Posts by Oliver Spencer
Cincinnati’s Bold New Law Could Help Renters Survive The Eviction Crisis
By Liza Ramrayka From HuffPost Cincinnati native and resident Jeneya Lawrence dreams of living in a house with a garden big enough to fit a trampoline for her two young children, on a street with neighbors from diverse communities. The 28-year-old community health worker and single mom is determined to stay in Cincinnati, near family…
Read MoreForeign buying of American real estate plunged before the coronavirus pandemic and experts say it’s only going to get worse
from Marketwatch By Jacob Passy International buyers purchased the smallest number of existing-homes in the U.S. since 2011 this past year Foreign buyers are purchasing fewer and fewer American homes. And the coronavirus pandemic could cause a serious pullback in new investment in U.S. residential real estate from international buyers. During the 12-month period ending…
Read MoreSurge In Evictions
The wave has already begun: Evictions surge as cities suspend moratoriums by Akiko Fujita Yahoo Finance Legal aid groups and housing advocates are bracing for a surge in evictions, as local governments begin lifting moratoriums that deferred rent payments for millions of tenants who lost jobs to the pandemic. In Michigan, where the…
Read MoreSeattle City Council Passes Bill Aiming To Prevent Evictions After Moratorium Is Lifted
By Becca Savransky, SeattlePI, Wednesday, May 6, 2020 Seattle City Council this week passed a bill offering more protections to prevent tenants unable to pay their rent from being evicted after the city and statewide eviction moratoriums are lifted. The bill — passed in a 9-0 vote by the council — gives tenants a defense…
Read MoreHousing Market Showing Signs of Trouble Because of Coronavirus Pandemic
America’s housing market is showing the first signs of trouble because of the coronavirus pandemic. By Jacob Passy, Market Watch March started out as a strong month for the U.S. housing market but by the second half of the month, the first indications that the coronavirus pandemic would weigh on home-selling activity began to…
Read MoreSpeaking In Small And Solo Firm Practice Class
I spoke in the Small And Solo Firm Practice Class at the University of Washington School of Law recently. The discussion was largely about my career path. I hope that more mentorship opportunities within the legal profession arise for younger attorneys.
Read MoreRent Is Too High In U.S. Cities
The rent is just too darn high in these U.S. cities By Adriana Belmonte,Yahoo Money The cost of rent in the U.S., particularly in certain metro areas, is too darn high. Nearly half of U.S. rental households are spending more than the recommended 30% of their income on rent, according to a report from Apartment List. (The national rate went…
Read MoreSeattle Now Most Expensive Renter City, Outside California, Census Data Shows
July 30, 2019 at 6:00 am By Gene Balk Seattle Times Columnist Seattle rents are on the rise again, after a brief respite. And that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, because that’s what rents do around here they go up, and they go up fast. At the start of the decade, Seattle ranked…
Read MoreSpeaking At YGB Conference
Speaking At YGB Conference U.W. Law School I was a panelist at the YGB Conference at U.W. Law School on Saturday, February 23rd. I was afforded the opportunity to speak with a group of high school students regarding my educational journey and career path and to have lunch with them. Their curiosity and intelligence made…
Read MoreSpeaking In Small and Solo Practice Class
Once again I was afforded the opportunity to speak in the Small and Solo Practice Class at the University of Washington School of Law, my alma mater. Interactivity and questions are on the upswing and this is welcome, because it means that students are increasingly engaged. The dynamic nature of the legal profession and the…
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