Real estate is a legal term that includes land along with anything permanently affixed to the land such as buildings, fences and things attached to the buildings, such as plumbing, heating, and light fixtures. The properties not affixed are regarded as personal property. The law regarding real estate law is a broad topic. To discuss it simply – it is the law, rules, regulation and other legal matters that govern real estate.

Real estate litigation and law entail things like owning real property, the typical restrictions imposed on owning real property, the common forms of property ownership and many others. As said earlier, it is very broad.

The first of the basics of real estate law is real property. What is real property? Real property is simply the real estate. The real property is used interchangeably with real estate. However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from the real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate.

Subsequently, owning real property allows you the right to do with the land as you please aside from those subject to restrictions imposed by real estate law. Owning a real property means you can do anything you please with it such as; use it; give it away; sell or transfer it; use it for a collateral for loan; bequeath it to intended beneficiaries or let it sit where it is without doing anything to it. In other words, owning real property is having total rights on a land and no one can ever question you for it is yours.

In owning a real estate, some typical restrictions are being imposed by law. There are countless laws that restrict what you can do with the real property especially. It may be federal, state, county and local laws. The enforcement of these laws resides with the various agencies. Some of the most common restrictions imposed by government –

Zoning
Public easement
Right of way.
Any disputes in real estate arise due to the different forms of property ownership. These are joint tenancy; tenancy in the entirety; sole ownership; tenants in common and community property.

In joint tenancy, two or more people own the property at the same time in equal shares. In tenancy in the entirety, some estates have especial form of joint tenancy when the joints are husband and wife- with each owning one half. In sole ownership, the property is owned entirely by one person. Two or more persons own common tenants’ property at the same time. Meanwhile, community property is only recognized in the estates. It is a special form of joint tenancy between husband and wife, each owning one-half of their properties. Upon death, the decedent’s interest passes in a manner similar to tenants in common. real estate lawyers usually deal with joint tenancy.

The basics of real estate are the best information needed in order to understand real estate law. With this basics information, although real estate is very broad, you have the capabilities of understanding it into its deeper sense.