Bow Tie Blog
Legal Insights & Expert Analysis
Stay informed with the latest legal developments, practical advice, and expert insights from The Bow Tie Attorney. Navigate complex legal matters with confidence.
- March 16, 2026
Private money lending in Chicago The clauses that stop one bad loan from ruining your year
Private money lending can be a great business in Chicago until one rehab deal goes wrong and you realize your documents do not let you protect yourself across the borrower’s other loans. This post breaks down the two clauses Faisal keeps seeing missing, cross default and cross collateralization, why they matter when a borrower has multiple projects, and what a clean loan file should include before you fund the next deal.
- March 5, 2026
Selling a Chicago home with open permits or old work What to do before you list
Open permits and old work are not deal killers in Chicago, but they are deal stress. They slow down closings, scare off cautious buyers, and can turn a smooth inspection into a negotiation mess. This guide walks Chicago sellers through what open permits really mean, how to check your address record, what to fix before you list, and how to negotiate cleanly if the issue shows up after you are under contract.
- March 3, 2026
Chicago condo special assessments How to spot them before they blow up your deal
In Chicago, condo buyers get blindsided by special assessments all the time. Not because they did anything reckless, but because they did not know where to look, what questions to ask, or how early to request the right documents. This story based guide explains what special assessments are, where they show up in the condo paperwork, how they can affect financing and closing timelines, and what to do if one appears after you are already under contract.
- March 2, 2026
Got a Chicago building code violation notice Here is what to do next
A building code violation notice in Chicago can feel like the ground shifts under you. The deadlines can move fast, fines can stack up, and the hearing process can feel unfamiliar if you have never been through it. This guide walks you through what the notice usually means, what the City is expecting, and the smart steps to take in the first seven days so you do not make the problem bigger while trying to fix it.
- February 25, 2026
Why Faisal Built a Chicago Real Estate Podcast: The Deal Lessons People Keep Missing
Chicago real estate problems rarely start in court. They start earlier, in the deal, in the paperwork, in the partnership, or in the moment someone signs without understanding the risk. In this post, we introduce Mahmoud Faisal Elkhatib, explain why he uses the Bow Tie podcast to teach real world real estate decision making, and show you how to listen like an investor, a broker, or a first time buyer who wants fewer surprises and cleaner closings.
- February 23, 2026
From Renting to Keys in Hand: A Chicago First Time Homebuyer Story, and the Closing Steps That Matter
First time buyers in Chicago rarely lose the house because they “did not want it enough.” They lose it because the timeline surprises them, the paperwork feels overwhelming, or the closing process gets treated like a single appointment instead of a sequence of decisions. This story based guide walks through a realistic Chicago purchase from offer to closing, highlights the moments where mistakes happen, and gives you a simple checklist to protect yourself before you sign.