President Trump is scheduled to make a big announcement about his tax plan later this week. No details have been released, but the president's tweets about the announcements have been filled with his trademark superlatives. One thing is for certain. The Trump tax plan will...
There are many pre-closing costs incurred in residential real estate closings. These costs are generally fronted by the title company or the buyer's attorney. If all goes well and closing occurs, the costs are reimbursed. However, too often, something goes wrong and the closing doesn't...
Selecting the right property to buy or lease can be tricky. Every one knows the old adage "location, location, location". Clearly, location is crucial to every one involved in a real estate project from brokerage to development to construction; from lending to investment; from management...
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a working class town, is generally known as an affordable city. Of course, many families struggle, but the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks Pittsburgh among the cities with the highest availability of affordable housing units for rent. Nevertheless, the Pittsburgh City Council...
Ft. Lauderdale is a low lying city. A large percentage of the city lies below 5 feet in elevation. The "higher" elevation is mostly 6 to 10 feet in elevation. Ft. Lauderdale is also a coastal city. Its beach is a barrier island, like all...
Many in the real estate industry were cautiously optimistic following the election of Donald Trump on November 8. For the first time, a real estate titan will occupy the Oval Office and Mr. Trump, it has been argued, will be good for real estate. His...
Voters in Los Angeles approved a measure which will require developers to designate a certain percentage of condominiums and apartments for lower income residents. Known as "Measure JJJ", the new law makes LA the latest in a growing number of cities to adopt inclusionary zoning...
It appears as if the 114th Congress will adjourn without taking action on S. 3237, The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA), a bill proposed in July by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). If passed, the AHCIA would increase production of affordable...
For the first time, the White House has waded into local zoning policy. Because of the role that NIMBY groups play in planning and zoning board decisions, the White House recently published a Housing Development Toolkit of Economic Evidence and Policy Fixes to assist local...
The Federal Home Finance Administration (FHFA) recently announced that it is extending HARP, the Home Affordable Refinancing Program until September 30, 2017. The program, which was set to expire at the end of 2016, has been effect for over 7 years and was created to...