December 2016 Real Estate Law Newsletter

Joyful and Triumphant

The end of another year is upon us, and 2016 will surely be remembered for many years to come. May we all take this time to reflect on the wonderful memories we made, the incredible relationships we built, the difficult struggles we overcame, and the remarkable happiness that we enjoyed over the past year. Take pride and satisfaction in the victories of the past year, while keeping the mistakes made and the lessons learned in perspective. The promise of new opportunities next year, and the celebration of events from the past year, creates a joyful and triumphant backdrop to the holiday season.

IMPORTANT: Our offices will be closed for the holidays, from December 26th thru January 2nd. From all of us at Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Highlights in this month’s issue:

–Watch a video replay and view/download the slides from our recent webinar about landlord basics in California, presented by attorneys Henry Chuang and Ashlee D. Adkins

–Listen to the podcast of Simon Offord’s appearance on the Brian Copeland radio show

–Read blog articles written by Ashlee D. Adkins & Simon Offord

–Catch up on recent updates from the firm, including speaking engagements, successful judgments, leadership roles, and more

We hope you enjoy reading the December edition of our newsletter!

Calfornia Landlord Webina

The growing technology workforce, and the shrinking availability of homes to purchase, has driven up demand for rental properties. These micro-economic factors have triggered rent amounts to rise to an all-time high. As a result, investors and owners are increasingly renting out residential property to capture value from this lucrative opportunity.

California is a very tenant-friendly state, and landlords should be aware of the numerous issues and potential pitfalls involving residential rental properties. On December 16th, attorneys Henry Chuang and Ashlee D. Adkins presented a free webinar about the basics of being a landlord in California.

The webinar covered several important landlord and tenant topics, including:

  • Deposit Disputes
  • Dispute Resolution Techniques
  • Habitability Issues
  • Leases & Rents
  • and much more

You can watch a video replay of the webinar, as well as view and download the slides, by clicking the button below.

Watch Replay

Simon on KGO 810

On December 20th, attorney Simon Offord appeared as a guest on The Brian Copeland Show on KGO 810. The popular radio talk show is hosted by Brian Copeland, an award-winning actor, comedian, author, and radio personality.

During the real estate clinic, Simon spoke about trends in the Bay Area real estate market and answered questions from callers, along with a panel of local real estate agents.

You can listen to the entire podcast of this month’s show, including Simon Offord’s insights, by clicking the “Listen to Podcast” button below.

Simon on Copeland Show

New Brewer Firm Website

Our firm’s website has gone through many iterations since first coming online way back in 2003. Over the past 13 years, new advances in technology have naturally resulted in changing expectations that users have for websites — everything from layout to functionality to mobile-responsiveness.

To adapt to these constantly evolving standards, the time has finally come for a new look to elevate our website into the future. So, we are thrilled to announce the release of our newly redesigned website!

Version 1.0 of the new site features a number of upgrades, including:

  • Refreshed layout and design
  • Improved site organization, navigation, and structure
  • Mobile-responsive site infrastructure
  • Brand new resource library, jam-packed with excellent real estate law resources
  • Updated attorney and staff bio pages

Additional features, pages, and articles will be published in the coming days, so be sure to check back often!

Check it out at https://www.brewerfirm.com, and tell us what you think!

Visit Website

Ashlee Blog Article

When winter temperatures sweep through the Bay Area, the drop in temperature can create structural issues that cause discomfort for tenants living in rental properties. Landlords are required to maintain a habitable living arrangements, and the definition of “habitable” can change with colder weather. Ashlee D. Adkins provides 5 tips for landlords during the winter months in her most recent blog article.

Read More
Marijuana Commercial Leas

Commissions for the sale of real estate in California are often substantial in value. To secure a commission, brokers on both sides of a transaction are encouraged to get a written agreement specifying the details of the relationship. In his most recent blog article, Simon Offord discusses a California appellate case where a broker missed out on a $900,000 commission because the contract was not in writing.

Read More

DID YOU KNOW?

You can find all of our firm’s published resources in one place on our website!

Access all of our resources, including

  • Past Newsletters
  • Articles
  • E-books
  • Infographics
  • Published Industry Materials
  • And much more!

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Brewer Firm News

  • Peter N. Brewer gave a presentation about the recent Horiike v. Coldwell Banker case at the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) Palo Alto Speaker Series on December 2nd. This final meeting of 2016 concluded Peter’s year-long term serving on the Palo Alto District Council as chair of the tour meeting subcommittee

  • Simon Offord was selected to serve as the 2017 Affiliate Chair for the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) Menlo Park/Atherton District
  • Upon concluding his one-year term as Vice Mayor in 2016, Charlie Bronitsky was selected to serve as the Mayor of Foster City for 2017. This is the second time that Charlie has served as mayor
  • Ashlee D. Adkins successfully assisted a client in satisfying a judgment in full for a San Mateo County loan dispute
  • Charlie Bronitsky enjoyed a three-week cruise through Southeast Asia with his wife Martha
  • Peter N. Brewer and Ashlee D. Adkins obtained a favorable, out-of-court settlement in an easement dispute
  • On December 14th, Clayton Dodds attended the first board meeting of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Bay Area Steering Committee, in his newly elected role as Member-at-Large
  • Charlie Bronitsky celebrated his birthday on December 12th

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