Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act
Fifty years ago today, seven days after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the federal Fair Housing Act into law. In his speech, President Johnson acknowledged “the roots of injustice run deep” but proclaimed, “the voice of...
Real Estate Lobby Claims Exorbitant Fees Being Charged by Community Associations
Governments regulate business. But, why? Most often commerce is regulated for consumer protection, employee protection, and environment protection. Real estate agent/broker lobbies have been introducing legislation throughout the country under the guise of consumer...
The Great Debate—Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Edition
Ten years and $187.5 billion ago, the federal government seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. What did we get for the effort and money? For one, American households had access to mortgage credit during the Great Recession. That alone was a remarkable success...
Dexter the Peacock – Service Animal? Pet? Soul Mate?
I walk my two very friendly dogs—a black lab and a yellow lab—in public places regularly. We encounter lots of people who are afraid of dogs. I’ve been more aware of how people respond and react to dogs recently because of all the media and attention related to...
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rules in Favor of Condominium Homeowners
New ruling states that condominium developers cannot restrict owners from filing construction defect lawsuits. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has ruled in favor of Cambridge Point Condominium homeowners in the case of Trustees of the Cambridge Point...
Federal Government Shutdown & Community Associations
Funding for federal government agencies expires January 20. If congressional leaders and President Trump are unable to strike a budget deal, operations at federal government agencies will be sharply curtailed. What does this mean for community associations? CAI has...
What legislative trends can you expect to see in 2018?
As legislative sessions are approaching, we have compiled a short list of issues we predict will trend in states legislatures in 2018. While the following are by no means the only issues facing community associations in the next year, we expect these five...
Preserve the American Dream: Protect the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction and Local Property Tax Deduction
Statement of Tax Reform—November 2017 Homeownership is critical to the economy, representing an estimated 15 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Homeownership is also critical to household financial stability. According to the Federal Reserve's Survey of...
What’s New in Washington, D.C.
The news continues to keep us up-to-date on what’s happening here in Washington, D.C.; including scandals, Tweets, and the latest contention between the Democrats and Republicans. The one popular issue making headlines that directly impacts the community association...
When Should States Interfere In Association Business?
There is a dangerous fight going on in Wisconsin right now where legislators are seeking to place a cap on the amount associations charge for disclosure documents. The proposed statutory cap: $30. That is far less than it takes to produce the documents, yet for some...
