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.…

Uncovering Sharon Heights

By Audrey Sun Neighborhood  Settled in the hills of Menlo Park, Sharon Park offers an exclusive, upper-middle class, Norman Rockwell-like family-oriented community. The neighborhood is approximately 1.8 square miles of tree-lined streets and verdant…

Disclosure of Real Estate Commissions Paid to Buyer’s Agents

By Michael Repka There is a new controversy brewing in the real estate industry. Washington state recently began requiring the public disclosure of the real estate commission paid to the buyer's agent. This has some real estate agents incensed. Recently,…

Who is Really Your Broker?

By Andrew VanSlyke, Esq. Here at DeLeon Realty, we pride ourselves on innovating and changing the way that Realtors® do business. A prime example is how we provide a comprehensive and integrated team to assist clients in a multitude of aspects of…

Don’t Let Agents Use Your Home as Bait to Attract Buyers

By Michael Repka  As an experienced real estate attorney, and the head of the area’s most successful listing team, I am regularly amazed by the sheer number of sellers that let their listing agents use their home as bait to attract buyers. Listing…

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…

Misaligned Incentives and Systemic Flaws of the Real Estate Industry

By Michael Repka, Esq. Many people take issue with the real estate industry and the way transactions have been handled traditionally. Many clients justifiably believe that there are far too many conflicts of interest, too little oversight, inadequate…

Surge in Demand from Hong Kong Buyers

By Michael Repka Michael Repka, DeLeon Realty CEO, on a recent business trip to Hong Kong Prior to Great Britain’s transfer of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, there was a significant increase in demand for US (and Canadian) real estate from…