Question: I am a landlord and do not want to look for new tenants every year. How many years should I make my lease for? Answer: A lease can be beneficial or disastrous for a landlord. It is beneficial to keep a tenant for multiple years so you do not lose rent trying to find…
DetailsThe adoption of Soft-Story Retrofit Ordinance recognizes a vulnerable building type and mandates corrective measures. It is common knowledge that California geology is vulnerable to earthquakes. Geological records show a pattern of seismic events that can be used to determine the locations most susceptible to an earthquake. The experience of seismic events within our lifetime…
DetailsForbes just published my favorite issue of the year – its annual “jerk detector”. The financial magazine just released its annual “Billionaires” edition. It says the world has 1,810 billionaires. Their combined net worth is $6.5 trillion. I always look forward to the Forbes “Billionaires” issue even though it’s not full of hints and tips…
DetailsThe answer to question posed in the title largely depends on your location, although there are national codes and guidelines that should also be followed. This topic is fairly dry yet important one. We’ll try to give you just the important highlights without wading too far into the deep end.
DetailsWhat is Gentrification? Neighborhood gentrification is the transformation of a low-value area into a high-value one. It generally begins with “urban pioneers” of the middle class who move into neighborhoods near city centers, encouraging more and more of them to do the same. According to London and Palen in their 1984 report, these pioneers are…
DetailsQuestion 1: I verbally gave my renter permission to paint one room of my unit, which was originally white, to a color that they’d prefer, without stipulating any conditions. They painted the entire interior. Now that they are moving out, I want to return the interior spaces to their original white. Can I charge my…
DetailsAlmost 20% of Americans 65 and older are still working, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s the highest percentage of 65+ people still working since the early 1960s, before the US enacted Medicare. Because of the huge Baby Boom generation that is just now hitting retirement age,…
DetailsHello everybody. My discussion this month examines the validity of a “non-refundable” deposit clause in a real estate purchase contract and related liquidated damages provisions. The California Court of Appeal case of Kuish v. Smith, 181 Cal.App.4th 1419, well illustrates current law. The Kuish Decision In Kuish, the buyer (Kuish) entered into a written contract…
DetailsQuestion 1: Due to the extraordinary hot weather, my tenant is demanding that I install an air conditioner. Do I have a legal obligation to do so? Answer 1: There is no obligation for a landlord to install an air conditioner under the California Civil Code. A habitable dwelling does not require air conditioning. If,…
DetailsDid you even goal plan? Without goals, you simply end up coasting through life and as the last several years of my life have shown me, you need to know when to coast and when to push. When I look back at my most successful years, it all started with goals, plans and a destination.…
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