Many buyers may not be aware of some of the issues unique to purchases of residential property in unincorporated portions of Boulder County.  Three of these – the type of survey to obtain, the obligations associated with the transfer of property served by a septic system, and issues related to water not provided by a municipal water provider - are often misunderstood or overlooked. 

The need for a title investigation of water rights usually comes up when one of our clients is buying water rights along with land or when we represent a developer or a municipality that needs to acquire a water supply.  Sometimes our client already owns the water but needs to change the uses for the water or the point of diversion.  Since title to water rights is an element to be proved in a change of use case, we need to investigate our client’s water rights to show ownership of water.

Some of us think about water a lot. I like swimming in it, skiing on it, sailing over it and consuming it in an incredibly diverse array of products.  I’m mesmerized by water:  the elegant complexity of its simple molecular structure, its hydrogen bonding, its properties as a solvent, the fact that its crystalline lattice structure – similar in some respects to a diamond -- renders it less dense as a solid than as a liquid (which is why ice floats, with massive climatic consequences), its mass (resulting in its surprising weight of about 8 pounds per gallon -- which is why ocean waves are powerful, why rivers erode canyons, and why hydroelectric projects function), its dynamic properties of flow, its economic utility in all three common states of matter and the range of temperatures over which those states of matter occur, its uneven distribution across our planet and the consequences which proceed from all those attributes. 

Most people are familiar with the term "estate planning," but often question whether it applies to them.  Some perceive that estate planning is only for those with significant wealth or property, and therefore avoid preparing a plan.  More often, we simply do not like to think about what an estate plan implies-death or disability!  That is a natural reaction, and I am often reminded of how difficult it can be to discuss end of life issues.  Despite that difficulty or the perception that an estate plan is only for the wealthy, having a plan is among the most important decisions one can make.  A good estate plan takes the burden away from your family and survivors regarding your possessions, and more importantly, gives guidance for decisions about your quality of life.  The components of an estate plan follow.