Why Lohse Law instead of another real estate attorney?
The main difference between Lohse Law and other real estate attorneys is competent and personal service at a reasonable price. I personally work with each and every client taking the time to answer all of your questions. I am the person that will work with you from day one until the matter is resolved.
This means that I cannot handle as many clients as other law firms that have a staff of legal assistants, paralegals, and interns doing the majority of the work on your file. In order to provide you with the best legal service and attention, I try to limit my caseload to 15-20 clients. Law firms that have a large support staff may be able to turn more files and have hundreds of clients, but that means that most of the legal representation is handled by a secretary, intern or paralegal. That will not be the case when you hire Brian Lohse.
Do I need an appointment or can I just stop by?
Please make an appointment. I am available weekdays during business hours and often on the weekends. I understand that people may have questions pertaining to a real estate transaction on the weekend, so I do my best to get back to you on weekends as well.
Should I call you? Or is email better?
If you call and I do not answer, sending me an email may get a quicker response compared to leaving me a voicemail. Emails will often be answered outside of normal business hours, including weekends. Please note that if you call after hours, you can leave a message with my answering service and I will call you back as soon as I'm available. My answering service can answer some basic questions, but they cannot provide any legal assistance.
What ares of real estate law can you help me with?
Real estate law is a very broad topic and there are many different subsets of real estate law. Lohse Law is primarily a transactional real estate attorney assisting with the conventional sales and purchases of real estate. Being a solo attorney, I have focused my practice on this one area of the law.
What is the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®?
A REALTOR® is a real estate agent; but a real estate agent is not necessarily a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® is member of NAR (National Association of Realtors), and indicates a real estate professional’s pledge to adhere to NAR’s strict Code of Ethics. A REALTOR® is committed to protecting clients, the public, and other real estate professionals, as well as to conducting business with integrity, and providing high standards of real estate services. Brian Lohse is a REALTOR®.
Does my transaction have to be reported to FinCEN?
What is this new Federal FinCEN rule that affects residential real estate transactions? The new Residential Real Estate (RRE) rule applies to certain residential real estate transactions, specifically cash or non-financed transfers when one or more of the Grantees is a business entity (LLCs, corporations, partnerships) or a trust. It doesn't matter if there was any consideration or money paid or not.
The rule applies nationwide to residential 1 to 4 unit residential properties, condos, co-ops, and vacant land intended for construction of a residential property. The new rule will have no geographic limitations and no purchase price thresholds or minimums.
When must transfers begin to be reported to FinCEN? As of 11/1/25, it is believed that reporting under the rule begins on March 1, 2026.
If reporting is required, what information is gathered? When reporting, quite a bit of information is gathered, including information about the residential real estate transfer, including details on the buyer (transferee), seller (transferor), beneficial owners of the transferee, the property itself, and the transaction details. It requires identifying information for the reporting person, the legal entity or trust purchasing the property, its beneficial owners, individuals signing on its behalf, and the seller. It also requires property information (address, legal description) and transactional details like the total amount paid and information on any payments made.
My transaction is a cash sale between individuals. Does it have to be reported to FinCEN? Probably not. A direct cash sale between two individuals for residential real estate will not be reportable under the new FinCEN requirements. The rule applies only to non-financed (all-cash or privately financed) transfers where the property is transferred to a legal entity or trust, not to an individual buyer
Can I read more about the FinCEN requirements? Yes. Here is a link to Lohse Law's blog post with more information about the FinCel Real Estate Reporting Rule.