Thursday, June 30, 2016

L.A. County Extends Ban On Medical Marijuana Cultivation, Distribution In Unincorporated Areas

Medical marijuana dispensaries are already banned in unincorporated areas, although business owners from East Los Angeles who appeared at the meeting Tuesday complained that hasn’t stopped numerous illegal operations from popping up. The new moratorium also bars growing and testing of medical marijuana, and mobile delivery services.  Full story

General Business & Real Estate

Friday, June 24, 2016

Britain Has Voted to Leave the EU – What Happens Next?

The UK’s historic decision to end its 43-year love-hate relationship with the European Union represents a turning point in British history to rank alongside the two world wars of the 20th century.  Read more

General Business & Real Estate

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Marijuana LED System

California Lightworks in Canoga Park, California has developed an LED lighting system for growing marijuana.  This solar system is great for hobbyists and small scale growers as well as large commercial growers.  LED lights last longer, use less power and emit less heat than incandescent or fluorescent lights.  The U.S. marijuana business is estimated to grow to $22 billion in the next four years.  Check out this video to see how the Solar System 550 works. 



City of Glendale California Black Bear Safety Awareness

California black bears are generally timid and docile and just looking for food when they wonder into someone's backyard.  High temperatures will drive bears down from the mountains and into residential areas.  

If you encounter a bear, distance yourself from it and give it plenty of room to pass or withdraw.  Deter it by making loud noises like banging pots and pans together.  Don't put out trash cans the night before trash day.  Store garbage cans in a secure place, and keep garbage cans clean by disinfecting them with bleach or ammonia.  Collect fruit that falls from trees and harvest fruit as soon as possible.  Remove plants that attract bears like those with berries including Dogwood.  Remove bird feeders during Spring and Summer.  Read more

General Business & Real Estate

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Brown Wants To Resurrect A Plan To Expand California's Power Grid

San Diego lawyer Michael Aguirre, a former assistant U.S. attorney and San Diego city attorney, argues that the latest effort to integrate more of California’s electric operations with Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and other states isn’t so much about spreading the clean energy gospel but returning the state to the era of manipulated energy markets that led to the 2000-2001 energy crisis.  Full story

General Business & Real Estate 

No Rate Hike. Fed Pares Economic Outlook.

Any movement in interest rates impacts millions of Americans, not to mention the global economy. Mortgage rates move higher, and debt for credit cards and car loans gets more expensive. Savers benefit because they earn a little more interest on their deposits. A rate hike is generally a sign that the economy is closer to full health. Full story

General Business & Real Estate

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Marijuana & Real Estate in California and Los Angeles County

The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 allows marijuana use pursuant to a valid doctor's recommendation and does not provide a blanket legalization of marijuana use.  The legal marijuana market earned $2.7 billion in revenue in 2014 and is expected to earn over $10 billion in sales by 2018.  Marijuana is permitted for medical use in 23 states and D.C., and four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington) have recreational laws.

The marijuana industry needs lots of land and business are willing to pay top dollar to get it.  There is a need for cultivation, product manufacturing, dispensaries (collectives) and kitchens.  In order to operate a marijuana business, the operator must be in compliance with state and local laws.  California law permits personal marijuana cultivation for patients.  Refer to Senate Bill 420. 

Why would a seller/landlord want to sell or lease to a marijuana operator?  Because marijuana operators usually pay cash and they are usually willing to cooperate with additional demands, and they generally pay on time.  They also will usually agree to sign an indemnity contract to release the landlord from liability. 

In Los Angeles county, a dispensary cannot be located within a 1,000-foot radius of a school, playground, park, library, place of worship, child care facility, youth facility (hostels, camps, clubs etc...) or within a 1,000-foot radius of another dispensary. 

A few things a landlord can do to protect themselves.  Make sure the operator is legal under state law.   Ask the operator for proof of insurance.  Draw up a contract to protect the landlord (indemnity clause).  Have a security system installed.  Verify proper building permits.  Inspect the building periodically.  Note that it is not legal to lease to a tenant who violates a local ordinance that prohibits marijuana businesses. 

Demand for commercial and industrial buildings by marijuana operators is on the rise.  Many cities are reviewing their ordinances in preparation for recreational laws to pass and to take into account factors like increased tax revenue. 

This post is for informational use only.  Reader to independently verify the contents of this post and consult legal counsel. 

General Business & Real Estate

Friday, June 10, 2016

Apartment News

What More Can the City of L.A. Do to Hurt Housing Providers?
http://www.aoausa.com/magazine/?p=3768
Know the Difference Between a Repair and An Improvement
http://www.aoausa.com/magazine/?p=3734
Unlocking Hidden Tax Benefits in your Apartment Investments
http://www.aoausa.com/magazine/?p=3727
Opportunities and Hazards in Estate Planning for Apartment Owners
http://www.aoausa.com/magazine/?p=3635


General Business & Real Estate

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Projects Under Construction in the City of Pasadena, California

Here is an economic activities update on proposed development and projects under construction in the city of Pasadena, California. Product types include hotels, office, housing, and academic and institutional. 

General Business & Real Estate

Hotels

Proposed hotels include a five-story, 144-room Marriott Extended Stay Hotel at Fair Oaks Avenue and Walnut Street. At the former Macy's site, construction of Hyatt Place, a six-story hotel with 179 rooms, is scheduled to begin sometime in 2016. There is also a hotel planned at Hill Avenue and Colorado, and construction of the Kimpton Hotel is planned at the site of the Julia Morgan YMCA building. The Kimpton is designed to be 88,740 square feet, four to six-stories and have 180 rooms. It is scheduled for completion in 2017. 

General Business & Real Estate

Office

At Walnut Street near Fair Oaks, Ayzenberg will be expanding its creative office space. There will be 155,000 square feet of new office space for Alibaba at 680 East Colorado Boulevard. A five-story building with 112,000 square feet of medical office space and 16,000 square feet of ground floor retail is planned for Crown City Medical Center. There are plans to renovate and reposition several office buildings, for example at 150 Orange Grove. At Lake and Colorado, the Constance Hotel will be renovated which includes a hotel addition with restaurant/retail space, and new offices as the last phase. At Lincoln and Parsons (100 West Walnut Street), there are plans for 620,000 square feet of office uses, 40,000 square feet of restaurant and retail uses and 475 residential units which will start construction in 2016. 

General Business & Real Estate

Housing

Proposed housing projects include a mixed-use, five-story project with 201 apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail at 25 West Walnut, 131 apartment units with 5,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space at Union Village (Union and El Molino), and an additional 131 apartment units with 5,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space at the intersection of Allen and Walnut, a four-story building with 212 apartments and one level of subterranean parking at 3330 East Foothill Boulevard, condominiums at the former Macy's site on the Southwest corner of Los Robles and Colorado, 186 housing units at Union Street and Madison, 115 housing units at 711 East Walnut with subterranean parking, infill housing at 700 East Walnut Street, 277 North Molino Avenue, 770 East Walnut Street, 130 North Fair Oaks Avenue, 33-45 West Green Street, the site of the Green Hotel Apartments as well as at the intersections of Corson and Oakland, and Del Mar and Los Robles.

General Business & Real Estate 

Academic and Institutional
Shriners for Children Medical Center, a 74,800 square foot medical building, is slated for completion in 2016 at 909-915 South Fair Oaks Avenue. The Art Center College of Design will expand its south campus, student housing, studios and classrooms. Huntington Medical Research Institute, a 35,000 square foot medical laboratory at Fair Oaks Avenue and Congress Street, is scheduled for completion in 2017. 

General Business & Real Estate 

Friday, June 3, 2016

Saudi Arabia Invests $3.5 Billion into Uber

The oil-rich nation will get a seat on Uber's board of directors.  Uber says its ride-hailing service now operates in nine countries of the Middle East, one of its fastest-growing markets. In Saudi Arabia, which does not allow women to drive, 80% of Uber passengers are women. Full story