properties and transactions before the deal is signed to help you identify the red flags and opportunities.

Commercial real estate transactions focus on multi-family housing units for rental, properties for business operations or business use.

Types of properties for business use include:

• Health-care facilities
• Hotels & resorts
• Industrial & manufacturing properties
• Multi-family housing
• Office spaces
• Restaurants
• Retail spaces

• Strip malls

We also represent homeowners and land owners faced with challenges to retain their property through a boundary line, eminent domain, real property, sales agreements, probate, zoning and land-use laws.

Before signing a purchasing agreement and closing the deal, your real estate attorney can help you vet the property for physical inspections, appraisals, financial performance, easements, zoning, land-use, tenancy and prior title history

Whether you are navigating you are a first-time home buyer, a business or a veteran developer, our legal team is on your side to strengthen your real-estate transaction for you.

Real estate project build out is the construction that takes place after a tenant or business owner takes over a property to make the property operational for the business tenant. A real-estate attorney will draft a project build-out document to outline project goals, tasks and deadlines. Common legal issues will involve anything from plumbing, wiring to luxury finishes to a project. It’s important to have an attorney review your project build out for loopholes in the agreement that might cost you time and money. This will also include outlining a project budget, identifying potential disputes and planning for mitigating possible risks.

The commercial real estate market has fallen on hard times post pandemic. This creates opportunities for businesses to secure strong lease and purchase agreements as more and more developers face declining occupancy rates in downtown Tacoma and Seattle. On the flip side, this also presents commercial property owners with more reasons to consult with attorneys to consider their options as the real estate market continues to evolve.

A strong legal team that understands both business law and real estate law can help businesses and developers make smarter investments.

Real estate litigation involves both transaction disputes involving the commercial transaction and the deal itself. Buyers and purchasers may disagree on the terms of the sale, disclosures, land-use, zoning, property fixes, property values, property appraisals and other contingencies involved with a transaction.

Real estate litigation may also require real estate lawyers to mitigate damage to a property from physical damage or diminished values from regulatory measures from zoning or land-use laws. Lawsuits involving real estate could also involve disputes with insurance companies that have insured the property against natural disasters, theft, collisions, defective construction or unforeseen circumstances.

Personal injury lawsuits involving premise liability cases where a person is injured on the property itself are common and require experienced personal injury attorneys to resolve these cases. Other real estate lawsuits may involve structural defects to a property that diminish its value or cause damage to new owners or tenants. For example, many commercial developers faced class action lawsuits on toxic mold lawsuits arising from defective construction projects.

Land use permitting & zoning likely causes the average property owner to cringe before they even enter into the permitting or zoning process. The horror stories of permitting and zoning abound even for the average person who has owned their own home.

At GTH, our savvy real estate attorneys will advise you on the best strategies to streamline the permitting process and circumvent obstructive zoning laws with variances or appeals. Don’t distress. Get the best real estate team in the Northwest.

Our team legal team of expert real real estate lawyers serve Olympia, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Seattle and Puget Sound.

The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) identifies environmental impacts when determining permits for private and public commercial projects. State mandated mitigation of a project can often put a development out of business.

Both private and public developers must comply with SEPA mitigation requirements. This process can often take years to resolve before shovels hit the dirt. The team at GTH is well versed on the long and winding road of a SEPA process and can advise clients on best practices.

We recommend potential developers to consult with GTH real estate attorneys prior to purchases and development plans are drawn up. It’s important to circumvent long-term problems ahead of time by investing in a real estate law firm that understands your legal needs.

It’s not uncommon for both public and private developments to face decades-long battles around SEPA challenges. Organized opposition from residential communities (Not-In-My-Backyard) often referred to as NIMBYs, can kill a major project if enough community leaders side with the opposition. Conversely, government agencies must leverage eminent domain laws to ensure public infrastructure meets the greater good and needs of a community. This typically involves the construction of airports, bridges, highways, roads, sewers or energy infrastructure.

Land use administrative appeals require experienced attorneys who can advise clients on best practices and strategies to win land-use appeals. Property owners, developers, local governments and communities can all be stakeholders in a land-use appeal. Larger projects may face organized opposition to stall or kill significant commercial developments or public infrastructure projects similar to SEPA challenges noted above.

Surrounding communities, lawmakers, local businesses and community groups can often retain their own attorneys to alter the course of a project, fairly or unfairly. Retaining a seasoned team of real estate attorneys who understand the nuances of economic developments, mitigating environmental impacts, property values and community values can all be key factors in determining the outcome of a land-use appeal.

We advise communities, commercial developers and government agencies to retain an experienced legal team like GTH with the proven real estate law knowledge to tackle these large development projects. From housing to commercial developments and public infrastructure, GTH has helped communities navigate their growth for a stronger quality of life.