New Tax Benefit for Investment Properties

If you own an investment property, I’ve got good news for you. The IRS has a regulation called a partial disposition election. It allows you to immediately benefit from any undepreciated value when you replace a depreciable structural component on your office building or rental property. It also provides tax benefits when you sell the … Read more


Hiring a Realtor to Buy a Home

There’s a new law that requires real estate agents to enter into a contract with anyone they are working with, not just people interested in listing their property for sale. I know I’ve talked about this before, but given how many questions I continue to get, I thought I’d cover it in more detail. REALTORs … Read more


LA Fires and Homeowners’ Insurance

As of this writing on January 14, fires in the Los Angeles Basin have destroyed more than 10,000 structures (threatening another 52,000+) and burned more than 48,000 acres—and that’s just the Eaton and Palisades fires. As a result, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a moratorium preventing insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing homeowner policies … Read more


Navigating Abandoned Property as a Landlord: Rules, Risks, and Realities

If you’re a landlord, what should you do if a tenant leaves personal property behind? While the answer may seem simple—just remove the items and move on—there are specific rules to follow, especially if you want to avoid disputes with former tenants or run afoul of the law. Here’s a guide to handling abandoned property … Read more


Technology requires a human touch

When people become interested in the real estate market, they often start online, perusing one of the myriad digital sites—from databases like Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin to broker and REALTOR websites to media publications. These can be a good place to start, but when you get serious about buying or selling real estate, these online … Read more


Planning for 2025: Identify Problems Early

If you own your home or any investment properties, it’s likely that these are your most valuable assets, so it makes sense to take good care of them. One way to do so is to get periodic inspections, many of the very same ones you got when you first purchased the property. Although some problems … Read more


End-of-year tax deductions

If you are a W2 wage earner, your income doesn’t fluctuate with the ups and downs of your employer’s profitability. As long as the business stays afloat, you get paid. Those of us who own businesses, on the other hand, have good years and bad years. We must shift income between years for tax savings, … Read more


Ready to Make an Offer?

Buying a house can be so exciting. Once you think you’re ready to make an offer, here are some ways to ensure the process goes smoothly. Are you sure this is right for you? Choosing a home requires a balance of intellectual reasoning and emotional attachment. If it’s a smart decision but your heart’s not … Read more


Rules for Homebuyers are Changing

A new rule is on the books, and it improves transparency about who pays what to whom in real estate transactions. Previously, when a REALTOR listed a client’s property for sale, the listing agreement would include a commission, and the REALTOR would promise to give half of the fee to the buyer’s REALTOR. This ensured … Read more