The New Year is upon us! Both 2019 & the Year of the Pig is now underway, and we hope that you have enjoyed a great, re-energized start to the year. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, we have been hard at work developing new initiatives that will help further advance our mission of providing an outstanding client experience while delivering excellent legal services. In our first newsletter of 2019, we are delighted to provide some useful real estate law resources and to give a sneak peek of what we’ve been up to already this year.

Highlights in this month’s issue:

• Learn about brand new real estate forms and changes to existing forms that were released in December 2018 by the California Association of REALTORS®
• Read recent blog articles about the new housing laws in Redwood City and about the rules & expectations during mediation
• See photos & information from our recent presentations to various groups in the community
• Catch up on news updates about the firm, including speaking engagements, significant case resolutions, leadership positions, and more
• Watch the video replay and download the slides from our recent webinar about saving real estate transactions that are at risk of falling apart

 

We hope you enjoy reading the Winter 2019 edition of our real estate law newsletter!

 

New & Revised Forms from the California Association of REALTORS®

In December 2018, the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) released two new forms that brokers and real estate agents can use to simplify their operations. In addition, several CAR forms were revised or modified. These changes, which range from technical to substantial, impact how real estate transactions are conducted. More new forms and revisions are expected by the Summer of 2019, and we will be sure to provide an update on those changes as well! Learn about the new forms & changes by clicking the button below, or clicking the names of the individual forms.

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New Forms:

• Pre-Occupancy Storage Addendum (POSA)
• Summary of Offer – RIPA (SUM-RIPA)

 

Revised Forms (Landlord & Tenant):

• Bed Bug Disclosure Form (BBD)
• Tenant Flood Hazard Disclosure (TFHD)
• Residential Lease (LR)

 

Revised Forms (Real Estate Transactions):

• Confidentiality & Non-Disclosure Agreement (CML-CNDA)
• Homeowner Association Information Request (HOA-IR)
• Receipt for Reports (RFR)
• Seller Response & Buyer Reply to Request for Repair (RRRR)
• Seller Multiple Counter Offer (SMCO)
• Single Party Compensation Agreement (SP)
• Residential Listing Agreement (RLA)
• Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA)

 

 

 

 

 

How Will the New Housing Laws in Redwood City Impact You?

The City Council in Redwood City recently approved new rental laws that impact landlords & tenants. These new laws are related to minimum lease terms and relocation assistance. It is important for landlords and property managers to understand the many levels of laws that impact their investment units. Attorney Lorena Roel writes about the new laws in her most recent blog article.

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

What To Expect During Real Estate Law Mediation

The vast majority of real estate disputes are resolved through a process called mediation. However, people often have misconceptions about the mediation process, such as how it works and who “wins” or “loses” in mediation. Simon Offord provides an in-depth look at the mediation process — how it works, what it means, and what you can expect — in his most recent blog article.

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SAMCAR Central Tour Meeting

Attorneys Lorena Roel & Adam L. Pedersen spoke at the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) Central Tour Meeting on January 22nd. The topic of the presentation was new laws impacting the real estate community, and important trends for 2019.

California Lawyers Association

Director of Marketing Clayton Dodds was a featured presenter at the California Lawyers Association (CLA) winter leadership meeting in San Francisco on February 1st, speaking as the vice chair of the Law Practice Management & Technology section of CLA.

Keller Williams – Silicon Valley

Attorney Simon Offord gave a presentation to the Silicon City branch of Keller Williams on Thursday, February 7th. He spoke about disclosures in real estate transactions, and non-contingent offers.

 

 

• In the last few weeks, attorneys Adam L. Pedersen & Simon Offord have settled several deposit disputes involving home developers in Alameda & Santa Clara counties. The settlements aided buyers in getting out of builder- & developer-friendly purchase contracts, and resulted in buyers recovering large portions of their deposits (and in some cases, entire deposit amounts), with a combined value of approximately $100k
• Simon Offord gave a presentation about new real estate laws and trends for 2019 at the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) combined tour meeting on January 8th
• Office Manager Jessica Urioste, in her capacity as the Vice President of Membership for the Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (SCCoLPA), attended a workshop about immigration law and its implications, presented by the bright & charismatic Kristin Love Boscia, Esq.
• Ashlee D. Gonzales spoke at the Keller Williams — Silicon City Inaugural Chairman’s Award Breakfast in Milpitas on January 17th about new and revised CAR forms
• Lorena Roel & Adam L. Pedersen successfully secured a $170k settlement for a buyer-client, through a lengthy mediation of a Northern California non-disclosure dispute concerning substantial defects with the property
• Simon Offord obtained a six-figure judgment in a commercial unlawful detainer action in Sacramento County
• Ashlee D. Gonzales attended the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) Installation Dinner at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club on January 17th
• Director of Marketing Clayton Dodds attended the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® (SCCAOR) Installation Dinner on January 24th, and was introduced as the 2019 vice chair of the SCCAOR Foundation Board of Directors
• Simon Offord negotiated a settlement regarding a substantial water leak in a condominium in Santa Clara County
• Adam L. Pedersen & Simon Offord resolved several buyer-side non-disclosure disputes, securing favorable settlements with a combined value of over $120k in San Jose, Redding, and Chico
• Ashlee D. Gonzales spoke at the January 28th Mastermind Meeting at Meriwest Mortgage about legal techniques for saving deals that are in peril of falling apart
• Adam L. Pedersen gave a presentation about non-contingent offers & deposit disputes to the Century 21 – Campbell office on January 30th and the Century 21 – San Jose office on January 31st
• Simon Offord negotiated a settlement in a deposit dispute, resulting in the client retaining a large majority of the deposit from a multi-million dollar property in Saratoga
• Ashlee D. Gonzales successfully resolved a co-ownership dispute by getting the property listed and into contract for sale in the San Jose area
• Peter N. Brewer & Clayton Dodds attended the executive committee meeting for the Law Practice Management & Technology section of the California Lawyers Association on February 2nd in San Francisco
• Simon Offord resolved two partition actions, one in San Mateo County and one in Los Angeles County
• Ashlee D. Gonzales successfully settled 2 familial unlawful detainer actions in Alameda and Santa Clara County, representing the landlords in both situations