Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

Did you know that the 2024 Republican platform does not contain the word property? A change is afoot. A law professor at UC Berkeley notes “Conservatives seem comfortable with local efforts to keep farmers from using their property for solar panels or wind turbines.  They also seem OK with forcing business owners to allow people […]

2025 has seen a 44% increase in the number of foreign home purchases in the U.S. from April 2024 to March 2025. Most of these purchases are occurring in Florida. This week a report from the National Association of Realtors found that overseas buyers invested $56 billion in residential property in the 12 months ending […]

Washington State became the 2nd state to ban English ivy. It seems that English ivy devours native plants. Washington State Standard | English ivy added to list of plants that are illegal to buy or sell in Washington

After a veto of a data center bill in Virginia, York County adopted its own local rules for locating a data center. These local rules include letters from energy and water companies stating whether or not they can handle the needs of the facility when running at full capacity; sound studies; set backs; vegetative buffers; and […]

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed HF 639 (IA |2025) stating that the bill goes beyond blocking eminent domain for CO2 pipelines, and prevents voluntary easements from being used as well.

There’s a line of thought that cities and states can save money by creating their own buyout plans for homes in flood plains. The thought is frequently flooded homes can raise insurance rates, federal funding is slow to nonexistent, and adds cost burdens to strained local budgets. Local/State buy out programs for homes in flood […]

Ever wondered if it is a compensable taking if a road project impedes your access to your property? What about if a road project changes access to your property? An Indiana Court ruled that impeding access to property is a compensable taking; however, making it harder to access your property by changing road patterns is not a compensable […]

Meet Resting Reef, a start up, that turns pet remains to reefs to improve marine biodiversity. Providing for sustainable and meaningful burial methods. “Cemeteries should be places that reconnect us with nature and remind us that we’re part of a larger ecosystem,” Murillo Pérez told The Guardian. “It’s time for the death industry to change: we […]

Add California to the list of states seeking to cap the number of residential properties that institutional investors can hold in the state. The cap proposed in California? 1,000. @socals AB1240 (2025 | CA)

A Kansas City, Kansas business park proposal would house a massive data center. The proposal ensures that nearby homes are 500 feet to 1,400 feet from the nearest data center building. Route Fifty | Kansas City, Kansas, planning commission advances proposed $12.6B data center