Construction Insurance and Real Estate
Timely articles covering the most pressing issues facing construction firms in the Midwest



Managing Risk Through Employee Training
By making sure that employees know codes, regulations, laws, and other standards, you can gain an extra set of eyes and ears on the job
By David Seitter

Practice good risk management at every stage of a project
By David Seitter
How you handle risk management is critically important to making your involvement in multi-housing construction profitable and worry free.And the foundation for good risk management requires taking steps now to anticipate, avoid and ameliorate the financial dangers you face from construction defects caused by you or others.

HISTORIC REHABILITATION TAX CREDITS
By: Dan Cofran
Missouri and Kansas cities and towns share our nation’s rich architectural heritage, including large numbers of “rock solid” commercial and other buildings built in the late 19th and first half of the 20th Centuries. These buildings feature architectural detail and form that would be cost prohibitive to build today.

The Basics of Real Estate Zoning
By: Dan Cofran
Zoning laws are one of the least understood and appreciated elements of real estate development. Most real estate professionals have a general understanding of the process. However, it is much more complicated than many appreciate, often leading to costly delays in even the simplest projects.

MISSOURI REDEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES
By: Dan Cofran
Missouri offers a number of tax incentives for urban redevelopment projects, including seven measures featuring property tax relief. Each either abates or returns real property taxes as well as, in one measure, additional sales and other taxes, generated by a project's new improvements. In addition, the power of eminent domain is also available with several of these measures to acquire needed properties

Statutory Bond in Public Works Projects
Philip W. Goodin and Joshua C. Dickinson  - Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP
Construction performed for public entities is a staple source of work for the construction industry. These projects, however, are often times regulated by state and federal law, and can present significant challenges and additional expenses to general contractors. One such example is statutory bonds.

Pollution Exclusion in D&O Policy Applied to Exclude Coverage for Alleged Business Torts
By: J. Kent Holland
When a property purchaser discovered pollution on its newly acquired property it filed suit against the seller and the seller agreed to pay certain cleanup costs. But the seller subsequently reorganized its corporate structure and asserted the cleanup costs could not be paid out the reorganized company. The seller then brought suit alleging the seller intentionally. . .

Insurance Risk Management: Minimizing Your Risk
By David Seitter
Increasing general liability insurance premiums and rising construction defect claims has led many construction owners to re-evaluate not only their insurance coverage but also their risk management practices.

Limiting Warranties: Not a Simple Matter
Most builders probably would say they have a good idea of how long a “one-year warranty” of their work lasts: 365 days after the date they completed their portion of the work, right? When it comes to warranties, however, things rarely are as simple as they seem.

Insurance Issues and Other Sources of Liability
By David Seitter
There are many different sources of liability in the construction industry, thus it is essential that contractors and construction managers work together with insurers to ensure the right type of coverage from the start to end of any project.

Zoning - It's A Fact of Life In The Construction Industry
By David Seitter
If you have been in the construction industry for any length of time, then you recognize the importance of zoning. Zoning requirements are established to ensure that code requirements are consistently and uniformly maintained on a regular basis.

Brownfields Properties Offer Opportunities
By:James T. Price
New state and federal initiatives are encouraging transactions involving environmentally contaminated real estate. This is part of an effort designed to reuse and recycle such properties, frequently referred to as "Brownfields." The initiatives include agency agreements with prospective property purchasers so they do not become liable to clean up contaminated property they buy; economic development incentives . . .

Commercial mortgage refresher course
by Adam Smith
Securing financing is a real need for almost every business, particularly for those interested in real estate investments. Most investors realize the hardest thing to come up with is the actual cash to make the investment in an income property. One of the best ways to fund an income or rental property is by using a commercial mortgage.

Safety videos
by Leon Chaddock
Safety videos can provide many excellent resources for you and for your employees. If you have problems with workmen’s compensation or employees following state and local safety regulations, consider the purchase of various safety videos. They enable your employees not only to hear what you need them to do, but to see it too.

Commercial real estate definitions – from A to Z
by Dan Lewis
Commercial real estate is distinctly different from residential real estate. The terminology is very different, so here is a list of terms from A to Z. Unlike residential real estate, commercial real estate is primarily considered a business transaction. Learn the terms and you’re well on your way to moving smoothly through the process.

The benefits of hand-held metal detectors
Construction crews and woodworkers use hand-held metal detectors to find dangerous nails or other metallic debris in reclaimed building materials and trees. A recent study proves that hand-held metal detectors are just as accurate as X-rays in certain situations.

The hard hat
by Matthew Noel
While many areas of construction use hard hats, more people should use them. From designer versions to those made for people of all sizes, hard hats are by far one of the most versatile tools that any person can purchase. You will find a wide range of choices, including some that will provide specific protection for the eyes, neck, head and even the face.