What Condo Associations Need to Know About Fannie Mae’s Reserve Changes — and California’s AB 2050
Condominium associations are facing increasing pressure to strengthen their reserve funding, driven by both lending standards and potential legislation. Fannie Mae is considering raising its minimum reserve contribution requirement from 10% to 15% of an association’s annual budget—a 50% increase that could directly affect mortgage eligibility for buyers. Communities that fail to meet these thresholds may see reduced […]
New ‘Community Association Update Newsletter’ – Issue 57
In case you missed it, Issue # 57 of our ‘Community Association Update’ newsletter is available now! Topics covered in this issue include: AB 1410 – Speech on Social Media; Room Rentals; Enforcement During Emergencies AB 1738 – EV Charging Stations in Existing Multi-Family Developments SB 897 – Accessory Dwelling Units Artus v. Gramercy Towers […]
How to Direct Questions from Potential Homebuyers
Since COVID-19, followers of the real estate market may have noticed that the housing market is currently booming. There are not as many sellers as there are buyers, so the competition to obtain a buyer’s dream home is through the roof. Many of these potential buyers are looking to buy their next home within a […]
Navigating DFEH Investigations And Complaints
Homeowner and tenant complaints filed with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) are on the rise and are increasingly lodged against Associations, Boards, and management companies. The complaints are generally directly filed with the DFEH on a variety of grounds, but occasionally involve certain fair housing claims that are referred to the department […]
What to Do if There is HOA Slope Movement/Failure
Southern California is known for the warm weather, relaxing atmosphere, and in certain cases, picturesque Homeowners Associations (HOA) situated high enough to see the ocean. However, what happens when those picture-perfect HOAs have a slope movement/failure? What should the Board of Directors (Board) do? Slope Maintenance Slopes within an HOA development are usually maintained by […]
SB 9 Signed! Statewide Re-zoning of Single-Family Neighborhoods & Urban Parcel Splits
*New Legislation Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) was recently signed into law making revisions to the California Government Code effective January 1, 2022. This bill is touted as a major step in California’s efforts to address the housing crisis by re-zoning single family lots to allow for duplexes and more. Below is an overview of […]
Megan’s Law HOA Disclosures Regarding Registered Sex Offenders – Proceed with Caution!
Megan’s Law is a federal law that permits authorities to release information about registered sex offenders (“Registered Offender”). California has a database of Registered Offenders available for public viewing on the internet (see www.meganslaw.ca.gov). Searches can be done by a Registered Offender’s name, or by city, zip or within a predetermined radius of a selected […]
Addressing Neighbor-to-Neighbor Disputes
Neighbor-to-neighbor disputes are on the rise. These types of homeowner conflicts are typically characterized as governing document violation complaints that are personality conflicts between neighboring homeowners rather than legitimate concerns that impact the Association and its membership more broadly. Refereeing these squabbles can quickly become burdensome and costly for an Association and its volunteer Board […]
AB 1885 – Debtor Exemptions: Homestead Exemption
The homestead exemption protects the value of a homeowner’s primary residence in the event of a bankruptcy. Specifically, it provides that a specified portion of equity in a homestead is exempt from execution to satisfy a judgment debt. Existing state law prescribes that the amount of this homestead exemption is $75,000 for single homeowners, $100,000 […]
Pickleball Installation
*Asked & Answered Asked – Several members of our association have requested that we convert a portion of our common area into a pickleball court. Does your office recommend moving forward with the installation? Answered – Generally, no. For those who may not know, pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping […]