Residential

  • June 04, 2025

    Mo. Appeals Court Upholds City Tax On REIT's Rental Income

    Healthcare real estate investment trust Ventas Inc.'s receipt of rental income earned from four medical office buildings in Kansas City, Missouri, is a business activity subject to the city's earnings tax, the Missouri Court of Appeals ruled, affirming a lower court decision.

  • June 04, 2025

    Boston Condo Owned By LLC Wins Partial Exemption

    A Boston condominium owned by a single-member limited liability company is eligible for a partial tax exemption as a primary residence, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board said in an opinion released Wednesday, reversing the determination of the city board of assessors.

  • June 04, 2025

    Lawmakers Say Recent Rocket Mortgage Deals Need Scrutiny

    A group of lawmakers is calling on antitrust enforcers to scrutinize online mortgage giant Rocket's recent deals for real estate brokerage website Redfin and mortgage company Mr. Cooper over concerns that Rocket is trying to dominate the entire homebuying process.

  • June 04, 2025

    Adviser Sued For Pouring $100M Into Failing Development

    A Florida woman sued her financial adviser in state court Tuesday, claiming he engaged in a yearslong scheme to funnel $100 million of her money into a now-bankrupt mixed-use development project and convinced her to personally guarantee more than $300 million in loans for the project.

  • June 04, 2025

    Mass. Board Upholds Home Value Despite Owner's Claims

    A Massachusetts homeowner's claims of groundwater contamination, nearby illicit activities and noxious odors fell short of the evidence needed to reduce the property's tax valuation, a state board said in an opinion released Wednesday.

  • June 04, 2025

    Ohio Justice Questions School Board's Tax Appeal Claim

    An Ohio justice criticized a school board's claim that state law allows it to appeal administrative property valuation rulings to county courts when the board doesn't own the property at issue.

  • June 04, 2025

    Nashville Mixed-Use Megaproject Wins $25M Early Loan

    Miami-based lender BridgeInvest said it has provided a $25 million loan to refinance and pay for early development costs of a site in Nashville, Tennessee, set to include an apartment tower, luxury condos and an upscale hotel.

  • June 03, 2025

    Prosecutors Take Second Stab At Convicting Dallas Developer

    Federal prosecutors started a second run at convicting a Dallas real estate developer of bribing two city council members, telling a jury during opening arguments Tuesday that the developer had a "silent partnership" with elected officials in exchange for favors.

  • June 03, 2025

    2 Texans, Firm Owe $5.3M In SEC House-Flipping Fraud Suit

    A pair of Texas men and their investment company must give the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nearly $5.3 million to resolve claims they defrauded investors in a house-flipping scheme, misappropriating $2.9 million and misrepresenting that certain property interests would secure certain investor funds.

  • June 03, 2025

    Wash. Judge Clears The Way For Redfin Merger Vote

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday refused to stop Redfin shareholders from voting Wednesday on a $1.75 billion merger with Rocket Cos., finding that with new disclosures made by the company, investors have enough information to make an informed decision.

  • June 03, 2025

    Conn. Real Estate Execs Say Investors Weaponized Courts

    Three executives for a real estate development firm have accused their former business partners in Connecticut Superior Court of weaponizing the courts to lodge "a multi-year, multi-forum legal assault" with "fabricated" claims.

  • June 03, 2025

    Invitation Homes Starts Lending Effort, Buys $100M In Homes

    Invitation Homes said it spent more than $100 million to acquire about 300 newly built single-family homes while it launched a developer lending program with a $32.7 million loan to a Houston homebuilder.

  • June 03, 2025

    Texas Gives Some Property Owners More Time To Pay Taxes

    Some Texas property owners whose taxing authorities allow bills to be paid in two installments will get more time to make their initial payment under legislation signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.

  • June 03, 2025

    Starwood Capital Raises $2.9B For Private Credit Funds

    Starwood Capital Group announced Tuesday that it has closed a series of private credit vehicles focused on the U.S., Europe and Australia after securing a total of $2.86 billion in capital commitments from investors.

  • June 03, 2025

    The Law360 400: A Look At The Top 100 Firms

    A rebound in client work sent the nation’s largest law firms into growth mode last year, driving a wave of hiring, mergers and strategic moves that reshaped the top tier of the Law360 400. Here's a preview of the 100 firms with the largest U.S. attorney headcounts.

  • June 03, 2025

    Text To Sanctions Trial Witness Just An 'Error,' Judge Agrees

    A Manhattan federal judge declined on Tuesday to revoke bail for a businessman accused of helping a Russian banker evade sanctions on assets worth nearly $150 million, after his lawyer said his text to a trial witness was merely a phone flub.

  • June 03, 2025

    Real Estate Lawyers On The Move

    Vedder Price, BakerHostetler and Clifford Chance are among the law firms that have made recent real estate or construction hires.

  • June 02, 2025

    Rocket Cos. Board Beats Investor's $500M Insider Trading Suit

    Delaware's Court of Chancery on Monday dismissed a derivative shareholder suit accusing Rocket Companies Inc.'s board, chairman and controlling stockholder of breaching their fiduciary duties by liquidating $500 million worth of stock allegedly based on material nonpublic information, saying the plaintiffs have failed to show a motive.

  • June 02, 2025

    Budget Bill Would Deepen Residential Solar's Woes

    A Sunnova unit's bankruptcy declaration — the latest among dozens of solar companies that have struggled to stay afloat — adds to evidence of a floundering residential solar industry, which now faces further diminishing prospects under the federal budget reconciliation bill.

  • June 02, 2025

    Landlord To Quit Pricing Software To Escape Antitrust Suit

    William C. Smith & Co. will be stepping out of litigation accusing the company of using property management platform RealPage to conspire with other landlords and fix the price of rentals in the D.C. area, after agreeing to reform its business practices and shell out over $1 million.

  • June 02, 2025

    Seattle Owner Questions Insurer's $8.5M Water Damage Denial

    A Seattle building owner urged a Washington federal court to grant it a partial early win in a coverage dispute over $8.5 million in water damage, telling the court that under state law, none of the four exclusions its insurer cited when denying coverage are applicable to the water intrusion loss.

  • June 02, 2025

    Sacramento County Inks Encampment ADA Settlement

    The county of Sacramento and a proposed class of residents with disabilities told a California federal court on Monday they have reached a tentative deal amid a suit alleging the city and county violated various state and federal laws by allowing homeless encampments to block sidewalks.

  • June 02, 2025

    Squire Patton Boggs Advises US Land Banking Partnership

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP guided Walton Global on a partnership with GoldenTree Asset Management to make investments in lot banking transactions in high-growth U.S. markets.

  • June 02, 2025

    Tax Court Cuts $21M Off Former Ga. Quarry's Deduction Value

    A donated 85-acre land plot in Georgia originally valued at nearly $22 million should have been valued around $193,000, the U.S. Tax Court found Monday, agreeing with the Internal Revenue Service.

  • June 02, 2025

    PG&E, Lenders Hit With Suit Over Solar Panel 'Scheme'

    Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. and several other companies were accused in California federal court of running a "bait-and-switch" scheme in which they saddle homeowners with hidden fees after tricking them into financing solar panel installations through zero-interest loans.

Expert Analysis

  • In The CFPB Playbook: No Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is headed for a brisk fall season, on the heels of a heated summer, which included the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the CFPB funding structure is constitutional, and in advance of the November election, says Eamonn Moran at Holland & Knight.

  • Basel Endgame Rules: A Change Is Coming

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    The Federal Reserve Board's recently announced recalibration of the Basel endgame proposal begins a critical chapter in the evolution of not only the safety and soundness of U.S. banks, but also of banks' abilities to lend and support American businesses and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Reassessing Lease Provisions To Account For ESG Initiatives

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    As companies seek to build ESG considerations into their businesses, it's crucial to understand how such initiatives can quickly become significant enough to compel reassessment of lease agreement provisions, and how best to modify leases accordingly, say Julian Freeman and Gabe Pitassi at Cox Castle.

  • Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight

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    Recently coordinated reports and advisories from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission maximize the spotlight on the consumer solar financing market and highlight pitfalls for lenders to avoid in this burgeoning field, says Mercedes Tunstall at Cadwalader.

  • Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools

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    A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    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.

  • DOJ Must Overcome Hurdles In RealPage Antitrust Case

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    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.

  • What To Know About CFPB Stance On Confidentiality Terms

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    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.

  • What's Next For Federal Preemption In Financial Services

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    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.

  • Increased Scrutiny Raises Int'l Real Estate Transaction Risks

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    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.

  • Financial Incentives May Alleviate Affordable Housing Crisis

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    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.

  • Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority

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    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.

  • The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar

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    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.