Jon Wojtowitz

Ask County Supervisors to Oppose Unfair Regulation of the Rental and For-Sale Market San Diego Board of Supervisors Voting on “Fighting Back Against Corporate Homebuyers and Wall Street Landlords” Tomorrow at 9am SCRHA found out late last week that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will be considering an item that could significantly impact the rental housing community and housing opportunities in the San Diego Region. Click here to view the agenda.    SCRHA is opposed to Item #17 on the agenda. No industry input was sought prior to the introduction of this item. It borrows on headlines rather than facts and proposes regulation, while targeted at so-called “Wallstreet Landlords,” that will likely have unintended consequences for property owners and management companies of all sizes. Read on for ways to participate and talking points. Here is how you can make your voice heard at tomorrow’s meeting! Attend in person and share your concerns: Meetings are held in the Board Chamber (Room 310) of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101 Call in with your comments: Click here to fill out a Request to Speak. Check the boxes next to “Item 17” and “In Opposition.” Follow the directions provided once you submit your request. Submit eComment: Visit this link. Fill out the information, select the oppose option, add your comment, then select “Submit Comment.” Watch the Meeting: Click here to learn how you can watch online or via cable. Options under Item 17 and SCRHA Concerns: Analysis of Commercial Ownership of Single-Family Residential Properties in San Diego County. The County should utilize data from property tax rolls to estimate the share of single-family detached homes owned by owner-occupants versus commercial entities like LLCs, banks, partnerships and look at single family detached property sales over the past 5 years to see trends in ownership. Concern: Many individuals and families own single-family homes and choose to rent them out once they upsize or downsize, or purchase homes as an investment opportunity. These homes help supplement small owner income, may be a sole source of income, or serve as their retirement plan. In other cases, these properties are intended to build generational wealth. Furthermore, many individuals, families, couples/domestic partners, structure their properties in LLCs, partnerships, and family trusts for tax and inheritance purposes. To assume that because title to property is in an LLC or partnership that it is owned by a so-called “Wallstreet Landlord” is not only inaccurate, but unfair.

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$250k per unit vs $800k per Unit (Workforce & Affordable Housing) Councilmember Tim McOsker who represents the Fifteenth Council District which includes the communities of Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro, Watts, and Wilmington, has submitted this Motion to Los Angeles City Council proposing that any project over 40 units that has a streamline component should have Prevailing Wages, Healthcare Payments and other Labor Standards. Implementing these labor standards could effectively nullify ED 1 by halting thousands of units submitted under this directive. This would create a major setback in addressing the housing and homelessness crisis, disrupting the current momentum in Private Affordable Housing Development and exacerbating the housing shortage. These factors collectively create a challenging environment for privately funded developers aiming to build workforce housing.

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A new code update coming July 1, 2024 to California Fire Code is: 907.5.2.3.1 Public Use Areas and Common Use Areas Visible alarm notification appliances shall be provided in public use areas and common use areas including but not limited to: 1. Band rooms. 2. Classrooms. 3. Corridors. 4. Gymnasiums. 5. Lobbies. 6. Meeting <and conference> rooms. 7. Multipurpose rooms. 8. Music practice rooms. 9. Occupational shops. 10. Occupied rooms where ambient noise impairs hearing of the fire alarm. 11. Sanitary facilities including restrooms, bathrooms and shower rooms. 12. <Shared office rooms used by two or more persons.> 13. <Normally occupied room(s) used by two or more persons, such as mother's room, phone room, quiet room, wellness room, etc.> 14.<Normally occupied storage room/area.> 15.<Exam rooms in medical office buildings.> Exception: Where employee work areas have audible alarm coverage, the notification appliance circuits serving the employee work areas shall be initially designed with not less than 20-percent spare capacity to account for the potential of adding visible notification appliances in the future to accommodate hearing-impaired employee(s). These changes further clarify what common use and normally occupied rooms are and eliminates strobes and notification appliances in unnecessary locations.

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Just shared our latest blog post on remodeling cost ranges in Los Angeles for 2024. Check it out to plan your budget!

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HTA Construction & Development Inc is nearing the completion of a 30-unit affordable housing project in Los Angeles. This project, set to receive its Certificate of Occupancy in the upcoming weeks, showcases our commitment to delivering high-quality, affordable housing solutions. Costing $151,000 per unit for construction and $251 per square foot, this development sets a benchmark for cost-efficiency in urban development while upholding quality and safety standards. Our partnership with SoLa Impact reinforces our dedication to sustainable urban development and addressing the critical need for affordable housing solutions. This project reflects our unwavering dedication to providing sustainable, well-built apartments that enrich the community fabric. Through stringent construction standards and strategic partnerships, we have not only met industry benchmarks but also paved the way for future affordable housing initiatives. As we approach the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy, HTA Construction reaffirms its commitment as a Reliable & Competent Construction Partner in delivering solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our urban populations. David Parada Jorge Robles #Construction #AffordableHousing #UrbanDevelopment #CommunityImpact #HTAConstruction #SustainableDevelopment

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Here is a quick overview of the as-built model of a Tudor farmhouse.

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As the weather heats up and there is still possible rains in the forecast, it's a smart move to pay extra attention to condition of your roof. The tiniest puncture or in this case, a few backed out screws could be a source to major problems. SoCal property managers and building owners, make the smart choice and reach out for a comprehensive maintenance program to keep your roof in tip-top shape.

THE MORE YOU KNOW…🤔🤔🤔 Unscrupulous contractors and subs are taking advantage of workers, denying them rightful wages and benefits and failing to pay taxes, experts say.🥺🥺 The scams are standard. “The employer has two sets of books. The employer has fake checks and pays cash,” says UNLV Boyd School of Law Professor Ruben Garcia of the many methods employers use to rip off workers. And while immigrant labor was prevalent before the recession, today, the home building industry is even more reliant on workers from abroad, legal and undocumented. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 56 percent of developers nationwide report labor shortages. Today, immigrants make up more than half of the workers in some trades. Trades that require little formal education – carpenters, painters, drywallers, ceiling tile installers and brick masons, have some of the highest concentration of immigrant workers, and the most critical labor shortages, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index surveys. complicated pay scheme makes stealing from workers, especially immigrants, relatively simple for contractors and subs. “Residential usually pays “piece rate” which means they get paid by how much they do, not how many hours they work; so most work 60-70 hours per week,” says Evangelina Diaz of the Painters Union. Diaz says workers who are intentionally misclassified as independent contractors are exempt from overtime and minimum wage laws and receive straight time for all hours worked. “I can’t speak about literally every contractor out there but I have yet to run into one that pays the correct wages on piece rate projects; overtime, etc.,” Diaz says. “The law states that even on piece rate projects a worker must earn at least the federal minimum wage on regular hours and time and a half for overtime.” To complicate matters, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, eligibility for overtime varies, depending on pay. “Overtime is calculated based on federal minimum wage. If a worker earns at least one and a half times the federal minimum wage he/she is entitled to overtime after 40 hours worked in a regular week. If a worker earns less than one and a half times the federal minimum wage, then he/she is entitled to overtime wages on a daily basis.” Workers don’t always know the rules, Diaz says, adding “even when we inform them, they tend to not utilize this information, usually due to fear.” #BrunnoNoBs 👊👊

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Phase II is on the way!

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Buyer’s Agent vs. Listing Agent: Key Differences #sanfrancisco #sfrealestate #bayarearealtor #bayarea #california #bayarearealestate #sanfranciscorealestate #sfrealtor #californiarealestate #siliconvalleyrealestate

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Check this out! 👀 Take a look at this video of brick and mortar with paint chipped off! 🧱🎨 At first glance, it might seem like just a minor aesthetic issue, but it could actually indicate a deeper masonry problem. 🚧 That's why proper maintenance is crucial. STAINING instead of painting can be a game-changer. STAIN penetrates the surface, providing a protective layer while still allowing the brick to breathe. This helps prevent moisture buildup, which can lead to deterioration over time. Let's explore the importance of proper maintenance and how addressing seemingly small issues can prevent larger headaches down the road.  #buildingmaintenance #construction #structuralintegrity #brickcare #propertycare #protectyourinvestment #masonryissues #buildingcare #Florida #FortMyers #staining #stain #brickstain #chipping #fading #peeling #checkthisout #paintfading #masonry #realestate #moisture #mortar #gamechanger #closeup

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Pleasure to have been apart of this project in Pasco! #TheGPIWay #1GPI #ConstructionQuality #Structurallntegrity #ConcreteTesting #BuildingMaintenance #InfrastructureAssessment #MaterialsTesting #ForensicEngineering #SafetyInConstruction #CoreDrilling #LabTesting #QualityControl #StructuralHealth #BuildingRenovation #ConcreteAnalysis #EngineeringInsights #RICS #Inspection

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I know it's an unpopular opinion, but this political Narrative that somehow we need to build more housing units at a faster pace and housing prices "will go down" is a load of bunk. (rent is a separate branch of this discussion) That $750,000 house you couldn't afford this year is not going to suddenly become the $450,000 you could afford. Houses are bought and sold based on Equity. If cost of housing "Went down", equity would be erased and we would end up back in 2008. The only thing we can expect is to relieve pressures on housing so equity is increasing at or just above inflation and have other economic standards catch up at a pace that wont force the Feds to increase.

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