Garcia Legal, A Professional Corporation

06/18/2026

Good news for the real estate industry....

The pending-home sales index, a leading indicator of house sales based on contract signings, rose 3.8% on month to 76.8. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 1% increase.

06/10/2026

Spring home sales have started rising a bit late this year, but still they are increasing as we enter the Summer months....

Easing mortgage rates and an increase in inventory lured back buyers, boosting sales 3.2% for the month.

04/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/PacificLegalFoundation/posts/pfbid06QKGif4c5qNp9GbnPkpdahie6zdyDcid8ehRs8QDENvXPrSUNiy7M7VZ5e3nPYgBl

BREAKING: The California Supreme Court just unanimously ruled that the California Coastal Commission unlawfully overrode a county-approved building permit — one of the most significant checks on the Commission's power in the 40 years since Nollan v. California Coastal Commission.

Shear Development bought eight residential lots in Los Osos in 2003 and built infrastructure with county approval to build homes in two phases. San Luis Obispo County approved the phase-two permits in 2017. Then the California Coastal Commission came sniffing around.

The Commission claimed jurisdiction based on an illustration buried in a county area plan, not the official designated maps that the Local Coastal Program actually requires. For half a century, the Commission has stretched its authority past its legal limits.

Today, a unanimous California Supreme Court enforced the limits of the California Coastal Commission’s power. The court affirmed our long-held position that the Coastal Commission cannot simply decide to reinterpret legislation based on its own whims.

04/14/2026

Homeowner Association (HOA) fees are a big part of the push keeping homes from being affordable. The problem is especially acute in situations where past boards have not managed the association's finances effectively, preferring lower monthly fees to proper budgeting, with the result that many associations have inadequate reserves for things like roof replacement, painting, and other common area maintenance. It is estimated that as many as 95% of associations nationwide are under-reserved, so that when an expense arises, associations must levy a special assessment or greatly increase dues. Rising insurance costs have also contributed to the crisis. While the national average for HOA fees is $430, in California, they tend to be much higher. This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses the problem:

Monthly costs of homeowners associations have jumped 26% since 2019. Owners can also be hit with special fees for large repairs.

04/03/2026

Nick Frietas, a Virginia Legislator and podcaster, weighs in on how government housing policies are discouraging people from having children. He's not wrong....

https://fb.watch/GfsIwdwOMD/

01/03/2026

High HOA Fees, difficulty in getting a loan due to high insurance rates and underfunded maintenance accounts, and aging buildings all lead to a fall in the condo market now and into 2026....

Condo prices this fall posted their biggest declines since 2012, hit by rising homeowner-association dues and weaker demand.

11/23/2025

IS THE RECENT SPIKE IN REFINANCING MAKING PURCHASE MORTGAGES MORE EXPENSIVE?

Borrowers are moving faster to secure lower rates, but there are consequences for the mortgage market.

11/21/2025

Housing rebounds on lower interest rates...

Falling mortgage rates spurred more activity in the beleaguered housing market, with sales moving higher for the second consecutive month.

10/03/2025

There's an old saying that the thing about real estate is they aren't making it anymore. That's true, except where it's not. Here, the earth "makes" more surface area, and then takes some back, in a process called "pistoning"

USGS REPORT Sep 29: Episode 33 lava fountaining ended on September 19. Glow from both north and south vents was observed overnight, with nine overflows from ...

09/23/2025

This, together with home title theft, is becoming an increasing problem across America....