Preface: Gerald Korngold and Paul Goldstein, Real Estate Transactions: Cases and Materials on Land Transfer, Development and Finance (7th Ed. 2021)

Abstract

This new edition of Korngold and Goldstein, Real Estate Transactions: Cases and Materials on Land Transfer, Development and Finance examines both foundational doctrines and emerging trends in real estate lawyering. In particular, the book considers the effects of recent events on the practice of real estate law; such events include the financial and mortgage crisis, advances in technology, a growing focus on racial equity in real estate ownership and access to funding, the greening of real estate investing and operations, the major reshaping of the retail sector and its footprint, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The book also emphasizes a transactional approach. Successful real estate lawyers seek to represent their client's interests while working to align the interests of the various parties to the deal. In this way, people can come together and close a transaction that will serve all of their goals, at least well enough. Rather than focusing on litigating pathological transactions, students are asked to approach the materials in the book and accompanying supplement from a planning and forward-looking perspective. Using forms in the supplement and materials in the notes following the readings, the students are challenged to consider how deals would have come out differently if alternative documents had been used. They are also asked how they would have altered the presented documents to get a better result for clients. The book underscores that command of fundamental legal principles, an understanding of the influence of changes in the economic, business, social, and technological contexts, and a transactional mindset are essential for mastery of the field of real estate law.