There are millions of Americans who seem to be born with some kind of an entrepreneurial inclination. Think back to the Gold Rush times when tens of thousands headed west to claim their stake, or the Industrial Age where so many people made their mark with innovative inventions. The 1990s-2000’s belongs to the millions who took to the internet starting .com businesses. More than 28 million small businesses in the U.S. or the equivalent to about 10% of our labor force own thei

Congratulations to Gantenbein Law Firm Denver, Colorado attorney Keith Gantenbein Jr. who was again, recognized as Super Lawyers, Rising Stars for 2018. For Keith, this is his fourth consecutive year as a Super Lawyer, Rising Star. Mr. Gantenbein is nationally recognized for his work in Real Estate Law, which also includes Foreclosures Defense and HOA Law. Mr. Gantenbein worked extensively last few years with the Colorado Supreme Court to pass updated Rules of Civil Procedure

Millions of companies in the U.S. were started from an idea and a bit of a dream. These businesses typically began with two or more people sharing the same dream. Today, there are almost 30 million small businesses in the U.S., employing almost half (47.8%) of U.S. workers. In 2017, more new businesses were formed than in the past 4 years and women-owned businesses were at their highest level in 40 years. Colorado ranked number 1 in the nation for “Labor Supply”. Even the mos

Buying or selling a business can be the largest transaction you will ever make, even larger than buying or selling a house. There are countless issues you have to review and analyze when considering buying or selling a business in this highly competitive and lawsuit environment. Gantenbein Law Firm counsels clients on making these life-important decisions. If you’re buying or selling a business, there are numerous legal hurdles to contend with that will directly determine you

Overall, in this new year, it is predicted the housing market will continue to bounce back as it has been for the past year. In November 2017, existing home sales escalated to a rate that hasn’t been seen in the past 10 years and reaching an 11-year high. The existing home sales totaled 5.81 million that amounted to an increase of 5.6% from the month before. The inventory of homes decreased 7.2% to 1.67 million that is 9.7% lower than it was in November 2016. It’s also predic

When you own a small business and are thinking of selling a portion of your business to investors, you’ll want to know everything there is before making any kind of a commitment. Established companies and almost all start-up companies think about raising business capital at some time and will turn to the possibility of taking on investors. There are many reasons to sell a percentage of your business, but generally, businesses sell in order to raise capital to help bridge the

If you have a business, at some time you will most likely have a dispute or struggle with a legal issue. The dispute may be with a partner, shareholder or even a client. Whatever the dispute, it will take up much of your valuable time and possibly damage your reputation. Your time may be better spent having a qualified and experienced business attorney handle, negotiate and resolve the issue. If you own a business, you should consider having an experienced business attorney

Gantenbein Law Firm, Denver, Colorado is proud to announce its attorney, Keith Gantenbein, was named to 2017 Colorado Super Lawyers, Rising Stars list. Congratulations to owner and managing attorney Keith A. Gantenbein Jr, who was selected, named and included on the “2017 Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Stars” list. Super Lawyers is the Thomson Reuters lawyer rating service. To be selected as a Super Lawyer, attorneys are nominated by their peers and evaluated on 12 indicators

If you’re thinking of buying a home you’ve probably noticed the inventory of available houses for sale has been declining and mortgage rates and housing prices are on the rise. After years of having a huge inventory of houses to choose from, thousands of foreclosures and very low mortgage rates, the market is heading the other way. Denver is number three regionally for having the fastest time to sell a house. The average amount of days in Denver to sell a home is now 18 days,

Nationwide, home foreclosures have dropped to their lowest level since November 2005. During April 2017, there were 77,049 filings reported in the U.S. This number includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. The figures reflect the lowest number of foreclosures since the housing crisis began. While the drop is significant, at the same time there was a rise in repeat foreclosures. A repeat foreclosure is noted as any property address with the same owne

The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, known as Freddie Mac, announced last week that it’s selling off non-performing loans to private investors. Freddie Mac is a public government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) headquartered in Virginia. Freddie Mac was created in 1970 to help expand the mortgage market alongside the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Previously, from 1938 to 1968 Fannie Mae was the only institution that bought mortgages leading to and enco

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was introduced in 2009 and established to help homeowners recover from the great housing bubble burst. The HAMP was part of the Making Home Affordable program (MHA) along with the Hardest Hit Fund program (HHF) that was under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). These programs were part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and put into place to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. HAMP and the entire

Hundreds of Americans are getting frightening calls from “IRS Agents” making threats including sending the sheriff over to arrest them if they don’t pay back taxes immediately. The first 8 months of this year there has been a 400% surge in these phony calls and text messages. These calls are alarming due to the fact the so-called “IRS Agent” have personal information including their correct social security number, where the person lives, where they used to live, their maiden

Colorado’s housing market continues to be ‘hot’. The top ten hottest cities in our nation are: Miami, Phoenix, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Denver, San Antonio, Charlotte, San Diego and Flint. Denver is number 6. In the Denver-area, the average price of a single-family home rose 3%, averaging around $445,000 per home. Condominium prices rose 4.5% to an average of approximately $298,000. Houses and condos are on the market (listed) an average of 24 days before they are s

If you’re thinking of buying (co-owning) a home with a partner, if you’re an unmarried couple or just friends, it’s extremely important to protect yourself if there were a death, a parting or foreclosure. The decision you make in co-owning any property can have disastrous repercussions and consequences. Approximately 25% of primary homebuyers in the US are single. Generally speaking, non-married buyers have very little or no estate-planning protection at either the state or f

Our own IRS isn’t the only entity to fear when it comes to taxes. Europe has their eye on international businesses as well as wanting their ‘fare share’ of the profits. The French have widened their investigations and are cracking down on these international businesses concluding a nearly 3-year investigation and auditing of Priceline’s Booking.com The French tax authorities operate in a big way - with exactly $397.37 million in unpaid taxes slapped against Booking.com. The m

If you’re starting a new business, the tax obligations aren’t something you should try to handle alone. Meeting with a qualified tax and business attorney can save you thousands of dollars and ensure your business is starting out on the right foot. When it comes to taxes, there’s no room for error. An audit, additional taxes, penalties and fees can become a nightmare if you make one error, or grab the attention of the IRS. The first day your business is up and running, your b

California is a step closer to signing a bill into law to protect families from foreclosure after the death of the primary mortgage note holder. The Bill is known as the “Survivor Bill of Rights”. Other states may soon follow in passing similar laws. When a spouse dies, often the surviving spouse can’t afford the mortgage payment. The survivor usually calls the lender to let them know the spouse has died. When the survivor tries for a loan modification due to loss of income,

Are you thinking of starting your own business? Congratulations. Owning your own business may require working harder and longer hours but the rewards can be worth it. When starting a business, it is imperative the business is set up correctly and the business structure is made to best fit your type of business and you. The formation of your business entity should be dependent on your tax and liability, ownership rights, capital needs and other business transactions. Each sta

When doing your taxes, one of the deductions most overlooked are charitable contributions. You can deduct a maximum of up to 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) on Line 36 on IRS Form 1040 for the tax year in which the donation was given. If you find yourself with more than 50% in one given year, the excess may be carried over for up to five years. If you don’t think you give large amounts to charity, think again. Throughout the year, all those little donations can add up