Residential
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October 31, 2024
Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot
Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.
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October 30, 2024
Mortgage Co. Says Pension Fund Can't Jump In To Lead Suit
Rocket Companies Inc. has told a Michigan federal judge to reject a renewed class certification bid in a shareholder suit accusing the mortgage business of concealing a downturn in loan volume, arguing that the pension fund trying to take over as lead plaintiff is inadequate to represent the proposed class, among other things.
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October 30, 2024
Realtor.com's Parent Can Amend Costar Claims, Judge Rules
A federal judge has ruled that Realtor.com's parent company can amend two claims alleging its rival Costar unlawfully accessed its computers but that it would not be limited in its Computer Fraud and Abuse Act claim to arguing that it suffered "technological harms."
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October 30, 2024
Essex Warns Calif. Rent Control Prop Will Hurt Resi Supply
Essex Property Trust executives voiced concerns Wednesday that a California ballot measure that would give cities free rein to impose rent control would "dramatically restrict" residential construction.
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October 30, 2024
NYC Officials Hit With Suit Over 'Homeless Sweeps'
New York City residents without homes and a legal services nonprofit brought class claims against the city, Mayor Eric Adams, the police commissioner and the heads of multiple government departments over so-called "homeless sweeps" that they say are unconstitutional.
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October 30, 2024
Real Estate Tax Ballot Initiatives To Watch
Next week, voters in seven states will be weighing in on a variety of real estate tax ballot initiatives, including various measures that would provide additional property tax relief to veterans.
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October 30, 2024
Real Estate Dealmakers Rush To Close, Others Await Election
Attorneys advising on real estate deals and real estate companies working on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets say some dealmakers are rushing to close, while others are holding off until after the election.
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October 30, 2024
Nonprofit Says Wash. Gov't Mortgage Program Discriminatory
A nonprofit group aimed at "overcoming identity politics" has told a Washington federal court that a state government mortgage loan program is unconstitutional, as it only serves specific racial groups in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
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October 30, 2024
Polsinelli Continues Philly Growth With 2nd Oct. Hire
Polsinelli PC grew its recently opened Philadelphia office with the addition of a real estate attorney who returns to private practice after providing in-house counsel for a commercial real estate subsidiary of Blackstone.
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October 30, 2024
How The Election Could Shift Enviro Real Estate Practices
At the end of a transformative presidential term for environmental real estate issues spanning from the group of chemicals known as PFAS, to clean energy, to flood mapping, real estate attorneys are poised for potentially major disruption when a new U.S. president takes office in January.
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October 30, 2024
NY Construction Exec Avoids Jail For Commercial Bribery
A construction executive dodged jail time Wednesday after pleading guilty in New York state court to his role in a sprawling bribery scheme involving $100 million in contracts linked to New York high-rise buildings.
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October 30, 2024
Miami Rep Keeps Affordable Housing, Condos Top Of Mind
As pressure on Florida real estate in recent years has forced the state legislature to take a more active role, Rep. Vicki Lopez has emerged as a key figure working on several major policy efforts regarding Floridians' homes.
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October 30, 2024
Walker & Dunlop CEO Says GSEs Must 'Get Back To Business'
Government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to get out of conservatorship and regain for-profit motivations so they can innovate and grow, Walker & Dunlop CEO Willy Walker told Law360 Real Estate Authority in an interview.
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October 29, 2024
Republic First Bank Discriminated Before It Failed, NJ Says
New Jersey authorities said Tuesday that they have concluded that the former Republic First Bank redlined local communities of color in the state in the years before it failed, findings they have taken up with the bank's receiver, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
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October 29, 2024
DR Horton Cites Homebuying Slowdown In Q4 Results
Homebuilder D.R. Horton said in announcing fourth-quarter results Tuesday that it expects it will need to keep offering incentives to homebuyers faced with still-high interest rates and low supply, as the company reported a drop in home sales in 2024 compared to a year prior.
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October 29, 2024
Front Office Sports Sued For Using Luxury Real Estate Photos
Private equity-backed media outlet Front Office Sports is accused of unlawfully using luxury real estate photos online without permission, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.
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October 28, 2024
Realtor.com Owner, CoStar Debate CFAA's Limits In Theft Suit
An attorney for Costar urged a California federal judge Monday to reconsider a tentative ruling that would allow Realtor.com's parent company to amend a Computer Fraud and Abuse Act claim alleging its rival unlawfully accessed its computers, saying the company should be limited to arguing it suffered "technological harms."
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October 28, 2024
Helene Aftermath Spurs Climate-Related Eviction Ban Debate
As tenant advocates push for an eviction moratorium in Hurricane Helene-ravaged western North Carolina, their efforts mirror those in a few localities that have implemented their own disaster-related eviction policies and may portend future advocacy on the federal level.
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October 28, 2024
Law Prof Calls Out Atty Fees, Workarounds In NAR Deal
A University at Buffalo Law School professor on Monday urged a federal judge to reject the National Association of Realtors' $1 billion settlement in an antitrust class action, arguing the deal only serves to enrich lawyers in the case while allowing an anticompetitive system to continue.
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October 28, 2024
Fla. Condo Sues Flood Insurer Over Undervalued Storm Claim
A Florida condominium association damaged by a 2022 hurricane has alleged its insurance company failed to provide adequate compensation under the terms of a $13 million policy in accordance with its mandate with the National Flood Insurance Program.
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October 28, 2024
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Gibson Dunn and Seyfarth Shaw are among the law firms that steered the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a list headlined by a pair of Brooklyn deals above the $200 million mark.
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October 28, 2024
Joint Venture Buys New Conn. Apartment Complex For $110M
Marcus & Millichap affiliate IPA Capital Markets said it has secured $110 million in financing to help a joint venture buy two recently completed multifamily properties with a combined 300 units in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
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October 28, 2024
NY Youth Welfare Org Picks Up $4M Bid For 12-Acre Campus
Longtime New York youth mental health services provider St. Christopher's Inc. has received a $4 million bid for its Dobbs Ferry residential campus in a Chapter 11 auction.
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October 28, 2024
Tenn. ALJ Boosts Home's Tax Value By A Third
A Tennessee administrative law judge boosted a home's tax value by more than one-third after siding with a local assessor's office that brought a counterclaim against an appeal by the home's owners, who sought a lower figure.
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October 25, 2024
SEC Wants PE Firm's 'Fishing Expedition' Claims Paused
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a Texas federal judge to pause a real estate-focused private equity fund's suit alleging that the regulator subjected it to an unconstitutional "fishing expedition" outside its regulatory purview.
Expert Analysis
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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DOJ Must Overcome Hurdles In RealPage Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent claims that RealPage's pricing software violates the Sherman Act mark a creative, and apparently contradictory, shift in the agency's approach to algorithmic price-fixing that will face several key challenges, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.
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What To Know About CFPB Stance On Confidentiality Terms
A recent circular from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a growing effort across government agencies to address overbroad confidentiality agreements, and gives employers insight into the bureau's perspective on the issue as it relates to the Consumer Financial Protection Act, say Holly Williamson and Elizabeth King at Hunton.
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What's Next For Federal Preemption In Financial Services
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's review of its preemption interpretations and growing pressure from state regulators signal potential changes ahead for preemption in U.S. financial services, and the path forward will likely involve a reevaluation of the entire framework, say attorneys at Clark Hill.
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Increased Scrutiny Raises Int'l Real Estate Transaction Risks
Recently proposed regulations expanding the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' oversight, a White House divestment order and state-level legislative efforts signal increasing scrutiny of real estate transactions that may trigger national security concerns, say Luciano Racco and Aleksis Fernández Caballero at Foley Hoag.
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Financial Incentives May Alleviate Affordable Housing Crisis
There is a wide array of financial incentives and assistance that the government can provide to both real estate developers and individuals to chip away at the housing affordability problem from multiple angles, say Eric DeBear and Madeline Williams at Cozen.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority
Recent measures by Portland, Oregon, that expand the voter-approved scope of the Clean Energy Surcharge on certain retail sales eviscerate the common meaning of the word "retail" and exceed the city's chartered authority to levy tax, say Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig and Jeff Newgard at Peak Policy.
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The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar
The importance of federal preemption for financial institutions will only increase as technology-driven innovations evolve, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America and vacatur of Kivett v. Flagstar Bank have real modern-day significance for national banks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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Assessing The Practicality Of Harris' Affordable Housing Plan
Vice President Kamala Harris' proposed "Build the American Dream" plan to tackle housing affordability issues takes solid recommendations into account and may fare better than California's unsuccessful attempt at a similar program, but the scope of the problem is beyond what a three-point plan can solve, says Brooke Miller at Sheppard Mullin.
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RealPage Suit Shows Growing Algorithm, AI Pricing Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Justice's suit against RealPage for helping fix rental rates, filed last week, demonstrates how the use of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools to assist with pricing decisions is drawing increasing scrutiny and action across government agencies, and specifically at the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ, say Andre Geverola and Leah Harrell at Arnold & Porter.
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What To Expect From Evolving Wash. Development Plans
The current round of periodic updates to Washington counties' growth and development plans will need to address new requirements from recent legislation, and will also likely bring changes that should please property owners and developers, says Jami Balint at Seyfarth.