Japan has suffered terribly from the recent earthquake but we will never know how many lives were saved because of the stringent building codes in that country. Unfortunately, […]
Foreclosure
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Inside Job
In the past I’ve recommended books on the foreclosure crisis such as Michael Lewis’s The Big Short. Last night I finally got to see “Inside Job”, the film […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Foreclosure and legal limbo
One of the most difficult situations I deal with as a prosecutor is trying to find someone to take responsibility for a property where it is in foreclosure, […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / property maintenance
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Using Social Media to Track Slum Landlords
The New York Times has a story about a new website that tracks slum landlords in New York city. Tenants can find out about any landlord’s portfolio by […]
Code Enforcement / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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America’s Foreclosure Ghost Towns
Is your city included in this list: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/30/foreclosures-ghost-towns_n_840663.html#s259246&title=Cleveland_Ohio ? It shows us that the crisis is not behind us yet and we’re going to continue to have problems […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Condo Blues
I was recently contacted by someone who is gathering data on the housing market with a special interest in the health of condominium associations. He was concerned that […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / property maintenance / rental inspections
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The need for rental inspections
No better case can be made for rental inspections than when a terrible fire happens. In San Bernadino, California, 26 dwelling units were destroyed in a fire. When […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement
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Access to building permit information via smart phone
Access to building permit information has taken an impressive step forward in New York City. DNAinfo.com reports that people with a smart phone can scan a building permit […]
Foreclosure
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Housing prices continue to fall
Do you work in a jurisdiction where housing prices continue to fall? Check out this report at Clear Capital to see if your jurisdiction can expect more problems. […]
Building Codes / Liability
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Insurance consequences of working without a permit
There are consequences for the homeowner who has work done on his or her home without a permit beyond contending with the local building official. What if a […]