Recent News

Real estate syndications are often built on optimism. Investors gather around a promising apartment acquisition, development opportunity, or value-add project with the expectation that the sponsor will execute the business plan, distribute returns, and communicate clearly along the way. In strong markets, many problems remain hidden beneath rising property values and easy refinancing conditions. When… Read More

In Washington State, when a property owner defaults on a loan secured by a deed of trust, the beneficiary under the deed of trust has many options for enforcement, including, but not limited to, nonjudicial foreclosure, a statutory procedure governed under RCW 61.24 (known as the “Deed of Trust Act” or “DTA”). The DTA enables… Read More

A few years ago, I wrote an article regarding seller financing here. The real estate market in Western Washington has cooled down since then, but nonetheless, opportunities continue to abound for buyers seeking to purchase a home. Unfortunately, sometimes purchasing a home with conventional lending involves too many requirements that certain prospective purchasers cannot meet. Sometimes,… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney Ryan G. Foltz discusses "Seller Disclosure: Permits, Remodels, and the Buyer's Risk When You Don't Dig Deeper" Read More

This may (holding my breath) be my final article about the legal dispute saga between Compass Real Estate and Zillow, which erupted in the summer of 2025. You can find my previous articles regarding this topic here, here, here, here, and here to the extent you wish to have more background on the development of the dispute and the outcome of the… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney William O. Kessler discusses "Selling or Buying a House? Disclosure Traps for the Unwary" Read More

In December of 2025, the Seattle City Council approved an update in zoning regulations, effective on January 21st of this year, permitting certain types of ground-floor retail businesses to operate in residential city blocks. Limitations on the type of businesses include: (1) a size restriction of up to 2,500 square feet; (2) a requirement that the… Read More

Last year, I wrote several articles regarding the push for private listings by Compass Real Estate, and the subsequent legal battle that erupted between Compass and Zillow. These articles can be found here, here, here, and here. In a nutshell, Compass created a private portal for its agents and their clients where they could engage in “pre-marketing”, essentially, testing the… Read More

In an era where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, the law often struggles to keep up. One area where this is particularly evident is the use of video surveillance, such as IP cameras, to monitor neighbors. While video recording your neighbor is not inherently illegal, it can give rise to legal disputes under… Read More