Magazine Articles

The Ellis Act is a provision in California law which provides rental property owners in the state with a legal means to go out of business – exiting the rental business short of selling the property to another landlord. Passed by the California legislature in 1986, the Ellis Act was designed to supersede a State…

Kids tend to have nightmares they can’t control.  Parents often have kids they can’t control.  Some investors have expenses they can’t control – or they won’t even acknowledge the problem.  Thus, rental real estate becomes less of

There are certain sounds that tend to make people crazy. Think of nails on a chalkboard. An infant screaming nonstop on a long flight. A piercing whistle that won’t go away. Now we need to add

As real estate brokers specializing in the sale of multi-family properties, we are constantly hearing the terms “upside” and “value-added.”  Whether speaking with

HOA Pays $150,000 in Discrimination Settlement In August of last year, a condominium association in Florida and their former management company agreed to settle a fair housing claim for $150,000. The claim arose because a family with

As a property manager, you have an important responsibility. Building tenants and owners all rely on you to keep the property safe, orderly and functioning. However, there are also many hazards relating to your

Are you sure you want to be a landlord?  I have clients who love to regale me with stories about their fun experiences with tenants.  Like the one who took almost every fixture when moved

As an East Bay apartment owner, you either experienced robust dividends in 2013 or you were left standing at the station. If you think you missed the train, do not fret. The East Bay market is charging full steam ahead into 2014. The Bay Area’s economic recovery was fueled in part by the creation of…

The Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute filed a lawsuit challenging Supervisor John Avalos’ Nonconforming Unit Ordinance on the grounds that the ordinance violates state law and fails to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Nonconforming Unit Ordinance would legalize the practice of renovating and expanding “nonconforming units.” Nonconforming units are…

You get the credit bureau report back on your applicant and the bureau never heard of him.  That will make you think, won’t it?  Of course, you immediately think the worst. There could be several reasons that the credit bureau couldn’t find a record though. The first and most obvious thing that comes to mind…