A California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) primer
Understand the steps required for a CEQA review of a proposed project — and when a project is exempt.
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Category: Laws and Regulations
No more unsolicited offers on homes lost in LA wildfires
A new law prohibits investors and their agents from swooping in after a fire and submitting offers to homeowners who have not yet marketed their property for sale.
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Homeowners insurance and wildfires
California legislation has evolved to provide more certainty of payment on claims made by property owners with coverage for wildfires.
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Form-of-the-Week: Modification of Representation Agreement and Release and Cancellation of Employment Agreement — Forms 120 and 121
After entering into a representation agreement with a client, an agent uses the Modification of Representation Agreement to change the terms of the employment without canceling it and to terminate the authorization to represent, an agent uses the Release and Cancellation of Representation Agreement.
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Real estate photography as advertised
New legislation mandates transparency in real estate photography by requiring labels for digitally manipulated images used in advertising and promotion.
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Environmental disclosures big and small
New legislation mandates disclosure of tobacco and nicotine products as a common environmental hazard.
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Homeowners insurance payouts to increase following a state of emergency
A new law holds insurers to higher standards when responding to homes destroyed resulting from a state of emergency.
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New law pushes ADUs as housing following the LA wildfires
A new law is wresting control from the Coastal Commission on ADUs.
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Builder controlled CC&R modifications to allow new housing
What earlier developers did in their CC&Rs, today’s home developer can now undo.
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FARM: Competitively pricing your home
Use this firsttuesday FARM Letter in your marketing. To request a FARM letter topic, or to see a...
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DRE Bulletin Digest: Fall 2025
The Fall 2025 Real Estate Bulletin examines statistics from the California Department of Real Estate’s last fiscal year regarding their activities.
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The builder self-remedy for housing development
Developers are using the builder’s remedy as a workaround for restrictive local zoning ordinances.
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Modern mandatory appliances for tenants
New legislation mandates a working stove and refrigerator for residential units available for rent or lease.
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More lenient owner-occupancy requirements for JADUs
Legislatures hope relaxed junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) regulations will translate to more developer interest.
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Mortgage forbearance for homeowners affected by 2025 wildfires
Homeowners affected by the LA wildfires are now assured access to mortgage forbearance programs under a new law.
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New legal bar to foreclosing on long-time nonperforming second mortgages
A new law provides property owners additional defenses against servicers of old, “zombie mortgages.”
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Increased renter’s tax credit
The renter’s tax credit will increase significantly beginning for tax year 2026.
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Your fee agreement, a purchase agreement, the breaching buyer
Follow the steps of a buyer agent from representation agreement to closing on a buyer’s acquisition of property and recognize a buyer’s breach of the purchase agreement.
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Landlords allow tenant options for internet providers or pay up
Landlords may not mandate the use of a specific internet service provider without allowing tenants to opt out.
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Density bonus zoning loopholes are for housing
Density bonus laws enable developers to increase density beyond what local zoning regulations allow, while increasing the number of subsidy-free housing for low- and moderate-income households.
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