We’ve been featured in Wits Realty’s summer recap! Check out the whole article here.
It also includes a quick snapshot of the real estate market, featured real-estate listings, and Minnesota’s new State Fair Foods this year. (Yum!)
MZ’s very own Kassandra Heinrich-Wydra participated in a Q&A.
Read her fun and insightful answers here:
Meet Kassandra Heinrich of MZ Law!
At Wits Realty, we’re proud to partner with professionals who go above and beyond—and Kassandra Heinrich of MZ Law is no exception. As our preferred real estate attorney, Kassandra brings expert guidance, clear communication, and a true client-first mindset to every transaction. Whether it’s navigating contracts, explaining the fine print, or making sure nothing gets overlooked at the closing table, Kassandra and the team at MZ Law are committed to setting clients up for success—however they define it.
She’s also a strong supporter of the Wits community and consistently shows up for our events, including the St. Paul Saints Client Appreciation Event and Wits Golf Outing!
Below, we sat down with Kassandra for a quick Q&A to hear her insights and learn what makes MZ Law such a valuable part of the real estate journey.
Wits: What sets MZ LAW apart from other real estate law firms?
Kassandra: I’ve been a part MZ for more than a decade. In both my prior roles, and my experience interacting with other attorneys and law firms (solos, big firms, other small to mid-size firms) what truly sets MZ Law apart is that we’re the lawyers you’ll actually like. We’re human. We aren’t condescending; using big words no one other than other lawyers understand. We’re not ignorant of the realities of life; and we recognize that while you’re going through this transaction or lawsuit, you’re also juggling your job, your family, and you’re trying to stay on budget with an expense you may not have anticipated. And we’re people too. For many of us, we’ve been in your shoes and truly know what it is like to be sitting down with a lawyer to help.
More concretely what sets us apart is that we offer the “big firm expertise” without the big firm billable rates. Collectively our partners have more than 75 years of experience. It is rare that we come across something we’ve never seen before, and on the rare occasion we do – we have a deep bench of experts in the industry that we can use as resources. What else is distinctive about MZ Law is our office “open door policy.” We work on client matters collaboratively as a firm, so whether your point of contact is one of the name partners, a newer associate, or one of our paralegals, you’re always getting the wisdom and expertise of the full firm.
W: What’s one common legal issue buyers or sellers should watch out for?
K: The most common legal issues we see for Buyers is dealing with the Seller’s Disclosure Statements and your inspection. I’m always amazed that people are willing to spend so much money on a house that they’ve only seen a handful of times – an initial showing, a quick post-inspection glance, and for some, a pre-closing final walkthrough. If I could put a huge “BUYER BEWARE” sign on every home, no matter how thorough the disclosure statement or how confident the inspector is, I would. You’re buying a home. Things will break. It will cost you money. Just know that going in, and as much as you can, take a good hard look at the nooks, crannies, and unknowns before you close.
From a Seller side, common issues we see are responding to Buyer’s disclosure cases, and title issues at closing. Many homeowners do not really know what “title” is. I like to think of it as what you own, how you own it, and who else may be claiming an interest in it. Many times parties will be getting close to the closing date and realizing there is a mortgage that they paid off when they refinanced to capture those great post-pandemic rates that, on paper, was never satisfied; or, maybe they’ve learned that the fence that has marked the “boundary” with the neighbors to the east really isn’t on the boundary line after all once a survey is done; or, a husband and wife that purchased the property together and the widow(er) is now selling to downsize after losing their spouse only to learn that the magic words “joint-tenants” are missing from the deed and they’ll have to do a probate to close on the sale. In any of these cases, and so many more, we can help but they’re far too often a surprise for the sellers at the worst of times – when they’re busy packing their homes and preparing for a big move.
For both Buyers and Sellers, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Really taking the time to inspect the home and your title can save a headache down the road. We can help.
W: What’s something most people don’t realize a real estate attorney handles?
K: It can be hard to shake the image of Suits, Law & Order, or My Cousin Vinny, when you think of an attorney but the authentic practice of law is hardly that. Sure, we as lawyers sue people, but we’re really doing our best to clean up messes, tie off loose strings, and prevent lawsuits from happening in the first place. We can’t ensure you’ll never get sued, or no harm may ever come to you, but we’re experts at identifying areas of risk and reducing it (or at least pointing it out to you) as much as possible.
In the real estate context advise as to risk exposure in disclosure areas and add terms into contracts such as purchase agreements, leases, and easements, to reduce risk. We also do our best to take a holistic approach. Often, we are be hired to assist with a real estate transaction (say drafting a deed or reviewing a purchase agreement) but it becomes an estate planning conversation or small business endeavor (how can we protect your personal assets from liability now that you have this investment property).
W: What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone buying or selling a home right now?
K: Advice I would give to Sellers in today’s market: do not sign the arbitration agreement. This is an area that is often promoted to save costs and time if a disclosure issue is discovered, but we often see arbitration become much more expensive, time consuming and leading to unfavorable outcomes due to limited discovery and procedural options.
Advice I would give to Buyers in today’s market: do whatever you can to get all parties to sign the arbitration agreement. For all the reasons this is less than ideal to Sellers, it often benefits the Buyers. I would also advise Buyers to take their time in making their purchase, to rely on the experts in their corners (realtors, mortgage lenders, etc.) and seriously consider if the property will fit their life and goals. Too many Buyers have rushed into a purchase and come to regret it later.
W: What do you love most about working in the real estate world and with the Wits team?
