Gone are the days of minimal or delayed property disclosures.
Natural hazard disclosures and the seller’s agent
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Real Estate Principles
Prepare for the most critical issues you’ll encounter in your first years of practice.
Stay current on the latest news, videos, forms, and updates for Real Estate Principles.
Recent updates to the course e-book
- Effective January 1st, 2021, California homeowners qualify for a net equity homestead protection of up to $300,000 or the median sale price for a single family residence (SFR) in the homeowner’s county in the calendar year prior to the year in which they claim the exemption, not to exceed $600,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). [CCP §704.730] For more on this topic, see Form-of-the-Week: Homestead exemption, an asset preservation declaration – Form 465
06/25: The 2025 rules for buyer representation and fee-splitting avoidance are currently being edited into this e-book.
Newly published related content
Redlining practices cost LA-based lender $31 million in settlement
The largest redlining settlement in the Justice Department’s history involved a lender servicing Los Angeles who achieved disproportionately low numbers of mortgages from minority areas.
DRE Hot Seat: When mortgage originations go off the rails, repeatedly
This article is part of an ongoing series covering violations of real estate law. Here, the Department of Real Estate (DRE) revoked the real estate license of a broker who failed to disclose broker compensation received on mortgage origination forms, while also misrepresenting themselves as a lender and not as the buyer’s agent.
Cancellation excuses further performance
When is a buyer or seller entitled to exercise their right to cancel a purchase agreement and escrow instructions?
Help wanted: diversity in real estate appraiser industry
The real estate industry needs diverse representation to reflect its diverse group of clients — appraisers included.
Underwater homes, reduced construction starts spell change for California’s active agent population; Monthly Statistical Update (March 2023)
https://vimeo.com/802054438 The Monthly Statistical Update (MSU) keeps agents and brokers current on the market trends affecting California real estate transactions. This month, we’re covering: the share of California’s mortgaged homes underwater, now inching higher...
Verify seller’s property disclosures: retain a home inspector
How a buyer confirms the disclosure of property conditions – and how the buyer may require the seller to correct defects, adjust the sales price, or recover costs after closing.
The many pitfalls of pocket listings
The risky business of pocket listings are dangerous for sellers, buyers — and brokers.
A home inspection report: the liability shield for a seller’s broker
A home inspection report is used by a seller’s broker to shift the risks of non-disclosure liability in their use of a seller’s Transfer Disclosure Statement.