Lenhart Obenshain’s real estate development and finance practice offers a complete range of legal services to property owners, investors, developers, lenders and tenants. We deal with all types of real estate, ranging from undeveloped land to commercial property (including office buildings, retail centers, and industrial parks) to residential and resort development property (including multi-family residential properties, resorts, golf courses, condominiums and apartments) to agricultural land. We work closely with other practice groups such as tax, corporate and securities law to offer efficient and cost-effective legal services relevant to the needs of each transaction.

The Real Estate Development and Finance team at Lenhart Obenshain is comprised of a group of talented attorneys, paralegals and staff who work together as a team to meet our clients’ needs. Our mix of talent, experience and knowledge allows us to provide our clients with the best of both large institutional law firms and small boutique real estate firms. Our lawyers are emigrants from large law firms, and have the knowledge and expertise necessary to complete complex and sophisticated real estate transactions. Similarly, our ability to draw upon the firm's other practice groups for business, securities, tax and dispute resolution expertise allows us to provide the complete range of legal services typically available only from large institutional firms. On the other hand, like small boutique firms, our methods of staffing and our knowledge of our clients' businesses allow us to provide our clients with counseling from experienced lawyers who understand their goals and objectives. So, like small boutique firms, we are able to provide prompt, cost-effective and practical, result-oriented counsel.

The primary focus of our real estate development and finance practice is to support and assist our clients in developing, leveraging or otherwise investing in real estate. We work closely with our clients to help them evaluate, acquire, and finance real estate opportunities throughout Virginia. We also work with our clients to maximize their real estate opportunities, whether through rezoning, subdivision, development, leasing, management, tax deferred exchanges, conservation easements, sale or exchange.

Our services include, among many other things:

• Real Estate Acquisition / Disposition. We assist clients in purchasing, selling or investing in real estate, beginning with advice on whether to form a separate business entity to take or hold title to the property and what type of entity that should be. We will negotiate the purchase and sale contract, conduct due diligence (including review of title, survey and relevant contracts) and conduct the closing. On the selling side, our services include advice regarding tax implications and assistance in structuring transactions to minimize tax consequences, including tax-deferred exchanges when appropriate.
• Real Estate Financing. We have experience in a wide variety of commercial lending transactions, including traditional commercial or mortgage loans, construction loans, venture capital financing, off-balance sheet financing, conduit financing and other complicated financing structures. Our attorneys have experience representing lenders as well as borrowers, which brings perspective and value-added expertise to each loan transaction we close.
• Real Estate Development. We have in-depth experience in all areas of commercial, residential and resort development, ranging from mixed-use master planned communities to industrial parks to residential condominiums and condominium conversions. Our expertise includes land use planning, rezoning, subdivision, restrictive covenants, development financing, construction contracts, easements and the formation and operation of community associations.
• Leasing. We represent landlords and tenants in a broad range of lease matters, including office, retail, apartment and agricultural leases. We have substantial experience in representing commercial landlords in relation to both the initial lease-up of office buildings and the ongoing issues that arise in tenant-occupied buildings.
• Conservation Easements. We have expertise and experience in the area of conservation easements, as a conservation tool but also as a means to beneficial tax credits and other tax benefits.

If you need legal advice on real estate development and finance issues,
contact Lisa A. Hawkins at 540.437.3118.