Residential

  • October 22, 2025

    2 Firms Help Closer Properties Pick Up $76M NYC Sites

    Closer Properties, advised by Paul Hastings, is acquiring six adjacent property parcels on Manhattan's Upper East Side from W Financial, led by Meister Seelig & Fein, in a $76 million all-cash deal amid plans to build luxury housing on the sites.

  • October 22, 2025

    Ex-NY AGs Say James Case Will Rally Office: 'Fuel To The Fire'

    New York Attorney General Letitia James' criminal prosecution is unlikely to have any significant effect on the day-to-day operations of her office, including its suits against the federal government and an appeal in President Donald Trump's nearly $500 million civil fraud case, but former leaders of the office say it could strengthen the resolve of her staff.

  • October 22, 2025

    Institutional Real Estate Allocations Drop, Rebound Expected

    Institutional investors planned to put less capital toward real estate strategies in 2025 than what they had earmarked the year prior, marking the first time Hodes Weill & Associates and Cornell University have seen such a decline since they began surveying over a decade ago.

  • October 21, 2025

    Tribe's Home Defects Suit Belongs In Arbitration, Judge Told

    Lennar Corp. on Tuesday told a Florida state judge that the Seminole Tribe's lawsuit alleging construction defects in more than 550 homes built for its members must be arbitrated, arguing that purchase agreements contain provisions that require the warranty claims to be resolved out of court. 

  • October 21, 2025

    Apartments.com Operator CoStar Beats Video Privacy Suit

    A Missouri federal judge tossed a proposed class action alleging the operator of Apartments.com unlawfully shared data about the visitors to the rental website, holding that CoStar Realty isn't covered by the federal Video Privacy Protection Act because it's not a videotape business.

  • October 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts Finance Guru's Stance In Timeshare Exit Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel signaled on Tuesday that it's unlikely to force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing celebrity financial planner Dave Ramsey of roping his radio show's listeners into a timeshare exit scheme, with two judges emphasizing that Ramsey's argument hinges on a contract that he never signed.

  • October 21, 2025

    Mich. Court Denies Gov't's Foreclosure Suit Atty Fee Bid

    A Michigan appellate panel on Monday determined governments that foreclose on tax-delinquent properties aren't entitled to attorney fees and expenses racked up during litigation over how the surplus proceeds of the property sale are paid out.

  • October 21, 2025

    NYC Mayor Unveils Jewel Streets Affordable Housing Plan

    New York City's mayor announced on Tuesday plans to improve the Jewel Streets area in Brooklyn and Queens by building 1,400 affordable and mixed-income homes, undertaking a rezoning plan that aims to develop an additional 3,600 homes, and investing $146 million to improve local infrastructure.

  • October 21, 2025

    Ex-Housing Worker Defends $2.3M Hostile Workplace Verdict

    A former homeownership coordinator for the public housing authority in Charlotte, North Carolina, has urged a federal judge to let stand her $2.3 million hostile work environment verdict, saying there was more than enough evidence at trial to support the jury's decision.

  • October 21, 2025

    Arkansas Banks Shoulder Heavy Construction Debt Burden

    Several of the nation's most highly leveraged construction lenders are Arkansas banks, as state regulators have greenlighted construction debt levels of more than 10% of total assets at a trio of institutions, according to an investigation by Law360 Real Estate Authority.

  • October 21, 2025

    Belkin Burden Nabs Condo & Co-Op Expert In Hiring Spree

    Belkin Burden Goldman LLP added a condominium and co-op expert to its bench, noting that the new partner has expertise in corporate governance, operations disputes and building management issues.

  • October 21, 2025

    J&J Appeals $25M Loss In Conn. Builder's Asbestos Case

    Johnson & Johnson has appealed its losses in a Connecticut real estate developer's asbestos lawsuit, telling state trial and appellate courts that it plans to challenge denials of multiple bids to reverse a $15 million jury verdict plus an additional $10 million in punitive damages awarded by a judge.

  • October 20, 2025

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Fried Frank, Sheppard Mullin, Gibson Dunn and Morgan Lewis are among the law firms that guided the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, with two Manhattan trades north of $200 million leading the way.

  • October 20, 2025

    Wells Fargo Borrowers Defend Mortgage Application Fees Suit

    A proposed class of Wells Fargo borrowers is fighting the bank's dismissal bid of their suit, which accuses the bank of wrongfully charging them mortgage application fees and failing to provide proper refunds, arguing in California federal court that Wells Fargo's dismissal motion "mischaracterizes" the named plaintiff's claims.

  • October 20, 2025

    Miami Board Gives Key Approval For $2B Mixed-Use Project

    Rosso Development, Midtown Development and Proper Hospitality, guided by Greenberg Traurig, have secured approval from Miami officials for a $2 billion mixed-use project in the city's Midtown Park neighborhood, setting the stage for construction to begin in 2026.

  • October 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Nixes Class' Appeal For Reverse Mortgage Loan Suit

    The Ninth Circuit tossed an appeal and a related rehearing bid for a proposed class action that accused a company of running an unlawful reverse mortgage loan scheme, ruling that the proposed class of homeowners has agreed with the company to voluntarily drop their appeal.

  • October 20, 2025

    NY Passes Rent Algorithm Ban In Housing Package

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a package of bills designed to encourage homeownership and protect renters, including a statewide ban on the use of algorithmic rent-setting software and a partial tax exemption for home sales to low-income households.

  • October 20, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Optional NAR Rule In Zillow Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review claims that Zillow and the National Association of Realtors blocked competition through an optional association rule that relegated a defunct brokerage platform's listings to a secondary tab on Zillow's site.

  • October 17, 2025

    Texas Appeals Court Clears River Authority Of Flood Claim

    A Texas appeals court found that the San Jacinto River Authority had governmental immunity when it decided to release water from its Lake Conroe reservoir during a hurricane, saying it took a good faith action even though the decision damaged some properties.

  • October 17, 2025

    Feds Say Housing Activist Used Homeless For Medicaid Fraud

    Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have accused a Charlotte housing advocate of using the Medicaid beneficiary numbers of unhoused individuals to orchestrate a multimillion-dollar fraud on the government, court records show.

  • October 17, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Latham, Kirkland, Wachtell

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, MGX, and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners acquire Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management and co-investors; Rayonier Inc. and PotlatchDeltic Corp. merge to create a timber and wood products giant; and a Lone Star Funds affiliate acquires industrial processing equipment provider Hillenbrand Inc.

  • October 16, 2025

    Why Ethics Complaints Against Halligan Face 'Very High Bar'

    Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia could face bar disciplinary action or court sanctions if the prosecutions she's pursuing at President Donald Trump's behest are found to be politically motivated or baseless, although proving ethics allegations will be an uphill battle, experts say.

  • October 16, 2025

    Ex-Va. Federal Prosecutor Joins NY AG James' Defense Team

    The former deputy criminal chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Norfolk, Virginia, on Oct. 16 joined the team defending New York Attorney General Letitia James in the government's case accusing her of mortgage-related fraud, filed after the president encouraged prosecutors to take action against his "guilty as hell" political opponents.

  • October 16, 2025

    LA Developers Charged In Homeless Housing Fund Fraud

    A pair of real estate developers have been charged in separate fraud cases alleging that they misused millions of dollars meant to build and operate affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Central District of California announced Oct. 16.

  • October 16, 2025

    Insurers Settle Bid To Arbitrate $7M La. Hurricane Ida Case

    A group of domestic and foreign insurers including underwriters at Lloyd's of London have asked a Louisiana federal judge to dismiss their lawsuit seeking an order to arbitrate a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, saying they have settled the dispute.

Expert Analysis

  • What's Ahead As Transparency Act Comes To A Crossroads

    Author Photo

    Synthesizing the contrasting federal district and appellate court rulings on the Corporate Transparency Act’s validity reveals several main areas of debate that will likely remain at issue as challenges to the law continue winding through the courts, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

    Author Photo

    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.

  • In The CFPB Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line

    Author Photo

    The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.

  • The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

    Author Photo

    From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.

  • 10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

    Author Photo

    In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025

    Author Photo

    U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Conducting A 'Reasonably Expected Market Area' Analysis

    Author Photo

    Regardless of whether the incoming administration scales back on redlining examinations and investigations, lenders should take steps to understand how regulators define "reasonably expected market areas," and how to conduct analyses of such areas, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.

  • Adapting Force Majeure To A Predictably Unpredictable World

    Author Photo

    As the climate and political landscapes get more complicated, force majeure provisions will likely be triggered increasingly often, demanding an evolving understanding of when events and their impacts are truly unforeseeable, say attorneys at Nossaman.

  • Impact Of Corporate Transparency Act Ambiguity On Banks

    Author Photo

    Even though banks generally needn't file beneficial ownership information reports, financial institutions must continue to monitor the status of the Corporate Transparency Act and understand its requirements in case the nationwide injunction that was issued against the CTA earlier this month is overturned, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Strategies For Home Equity Investment Providers In 2025

    Author Photo

    The home equity investment product market is thriving even amid consumer concerns, regulatory scrutiny and conflicting court decisions, setting the stage for a promising but challenging environment for providers in 2025, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • What Interest Rate Cuts Mean For Housing Markets

    Author Photo

    The Federal Reserve's recent reduction of interest rates may provide limited immediate relief for real estate sectors, but offers potential opportunities for commercial real estate investors and construction firms, which now face an environment ripe for new projects, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

    Author Photo

    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.