Blog
Strategy, regulation, and the mechanics of California real estate investing.
19 postsPat's SB9 City Guide: The Outcomes-Based Update
Four years of HCD Annual Progress Report data, 78 California cities graded on actual SB9 approvals.…
A San Diego Judge Just Cost One Investor $100K Over an ADU Conversion
A San Diego court ruled HOAs can block ADU conversions in condo complexes despite AB 670. Here's wha…
You Can Now Stack 3 ADUs Plus a JADU on One California Lot
California now allows 3 ADUs plus 1 JADU on many single-family lots. Here's the full math on rents,…
SB 543 Just Killed School Impact Fees on Small ADUs
SB 543 exempts ADUs and JADUs under 500 sqft from school impact fees. Here's how much you save and w…
AI Disclosure Law AB 723: What Investors Must Know About Listing Photos
Starting Jan 2026, CA agents must disclose AI-altered listing photos. Here's what counts, the penalt…
NAR Settlement One Year Later: Why Commissions Haven't Dropped
Buyer's agent commissions are back to 2.43%. The NAR settlement changed nothing for most investors.…
California's Insurance Crisis: How to Adjust Your Pro Forma
Insurance premiums have doubled or tripled in California. Most investor pro formas are wrong. Here's…
OZ vs 1031 Exchange: Which Tax Strategy Wins in 2026
1031 exchanges defer all proceeds but lock you into real estate. OZ funds defer only gains but offer…
OZ 1.0 to OZ 2.0: How to Time Your Capital Gains
OZ 1.0 tracts expire Dec 2026. OZ 2.0 starts Jan 2027 with new census tracts. Here's how to time you…
Opportunity Zones Are Now Permanent: What California Investors Need to Know
The One Big Beautiful Bill made Opportunity Zones permanent. Extended deferral, new rural bonuses, n…
SB 1211: 8 ADUs on a Multifamily Lot Is Now Legal
SB 1211 lets multifamily owners add up to 8 detached ADUs with no parking replacement. Here's how it…
AB 1033: Selling Your ADU as a Condo Changes Everything
AB 1033 lets you sell ADUs as separate condos in opt-in cities. Here's which cities allow it, what i…
Garage Conversion vs Detached ADU: Which One Pencils Better
Garage conversions cost $100K-$130K. Detached ADUs cost $200K-$250K. But detached units return 8.3%…
The ADU Math in LA: Costs, Rents, and When You Break Even
LA ADU construction runs $150-$400/sqft. Rents hit $2,700/mo for a 2-bed. Here's the full pro forma…
SB9 Suspended in Fire Zones: What Investors Need to Know
Executive orders suspended SB9 in CA fire hazard zones through Dec 2026. Here's which areas are affe…
SB9 vs Traditional Subdivision: When to Use Which
SB9 gets you 4 units in 60 days. Traditional subdivision gets unlimited units in 12-24 months. Here'…
SB9 Three Years Later: What Actually Happened
LA approved 237 SB9 units. San Diego approved 7. Here's the real adoption data, what went wrong, and…
SB 450 Closed the Loopholes Cities Used to Block Your Lot Split
Cities stalled SB9 lot splits with fake delays and subjective reviews. SB 450 shut that down. Here's…
SB9 Lot Split in 2026: What It Actually Costs and What You'll Make
SB9 lot splits cost $55K-$75K before construction. Here's the full cost breakdown, timeline, and dea…