Episode 757
Real Estate Legal Traps & Investor Protection | Santiago Cueto
Attorney Santiago Cueto shares the biggest legal mistakes real estate investors make and how to protect yourself from fraud, bad partners, and hidden risks.
In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack Hoss sits down with Santiago Cueto, Miami-based attorney, international law expert, and author of Winning Lawsuits in Florida, to discuss the most common legal pitfalls investors face — and how to avoid them before it’s too late.
Santiago shares lessons from his high-stakes legal career, stories of bad partnerships gone wrong, and real-world strategies for conducting due diligence, drafting airtight contracts, and vetting joint-venture partners.
From preventing lawsuits to leveraging arbitration clauses, Santiago breaks down how smart investors can protect their assets, their reputation, and their peace of mind.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- The most common legal mistakes real estate investors make
- How to properly vet joint-venture partners before you sign
- Why “free” online contracts can cost you millions
- The importance of arbitration, mediation, and jurisdiction clauses
- How to identify red flags using public records and WHOIS searches
- What investors can do when dealing with large corporate partners
- How small investors can use flexibility as an advantage
- The dangers of downloading generic contracts from the internet
- Why hiring a top attorney is an investment, not an expense
- How to read “boilerplate” legal language like a pro
- The truth about ChatGPT in law — and why human expertise still wins
- Florida’s “sunny place for shady people” and what to watch out for
📘 Get Santiago’s bestselling book Winning Lawsuits in Florida on Amazon
📍 Connect with Santiago at CallSantiago.com
💡 Want help scaling your real estate business with AI and automation? Visit https://realdealcrew.com
Call to Action: Learn more at https://realdealcrew.com
Timestamps
00:00 – Why every deal starts or ends with an uncomfortable conversation
01:00 – How Santiago transitioned from business to real estate law
03:00 – The #1 mistake investors make in Miami’s booming market
04:00 – The “prenup principle” for real estate partnerships
06:00 – Why cheap online contracts can be the most expensive mistake
08:00 – How small investors can outsmart big corporate partners
09:00 – Due diligence hacks: lawsuits, liens, and property records
10:00 – Spotting fake companies & frauds using WHOIS and Google Earth
11:00 – “A sunny place for shady people”: Florida’s fraud capital warning
12:00 – ChatGPT in law: useful tool or dangerous shortcut?
14:00 – Lessons from a deal that failed due to lack of transparency
16:00 – Why honesty is your best legal defense
17:00 – Hiring top performers vs cheap talent: real ROI
19:00 – Why legal work is an investment, not an expense
20:00 – When to file first — and why it gives you the upper hand
22:00 – Legal reform and the Surfside condo aftermath
24:00 – Trends to avoid: aggressive condo buyouts & bad PR
25:00 – Florida’s “Live Local Act” and affordable housing impact
27:00 – The future of property taxes & real estate law in Florida
29:00 – Rapid Fire: lies, lessons, books & tech tools
#RealEstateInvesting #LegalTips #RealEstateLaw #SantiagoCueto #RealDealChat #RealEstateContracts #DueDiligence #InvestorProtection #MiamiRealEstate #LegalAdvice #PassiveIncome #RealEstateLitigation #FraudPrevention #AIAndLaw #BusinessLaw
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