What are CCRs?

Residential real estate contracts can be filled with massive amounts of confusing boilerplate terms that mean very little to nervous home buyers. Most Florida home buyers want to get through the purchase process as quickly as possible so that they may close on their properties and begin moving into their new residences. However, before they sign on the dotted lines and commit themselves to buying their intended homes, they should fully understand all of the covenants, conditions, and restrictions that are placed on the properties.

Covenants, conditions, and restrictions are often called CC&Rs. They are the terms that restrict what property owners may do with their land. For example, a covenant may be placed on a parcel of land and be recorded on its deed. If it is there when a new owner takes possession of the parcel, the new owner may be required to abide by the terms of the covenant.

Similarly, when individuals buy residential properties in planned communities, they may be required to sign CC&Rs that hold them to certain standards of property maintenance. They may be required to maintain their yards in a certain order, and they may be restricted by what colors they can paint their homes. Restrictive terms regarding land use may be mandated when neighbors come together to create associations to protect their collective property interests.

Before committing to buy a residential property a person should have their real estate attorney read over all of the contract’s terms to be sure that they understand the CC&Rs that are contained therein. These terms can change the way that a property owner uses and interacts with their parcel and may deny them their plans if their intentions run afoul of the existing CC&Rs.