Index Explained The Heritage Foundation is a think-tank based in Washington, DC, founded in 1973. Since 1995, Heritage has published an annual ranking of developed nations based on their level of economic freedom – or put differently, the ease of doing business in these countries.
DetailsIt’s hard to believe a decade has passed since the great boom in real estate prices ended around 2007. The California Crash started in earnest in 2008 and continued until 2012. Prices went from about $600,000 to $250,000 in just a couple of years. It was devastating to anyone who did not see it coming.…
DetailsAs of this writing, President Trump has issued an executive order barring entry into our country for any persons from these seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. Like it or not, Trump’s “This Land is Your Land” campaign has gained traction and his current poll numbers are high.
Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) challenged Seattle’s new mandate forcing landlords to rent to the first qualified person who applies for a unit. By denying owners the freedom to choose among qualified applicants and to exercise nondiscriminatory discretion about who will live in their units, the “first in time” rule violates state constitutional protections for property…
DetailsWhen it comes to tax deductions, there are a few schools of thoughts. There are the people who want to write off everything, whether it’s legal or not, and figure the cost of an IRS audit won’t be that bad. Or else they think they can’t ever get caught. They are invisible, or so they…
DetailsIt happens – you get a losing hand in poker, you pick the slow line at the checkout, you pick a bad tenant. It’s a matter of the numbers, in my case, more tenants equal more numbers and more chances for something to go off the rails, but the important part is you have to deal…
DetailsAbout a week ago, we sent out an Action Alert concerning AB 1506. If you dismissed it and deleted it from your e-mail, or if you hear from us only by this newsletter, here’s the ugly story: this bill will repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, in effect since 1995. Central Valley Democratic Assembly member…
DetailsAssembly Bill 1506 would repeal the State Limits on Local Rent Control Regulations and Ordinances. AB 1506 would repeal the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Fair Housing Act which made it unlawful in the State of California to extend “Rent Control” to single dwelling homes, condominiums, granny flats, duplexes and all new construction. Further, it allows landlords to…
DetailsHello everybody. AOA members who have been followers of this column over the years have seen how perplexing our laws are with respect to resident managers. Unfortunately, starting July 1, 2017, they become even more complicated. July 1 is the date that a number of cities, such as San Francisco, Pasadena, San Jose, Los Angeles…
DetailsQ: I have a tenant who moved into his rental unit last month. I included a provision in his lease that prohibits smoking cigarettes in his unit. Now, his neighbors are complaining that cigarette smoke from his unit is seeping through their air vents. When I approached the tenant he told me that he has…
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