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Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs for CAA, took part in an NPR forum Wednesday morning about a proposed ban on smoking in apartments across California. Carlton and Assemblyman Marc Levine, the author of the anti-smoking bill, took questions from “Forum” host Michael Krasny. Several listeners also participated in the show, aired on San Francisco’s NPR affiliate,  KQED. Click here to listen to the interview and read listener comments. Under Levine’s proposal, California would become the first state in the nation to ban tobacco smoking in apartments. His bill also would apply to condos. AB 746 focuses on… Read More

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Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs for CAA, took part in an NPR forum Wednesday morning about a proposed ban on smoking in apartments across California. Carlton and Assemblyman Marc Levine, the author of the anti-smoking bill, took questions from “Forum” host Michael Krasny. Several listeners also participated in the show, aired on […]

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Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs for CAA, took part in an NPR forum Wednesday morning about a proposed ban on smoking in apartments across California. Carlton and Assemblyman Marc Levine, the author of the anti-smoking bill, took questions from “Forum” host Michael Krasny. Several listeners also participated in the show, aired on […]

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With California court systems cutting back, both tenants and landlords will face more waiting, longer drives, and no matter how you slice it, more hassle. The following two articles – one a story in the Los Angeles Times, the other a column by an attorney at Fast Eviction Service – zero in on the impacts on renters and owners, respectively. Feel free to add your comments, including experiences.

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Billions of dollars are trading hands as some of America’s richest investors snatch up single-family homes and place them on the rental market, Bloomberg reports. The idea: Buy distressed homes now and make money renting them out as they appreciate and go back on the market in a few years. Returns on investments in hard-hit regions, such as in Florida, could fetch returns of 6 to 8 percent, Sandeep Bordia of Barclays Plc. told Bloomberg, while places with already-high home prices — like in California — might see yields closer to 4 and 5 percent.

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If the rental market is returning to the fast lane, you could say women are in the driver’s seat. Diana Olilck’s Realty Check article on CNBC.com says the housing market’s recovery doesn’t necessarily mean a rush for renters to become buyers. Pointing to demographics, the article explains the role women are playing in the apartment industry’s success — even as the housing market bounces back. Some reasons women are likely to keep renting: These days, they’re staying single longer and putting off parenthood for their careers. That lifestyle suits apartment living more than taking on a mortgage and a home… Read More

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In an interview with The Motley Fool, Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff says rentals will play a big role for his company in years to come. “That’s because of the structure of the rental industry in the United States. Rental properties turn over about six times more often as for-sale properties, and there are tens of millions of rental units out there,” Rascoff says in the clip. “There’s also no clear market leader, and so we think Zillow has an opportunity there.”

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Rocketing real estate prices have motivated investors to move into new markets, snatch up homes and turn them into rentals, USA Today has reported. According to USA Today, investors are focusing less on some sizzling markets while scurrying to purchase homes in places where prices are skyrocketing. While investor enthusiasm is waning in Phoenix and possibly approaching its apex in parts of California, interest is surging in parts of the South, the article says.

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Work in home improvement? You might see your bank balance improve, too. A study by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies predicts your industry will enjoy a big bounce this year. Yearly spending on home renovations will see double-digit growth through the third quarter, according to this article by CE Pro magazine. The study, dubbed the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, looks at several factors to make its projections, from pending home sales to business at building supply stores. “The solid momentum behind home building activity, existing home sales, low financing costs and remodeling contractor sentiment all point to a… Read More

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Allegations are flying following an apartment building fire in the Bronx that left tenants without cooking gas. Now, the residents are demanding rent abatement for the trouble. The blaze occured in August 2011 at Mount Eden apartments, and 58 units went without cooking gas for seven months, the New York Daily News reported. New York Lawyers for the Public Trust wants Chestnut Holikdings, Inc. to reimburse tenants one-third of rent paid during the gas-free months. In the Daily News story, you’ll find fingerpointing in every direction: The property management company says it didn’t restore cooking gas because a group called… Read More

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