Residential

  • February 06, 2026

    $8M Rent-To-Own Class Settlements Get Final OK

    Five years of litigation — split between sister suits in North Carolina state and federal court — revolving around allegedly exorbitant fees on rent-to-own contracts for storage sheds ended this week after both courts entered final judgments and cemented a combined $8 million settlement.

  • February 06, 2026

    Wintrust Beats Mortgage Loan Racial Bias Suit For Good

    Wintrust Financial Corp. and a mortgage lender subsidiary no longer face a proposed class action accusing them of discriminating against Black homebuyers after an Illinois federal judge found the amended suit doesn't show that the alleged discrimination was intentional or resulted in disparate lending outcomes.

  • February 06, 2026

    Menzies Targets NYC Townhouse In $7.6M Niger Award Feud

    A subsidiary of British aviation services company Menzies has set its sights on a $35 million luxury townhouse on the Upper East Side owned by the Nigerien government as it looks to enforce a nearly 13-year-old $7.6 million arbitral award against the West African country.

  • February 06, 2026

    Judge Rejects Compass' Bid To Block Zillow Listing Rules

    A New York federal court on Friday refused to bar Zillow from enforcing its updated listing policy while Compass brings its antitrust case alleging the rules are meant to block competition, after finding the brokerage has not shown its case is likely to succeed.

  • February 06, 2026

    NJ Watchdog Must Give Up Files In Hospital Row

    A New Jersey federal judge has refused to disturb a magistrate judge's decision compelling a state watchdog to turn over documents from its inquiry into CarePoint Health Systems Inc., rejecting the agency's bid to shield its files with grand-jury-like secrecy and reaffirming that federal privilege law governs discovery disputes in federal court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Judge Gives Final OK For $42M Broker Fees Settlements

    A Missouri federal judge granted final approval for $42 million worth of class action settlements to resolve antitrust claims accusing the National Association of Realtors and multiple brokerages of conspiring to charge home sellers with excessive broker commission fees.

  • February 06, 2026

    Kan. Senate Bill Would Eliminate Property Taxes

    Kansas would phase out property taxes over a three-year period under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • February 05, 2026

    BNY Mellon Can't Sue Investor In Texas Over Facility Funding

    A Texas appellate court determined Thursday that Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co.'s suit against the company that purchased senior revenue certificates for a student housing facility does not belong in the Lone Star State, saying the bank failed to demonstrate that the company's conduct tied it to Texas.

  • February 05, 2026

    Calif. Toxic Testing Bill Carries Major Insurance Implications

    A California bill that would mandate safety standards for the testing and clearance of homes after wildfires could make toxicity concerns more central to a claims process in which living expenses are at stake for people wary of returning to contaminated homes.

  • February 05, 2026

    Burr & Forman Adds Ex-Maynard Nexsen Atty To SC Office

    Burr & Forman LLP has hired a former Maynard Nexsen PC shareholder and NFL agent for a partner role in the firm's Charleston, South Carolina-based real estate team.

  • February 05, 2026

    DOJ Settles Claims Town Restricted Jewish Places Of Worship

    The federal government has asked a Pennsylvania federal court to sign off on a consent decree reached with Kingston, Pennsylvania, that would see the borough roll back recent changes to its zoning laws that allegedly unfairly burdened places of worship.

  • February 05, 2026

    Sidley Guides $98M Loan For NYC Housing On Bazaar Site

    Sidley Austin LLP worked on a $98 million mortgage for an affordable housing project on the site of an African bazaar in Manhattan.

  • February 05, 2026

    Paul Hastings Guides Developers' $335M Mixed-Use Refi

    L&L Holding Co., led by Paul Hastings LLP, and Oak Row Equities have obtained a $335 million loan from Blue Owl Capital to refinance Wynwood Plaza, a 1 million-square-foot campus with apartments and offices in Miami, the companies said.

  • February 05, 2026

    Nixon Peabody Real Estate Atty Named Rochester Office Head

    Nixon Peabody LLP has selected an affordable housing and real estate partner to take over as managing partner in the firm's Rochester, New York, office.

  • February 04, 2026

    Gov't Pushes For Greystar Antitrust Settlement Approval

    The federal government pushed back against public comments that criticized its proposed antitrust settlement with landlord Greystar Management Services LLC, telling a North Carolina federal court Wednesday to approve the proposed settlement because it does enough to resolve its claims.

  • February 04, 2026

    Fla. Senate Advances Bill Endorsing Neighborhood ADUs

    The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously advanced a bill directing local governments to allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, such as garage apartments or guesthouses, in all single-family residential neighborhoods.

  • February 04, 2026

    Pa. Co.'s Housing Found Tax-Exempt Under New Charity Test

    A clarification to Pennsylvania's charity exemption test by the state Supreme Court did not change the exempt status of properties owned by a group that offers low-income housing, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Wednesday.

  • February 04, 2026

    What Private Real Estate Lenders Should Know On Fraud Risk

    With private lenders taking on a bigger role in real estate, they have become a target of fraudsters. Miami-based attorney Stephanie Hauser explained the strategies these scammers often pursue and steps lenders and their lawyers can take to protect themselves.

  • February 04, 2026

    FTC Defends Case Over Zillow-Redfin Rental Ads Pact

    The Federal Trade Commission is defending its antitrust case challenging a partnership between Zillow Group Inc. and Redfin Corp., telling a Virginia federal court the pact is a clear agreement between the companies to not compete for rental housing advertisements.

  • February 04, 2026

    Zillow Says Home Values, Mortgage Payments Are Dropping

    The value of U.S. housing declined in January for the sixth straight month and lower mortgage rates led to an 8.4% year-over-year decrease in the costs of monthly mortgage payments, according to a report posted by property listing giant Zillow on Wednesday.

  • February 04, 2026

    Real Estate Atty Can't Duck Meddling Claims, NC Justices Told

    A property owner told North Carolina's top court that a real estate attorney can't skirt allegations he helped meddle in an ownership dispute over a parcel of land in Charlotte, saying her tort claims against the lawyer might be rare, but they are still backed by the law.

  • February 04, 2026

    Keller Williams To Pay $20M To Settle Antitrust Claims

    Keller Williams Realty has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve claims that it participated in a decades-long conspiracy to fix real estate broker commissions and inflate home prices, according to a proposed class of homebuyers who are asking an Illinois federal judge to grant preliminary approval to the deal.

  • February 04, 2026

    Real Estate Group Of The Year: Simpson Thacher

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP guided Blackstone through its $16.2B acquisition of AirTrunk and $4 billion acquisition of a grocery-focused real estate investment trust, cementing the firm's spot among the 2025 Law360 Real Estate Groups of the Year.

  • February 04, 2026

    Construction Group Of The Year: Greenberg Traurig

    Delivering major litigation wins coast-to-coast while negotiating more than $2.5 billion in construction contracts, Greenberg Traurig LLP earned a selection as one of the 2025 Law360 Construction Groups of the Year.

  • February 04, 2026

    Donahue Fitzgerald Adds Fennemore Craig Real Estate Atty

    East Bay law firm Donahue Fitzgerald LLP said it has hired an Oakland, California-based Fennemore Craig PC attorney as a partner in its real estate group.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Real Estate Takeaways From Trump's Sweeping Tax Law

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    Changes to the Internal Revenue Code included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have a range of effects on real estate sponsors, investors and real estate investment trusts — from more compliance flexibility around taxable REIT subsidiary limits to new considerations raised by a key retaliatory tax provision that was left out, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • How Prohibiting Trigger Leads May Affect Mortgage Marketing

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    Recent amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibiting the sale of trigger leads mark a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for mortgage lenders, third-party lead generators and their legal counsel, who should reevaluate lead generation strategies and compliance protocols, say Joel Herberman, Rob Robilliard and Leah Dempsey at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Considerations For Cos. Amid Wave Of CFPB Vacatur Bids

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    As some entities look to vacate prior voluntary agreements with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, there are several considerations companies should take into account before seeking to vacate their settlements in the current legal and regulatory environment, says Jasmine Jean-Louis at Goodwin.

  • Rebutting Price Impact In Securities Class Actions

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    Defendants litigating securities cases historically faced long odds in defeating class certification, but that paradigm has recently begun to shift, with recent cases ushering in a more searching analysis of price impact and changing the evidence courts can consider at the class certification stage, say attorneys at Katten.

  • NY Laundering Ruling Leans On Jurisdictional Fundamentals

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    A New York appeals court’s recent dismissal of Zhakiyanov v. Ogai, a civil money laundering dispute between Kazakh citizens involving New York real estate, points toward limitations on the jurisdictional reach of state courts and suggests that similar claims will be subject to a searching forum analysis, say attorneys at Curtis Mallet-Prevost.

  • The Consequences Of OCC's Pivot On Disparate Impact

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent move to stop scrutinizing facially neutral lending policies that disproportionately affect a protected group reflects the administration's ongoing shift in assessing discrimination, though this change may not be enough to dissuade claims by states or private plaintiffs, says Travis Nelson at Polsinelli.

  • Opportunity Zone's Future Corp. Tax Benefits Still Uncertain

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    Despite recent legislative enhancements to the qualified opportunity fund program, and a new G7 understanding that would exempt U.S.-parented multinationals from the undertaxed profits rule, uncertainties over future tax benefits could dampen investment interest in the program, says Alan Lederman at Gunster.

  • Why Fla. Ruling Is A Call To Action For Foreclosure Counsel

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    A Florida state court's recent decision in Open Range Properties v. AmeriHome Mortgage has sent ripples through the banking industry and the legal community, and signals a new era of heightened scrutiny and procedural rigor in foreclosure litigation, says Andrew McBride and Adams & Reese.

  • What To Expect As Trump's 401(k) Order Materializes

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    Following the Trump administration’s recent executive order on 401(k) plan investments in alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and real estate, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will need to answer several outstanding questions before any regulatory changes are implemented, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • With Obligor Ruling, Ohio Justices Calm Lending Waters

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    A recent decision by the Ohio Supreme Court, affirming a fundamental principle that lenders have no duty to disclose material risks to obligors, provides clarity for commercial lending practices in Ohio and beyond, and offers a reminder of the risks presented by guarantee arrangements, says Carrie Brosius at Vorys.

  • Unpacking The New Opportunity Zone Tax Incentive Program

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    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act brought several improvements to the opportunity zone tax incentive program that should boost investments in qualified funds, including making it permanent, increasing federal income tax benefits in rural areas, redesignating the qualified zones, and requiring more in-depth reporting, says Marc Schultz at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Definitions Of 'Waters Of The United States' Ebb And Flow

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    The issue of defining whether "waters of the United States" include streams and channels that sometimes have water and sometimes do not has been fraught since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 Rapanos decision, but a possible new rule may help property owners stay out of court, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.

  • Texas Property Law Complicates Financing And Development

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    A new Texas law imposing expansive state-level restrictions on properties owned by entities from designated countries creates a major obstacle for some lenders, developers and other stakeholders, as well as new diligence requirements for foreign companies, say attorneys at Pillsbury.