Residential
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July 10, 2025
Judge Preserves Mertitage Stucco Defect Coverage Claims
A Texas federal judge largely sided with Meritage Homes in a lawsuit to force AIG to cover $11 million paid out to hundreds of homeowners that complained of construction defects on stucco homes in Texas and Florida.
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July 10, 2025
Mass. Tax Panel Rejects Effort To Cut $1.45M Condo Value
The owner of a Massachusetts condo unit failed to present adequate evidence to lower its assessment of $1.45 million, the state's Appellate Tax Board said in an opinion released Thursday, rejecting the owner's comparable sales analyses.
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July 10, 2025
HUD Will Speed Up FHA Refinancing For Senior Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development started a new program that aims to speed up Federal Housing Administration-insured refinancing for residential care facilities such as skilled nursing homes, HUD announced Thursday.
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July 09, 2025
Zombie Buildings, Conversions And Booming Office CMBS
While office distress hovers at all-time highs, securitized commercial mortgages for trophy office properties are surging, and a spate of New York City office-to-residential conversions are breathing new life into empty buildings.
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July 09, 2025
Mayer Brown Adds Amherst Group GC To Real Estate Group
Mayer Brown announced Wednesday that it added a real estate and private equity expert to the firm's Los Angeles office, who joins the firm as partner following stints at The Amherst Group and Nuveen Real Estate.
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July 09, 2025
Fortune, Blue Road JV Secures $73M Fla. Condo Tower Loan
Fortune International Group and Blue Road landed a $73.3 million construction loan to build a 16-story short-term rental condominium tower in North Miami Beach, relying in part on funding from the EB-5 visa program, according to a Wednesday announcement.
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July 09, 2025
Mich. High Court Affirms Short-Term Rental Deed Restrictions
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a private Lake Michigan community's rules bar local property owners from using their lots as short-term rentals.
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July 09, 2025
Most Claims Tossed In $60M Mortgage Loan Sale Fraud Case
Western Alliance Bank and others have escaped several claims in a $60 million suit accusing them of conducting a mortgage loan sale scheme to steal an investment management firm's property rights in the loans and their proceeds.
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July 09, 2025
King & Spalding Advises $226M Sunbelt Resi Deal
King & Spalding guided Slate Asset Management's $226.5 million purchase of a six-property portfolio of multifamily assets across key Sunbelt markets from ZMR Capital, the alternative investment management platform announced.
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July 08, 2025
Wells Fargo Seeks Dismissal Of COVID-19 Mortgage Suit
Wells Fargo said a North Carolina woman's claims that the bank forced the short sale of her home by denying her forbearance on her mortgage as mandated under federal law at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic should be dismissed for several reasons, including that the short sale never actually occurred.
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July 08, 2025
Former Homeowners Land Cert. In Ill. Property Tax Sale Suit
An Illinois federal court has certified a class of Cook County residents who were stripped of excess equity when their residential properties were sold to recoup property taxes, overriding county objections that homeowners should have to litigate cases individually.
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July 08, 2025
Insurer Fights Coverage For $13M Townhome Arbitration Row
An insurer told a Washington federal court it has no duty to defend or indemnify a developer facing a nearly $13 million arbitration demand from a construction lender, which claims the developer misrepresented the completion of underground facilities at a Seattle townhome project while requesting funds for the work.
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July 08, 2025
Tax Court Says IRS Offer In $57M Easement Case Isn't Binding
A settlement offer the Internal Revenue Service said it mistakenly made to a partnership after rejecting its $57 million conservation easement deduction is not binding, the U.S. Tax Court said Tuesday, declining the partnership's request to enforce the deal.
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July 08, 2025
4 Firms Guide BlackRock's ElmTree Acquisition Deal
BlackRock Inc. will acquire net lease real estate investment firm ElmTree Funds, which oversees $7.3 billion worth of assets as of March 31, in a deal guided by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP, Sidley Austin LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, BlackRock announced.
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July 08, 2025
NY Developer Accuses Atty, Others Of $3M Investment Fraud
A New York developer and his business have filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing several companies, a law firm and others of defrauding him out of more than $3 million in an investment fraud scheme, saying they made false promises of "extraordinary returns" from purportedly monetizing certain letters of credit.
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July 08, 2025
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Bleakley Platt and Waxman Law are among the law firms that helped with the largest New York City real estate deals that became public last week, with a nine-figure Queens trade leading the way.
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July 08, 2025
NYC Seeks To Keep Broker Fee Ban Over Injunction Ask
New York City told a federal judge that a group of real estate interests, landlords and brokers failed to present a compelling case for blocking a law preventing landlords from passing on broker fees to tenants less than a month after the provision took effect.
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July 08, 2025
Michigan Halts Construction Code Rollout Amid Builders' Suit
Michigan has paused the implementation of a new residential construction code after homebuilders filed lawsuits claiming the adoption of the code violated state law and would drive up the price of homes.
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July 07, 2025
4th Circ. Revives SC Builder's Bid For Condo Repair Coverage
A Charleston builder will get a second chance at recouping the money it spent repairing a condo complex that flooded after the Fourth Circuit on Monday partially vacated a pretrial win favoring its insurer, finding there are still unanswered questions about whether certain costs might be covered under its policy.
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July 07, 2025
Colo. Church, Town Settle Zoning Dispute Over Homeless Aid
Castle Rock, Colorado, and a church located within the town have agreed to dismiss a suit that challenged the use of zoning regulations to prevent the church from allowing homeless families to park RVs and trailers in its parking lot.
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July 07, 2025
PHH Mortgage Loan Officers Urge NJ Court To Halt Calif. Deal
A California state court's decision to preliminarily approve a settlement in a case against PHH Mortgage would prevent California mortgage loan officers from pursuing their claims in their New Jersey federal court proceedings, two California workers told the New Jersey court.
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July 07, 2025
Maine Authorizes Task Force To Explore Property Tax Changes
Maine authorized the creation of a task force to explore the need for legislation and constitutional amendments to provide more effective property tax relief for residents under a bill signed by the governor.
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July 07, 2025
Fla. Condo Says Chubb Insurer Lowballed Hurricane Claim
A nonprofit Florida condominium owner is urging a federal court to reject a Chubb subsidiary's final summary judgment bid against the nonprofit's hurricane coverage suit, arguing that the insurer offered only $23,801 for property damage that eventually resulted in the nonprofit receiving an award of more than $7.2 million.
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July 07, 2025
Ga. Property Owner, Insurer Settle Burst Pipe Coverage Suit
A property owner and its insurer have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which the owner alleged it should have received coverage under a more than $30 million policy despite the insurer receiving late notice of property damage caused during a 2022 winter freeze.
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July 03, 2025
NY Co. Looks To Halt Arbitration Over $280M Loan Deal
A New York real estate company has sued an Australian finance broker in federal court, seeking emergency relief to halt an ongoing $11.2 million arbitration in Singapore stemming from an allegedly fraudulent scheme related to a $280 million loan for a luxury condo project in Tribeca.

Nashville Owners Must Face The Music As Tax Burden Surges
Property owners in Nashville are facing greater tax burdens in light of a recent jump in property valuations. Burr & Forman partner John F. Rogers Jr., a veteran real estate attorney in the city, spoke recently with Law360 Real Estate Authority about the market's evolution and how he is advising clients on approaching these latest financial developments.

As Senior Housing Evolves, Zoning Plays Catch-Up
Developing senior housing projects includes a number of unique legal complexities, according to land use attorneys. Zoning codes don’t always reflect modern senior housing, and projects must sometimes overcome community opposition. In response to a growing need, some cities and states are encouraging denser senior housing development.

Which Inning Is The Sunbelt Residential Boom In?
Real estate executives often take to the baseball analogy in describing cycles, and one favorite pastime is to offer up an opinion on which inning the sector is in.
Expert Analysis
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A Look At Trump Admin's Shifting Strategies To Curtail CFPB
The Trump administration has so far carried out its goal of minimizing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority and footprint via an individualized approach comprising rule rollbacks, litigation moves and administrative tools, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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Rocket Mortgage Appeal May Push Justices To Curb Classes
Should the U.S. Supreme Court agree to hear Alig v. Rocket Mortgage, the resulting decision could limit class sizes based on commonality under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Evidence as opposed to standing under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, say attorneys at Carr Maloney.
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Fla. Condo Law Fix Clarifies Control Of Common Areas
Florida's repeal of a controversial statutory provision that permitted developers of mixed-use condominium properties to retroactively assert control over common facilities marks a critical shift in legal protections for unit owners and associations, promoting fairness, transparency and accountability, say attorneys at Pardo Jackson.
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EDNY Ruling May Limit Some FARA Conspiracy Charges
Though the Eastern District of New York’s recent U.S. v. Sun decision upheld Foreign Agents Registration Act charges against a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, its recognition of an affirmative legislative policy to exempt some officials may help defendants charged with related conspiracies, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs
The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
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The State Of Play In Copyright Protection For Floor Plans
With questions over copyright protections for floor plans potentially teed up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys in the real estate industry should take steps to clarify and strengthen clients' rights and reduce the risk of litigation, says Dylan I. Scher at Quinn Emanuel.
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Florida Case Could Redefine Construction Defect Damages
If a Florida appellate court overturns the trial court in a pending construction contract dispute, the state could experience a seismic shift in construction defect damages, effectively leaving homeowners and developers with an incomplete remedy, says Andrew Gold at Akerman.
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Texas Bill Could Still Boost Property Rights In Gov't Disputes
The passage of a bill in Texas that would provide litigants with access to a greater swath of judicial remedies in immunity disputes with government entities and officials would be an invaluable boon for property rights, says Nathan Vrazel at Munsch Hardt.
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Va.'s Altered Surcharge Law Poses Constitutional Questions
Virginia's recently amended consumer protection law requiring sellers to display the total price rather than expressly prohibiting surcharges follows New York's recent revision of its antisurcharge statute and may raise similar First Amendment questions, says attorneys at Stinson.
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Ore. High Court Ruling Widens Construction Defect Coverage
A recent Oregon Supreme Court decision, Twigg v. Admiral Insurance, dispels the myth that a contractor's liability for defective work is uninsurable if pursued as a breach of contract, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.
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Spoliation Of Evidence Is A Risky And Shortsighted Strategy
Destroying self-incriminating evidence to avoid a large judgment may seem like an attractive option to some defendants, but it is a shortsighted strategy that affords the nonspoliating party potentially case-terminating remedies, and support for a direct assault on the spoliator’s credibility, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.
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In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Operating Via Bank Charter Offers Perks Amid Industry Shift
As bank regulators become more receptive to streamlining barriers that have historically stood in the way of de novo bank formation, and as fintechs show more interest in chartering, attorneys at Goodwin outline the types of charters available and their benefits.