For most Americans, the largest asset they own is their home. However, the cost of establishing an estate plan can be prohibitive for some. To create an affordable means to transfer real estate and avoid Probate, the California Assembly passed Bill (AB) 139 (codified in California Probate Code Section 5642), which created a deed that […]
Category: Legal Corner
What Every Real Estate Professional Should Know About Representing a Cannabis Business
On November 8, 2016, proposition 64 was passed by a majority of California voters, making the recreational use of cannabis, by adults over the age of 21 years, legal in the State of California. Proposition 64 followed proposition 215, which had already made the medicinal use of cannabis legal in 1996. However, the legalization of […]
Short Term Rental Bans & What Realtors Need To Know
What Real Estate Agents Should Know About Short Term Rental Regulations The sharing economy has been a topic of widespread interest as it has grown and become a part of everyday life for many Americans. In real estate, organizations like Airbnb and VRBO allow homeowners to rent out their homes on a short to […]
Rent Control Is A New Reality: AB 1482 & What It Means To You
Any real estate professional who occasionally handles rentals or the sale of properties subject to rent control laws should be familiar with rent control laws. This is particularly the case as Assembly Bill (“AB”) 1482, mandating certain statewide rent control policies, comes into effect, likely on January 1, 2020. This article provides an overview of the […]
Referral Fees and Non-Licensees: What Everyone Should Know
The legality of referral fees in California is a tricky issue and one that can frequently trip up agents and brokers. This is because of the difference between federal and state law. The California Attorney General’s office has written a detailed opinion stating that a real estate broker can pay a referral fee to an […]
Measure EE Defeated At The Polls
Measure EE went down in a surprisingly wide defeat on Tuesday, June 4th. The measure which would have levied a 16 cent per square foot property tax on all residential and commercial properties in the LAUSD District needed a 2/3 super majority to pass. Instead, it failed to gain even a simple majority, attracting approximately […]
Property Taxes May Increase – Measure EE
Measure EE Overview On June 4th voters will go to the polls to decide an issue that has potential to impact the real estate industry, Measure EE. Measure EE’s text reads as follows: To retain/attract quality teachers; reduce class sizes; provide counseling/nursing/library services, arts, music, science, math, preschool, vocational/career education, safe/well-maintained schools, adequate instructional materials/supplies; […]
What Fiduciary Duties do Agents Owe Clients and Others?
Real estate agents and brokers in California have a fiduciary duty to act in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the client. A fiduciary duty encompasses several obligations, among them: the duties of care, loyalty, honesty, accounting, and obedience. This article will discuss what is meant by each of those obligations, […]
How to Protect Yourself from Procuring Cause Claims
Overview The law as to who is the “procuring cause” of a real estate sale is one of the most complicated and common legal issues impacting both real estate agents and their clients. The purpose of procuring cause law is to reward an agent who initiated an uninterrupted chain of events that lead to a […]
Kids Never Killed Kids on Leave it to Beaver
I need your help!! I hope you are as passionate about reading this as I was about writing it. I need your help. I’d like to spread the word so please share, forward, like, post, comment, whatever. Just tell everyone. I’m a Dad and I’m freaking out.









