DeLeon Insight- September 2025 Cover Page

The DeLeon Insight – September 2025



Flaws in the Real Estate Industry

By Michael Repka, Esq. Recently, I attended the country’s preeminent real estate convention, Inman Connect in New York City, where I had the opportunity to watch presentations by a variety of different luminaries in the real estate industry.…

California Disallows

By Michael Repka, Esq., LL.M.— Taxation The United States Treasury Department has long accepted the proposition that taxpayers must only recognize gain on the sale of investment property upon receipt of the consideration paid, irrespective of…

Eight Things That Make DeLeon Different

By Michael Repka, Esq. 1) We never take money from both sides of any transaction Most brokerages, and even many individual agents, take money from both sides of the same transaction when they have the opportunity. While some try to characterize…

Resolving Real Estate Disputes

By Michael Repka, Esq. After obtaining my first law degree back in 1999, I took and passed the New York and New Jersey bar exams. In both states, real estate agents help clients buy and sell real estate, but they do not delve into all of the legal,…

So Your Home Didn’t Appraise, Now What?

by Michael Repka, Esq. When a buyer submits an offer on a home, they need to decide which, if any, contingencies they will include in the proposed contract. Naturally, the more contingencies, the better for the buyer, but an offer with fewer contingencies…

Fixing a Decedent’s Mistakes After Death—The Heggstad Petition

By Michael Repka, Esq. It is well publicized that the DeLeon Team provides clients with access to real estate and tax attorneys as part of our standard listing agreement. To our knowledge, we are still the only major brokerage in Silicon Valley…

Deductibility of State Taxes and Interest Under the New Tax Law

By Michael Repka, Esq. (LL.M. (Taxation) NYU School of Law '01) On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into legislation public law 115-97, more commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("TCJA"). The majority of commentators feel,…

Real Estate Seminar 4/2: Planning for New Tax Laws

Seminar 2/10: 2018 Real Estate Tax Changes & Maximizing Sales Price in a Slowing Market

Time to Revisit Your Trust

by Michael Repka, Esq. Historically, there have always been three important reasons why affluent California residents should establish a family trust. First, probate costs in California are extremely high and, if properly executed, a trust can…