How’s that for a provocative title? People with one brain cell pinging around their skull will tell you there’s nothing to worry about. That the world’s always cycled through periods of climate change. They’ll tell you that the planet’s always survived the upheavals. And they’re right, of course. To quote George Carlin, “the planet has… CONTINUE
Sweet DREams are Made of This
Inspired by the Department of Real Estate’s recent decision to file against eXp Realty of California for a number of simple, eye-wateringly easy to avoid violations, why don’t we run through some of the most common ways people run afoul of the DRE so we can all start paying attention and stop losing money and… CONTINUE
Clash of Titans: Realogy vs. Compass
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight’s headline fight! In the red corner, weighing in at almost $2.5 billion in total equity, the heavyweight champion Realogy! Still in the midst of a doping scandal courtesy of his manager, NAR, he’s still raring to go. In the blue corner, the tech dealer turned real estate player, the… CONTINUE
Picky, Picky, Picky – Traps in a TDS?
We were recently involved in a case where a $73,000 dollar purchase deposit was forfeited when a Buyer backed out of a deal after waiving all contingencies. Or at least the Seller thought so. Turns out that the Buyer had a smart (or a smart alecky) lawyer, who came up with this … novel …… CONTINUE
Stairway to Heaven ? Or Hell ?
There’s a lady who’s sure All that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to heaven… Today’s a doozy, folks. Mortal peril! Revenge! Forbidden love! … well, okay. Two out of three. Strap in. In 2009, real estate agent Pinda Hall showed two prospective buyers around a Lafayette home owned by Aurora Loan Services,… CONTINUE
On The Fence
You’ve just bought a house in a great little neighborhood. Street full of restaurants with cuisine from Albania to Zimbabwe, gym around the corner, more indie coffee shops than you can shake a vegan, gluten-free stick at. Eminently rentable. You go out to the garden and notice the fence, which you’d overlooked before for the… CONTINUE
Trebling Trouble With Trees
Welcome to #WarStoryWednesdays. In this edition, San Francisco real estate and insurance bad faith trial attorney Christopher Hanson discusses the trebling trouble with trees. As humans, we learn from stories. The War Story Wednesday videos and accompanying book “War Story Wednesdays: A Trial Lawyer’s Tales from the Trenches” are stories based upon actual cases decided… CONTINUE
Dual Agency Fiduciary Duty
Welcome to #WarStoryWednesdays. In this edition, San Francisco real estate and insurance bad faith trial attorney Christopher Hanson explains the concept of dual agency, and how fiduciary duty extends to both buyer and seller. Horiike v. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Company (2016) 1 Cal.5th 1024. As humans, we learn from stories. Our War Story Wednesday… CONTINUE
A Study in Scams: Real Estate Edition
There’s a new property on the market. It needs a little work, but it’s on sale for a bargain price. The seller inherited the deed after his mom died, it’s all very sad, he just wants the place off his hands, so you happily oblige him – and the timing is perfect, because your partner… CONTINUE
Do the REIT Thing
You might think this budding industry is grand. You might think it’s a half-baked idea at best. Regardless, it’s here to stay. IIP, the only real estate company on the NYSE focusing on U.S. cannabis ventures, owns over a million rentable square feet spread out over 11 states, with 100% of the land leased with… CONTINUE
Trees and Treble Damages
Welcome to #WarStoryWednesdays. In this edition, San Francisco real estate and insurance bad faith trial attorney Christopher Hanson the story of how Carlos’ simple eucalyptus tree trimming turned into treble damages for neighbor Janet. As humans, we learn from stories. Our War Story Wednesday videos and accompanying book “War Story Wednesdays: A Trial Lawyer’s Tales… CONTINUE
Lions, Tigers, Bears
Welcome to #WarStoryWednesdays. In this edition, San Francisco real estate and insurance bad faith trial attorney Christopher Hanson tells the story of landowners in Southern California who applied for a permit to house five tigers on their 19-acre property. As humans, we learn from stories. The War Story Wednesday videos and accompanying book “War Story… CONTINUE