In this final edition, we wrap up in Chula Vista for the 2025 C.A.R. Fall Business Meeting held at the new Gaylord Pacific Resort – a beautiful venue.
For the foreseeable future, this was my last meeting as a C.A.R. Director, which is bittersweet – I have really enjoyed my time advocating on behalf of the Laguna Board of REALTORS® (LBOR) & our Members, but the time away from my business does come at a cost, so I’m looking forward to some renewed focus on my clients.
As of October 2, 2025, 2,397 bills1 were introduced into the California Legislature in 2025 and while I forget the exact number that was cited in one of our forums, a great many of those were real estate related, which means C.A.R. staff & the advocacy teams have had another busy year ingesting, interpreting and responding to the tsunami of legislation.
Without getting into the weeds on a ton of issues, here are a few that C.A.R. has taken stances on:
SB 522 (Wahab) “Just Cause” Evictions. State law contains an exemption from the just cause eviction requirements for newly constructed properties. SB 522 would remove the just cause for new properties rebuilt after a disaster. C.A.R. OPPOSES the bill because it will prevent property owners from securing financing to rebuild, further reducing the supply of housing.
AB 628 (McKinnor) Habitability of Rental Units. AB 628 requires landlords to provide a working refrigerator and stove in order to make a rental unit habitable. C.A.R. OPPOSES AB 628 because it will allow tenants to avoid or delay lawful evictions as habitability violations.
AB 723 (Pellerin) Digitally Enhanced Images. AB 723 would require new disclosure requirements when digitally enhanced images are used in listings. C.A.R. OPPOSES AB 723 because it establishes a burdensome new requirement without improving consumer protection.
This bill I particular dislike because it would require the policing of real estate photography. As a longtime photographer myself, I find the devil in is the details here and see a number of ways that the law (if passed) could be turned against agents, their brokers and their photographers.
If you are interested in the subject, I suggest you read the bill’s analysis here:
https://apcp.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2025-03/ab-723-pellerin-apcp-analysis.pdf
Point-Of-Sale & Zone Zero Defensible Space
Something everyone with a home located in a Very High Fire Hazard Zone (VHFHZ) needs to be watching very closely is AB 1455 (Bryan) State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection: Defensible Space. Per the bill’s introductory language – “This bill would require the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt regulations to implement defensible space requirements for an ember-resistant zone required within 5 feet of a structure in a state responsibility area and a very high fire hazard severity zone, as specified.” 2
Here’s a bit more language from the proposed bill:
“(i) For an existing structure for sale that is not used as a rental property, once the requirement for an ember-resistant zone pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) takes effect for new structures, the requirement for an ember-resistant zone pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall apply either upon the sale of the existing structure or three years after the effective date for a new structure, as described in paragraph (1), whichever comes first.”
“… an ember-resistant zone being required within 5 feet of the structure, based on regulations promulgated by the board, in consultation with the department, to consider the elimination of materials in the ember-resistant zone that would likely be ignited by embers.”
“For purposes of this subparagraph, “fuel” means any combustible material, including petroleum-based products, cultivated landscape plants, grasses, and weeds, and wildland vegetation.”
That “zone” is also known as “Zone Zero”3, which is the first five feet from a home’s perimeter. According to a recent ABC article “The forestry board admits Zone Zero will affect about two million structures, representing 17% of all structures in California.” 4
That “fuel” mentioned above means any combustible material, which, while a few sources are enumerated, do not mention things like wood fences and gates which would ostensibly be included, as well as vinyl fences & gate which are “petroleum-based products”.
So what do you do at the point-of-sale? In a frictionless universe, you just replace those items during the course of a home sale and the buyer and seller sort out who pays for what. Wouldn’t that be nice? The reality is – beyond the costs, the added time burdens and potential negotiation nightmares – many neighborhoods are governed by homeowners’ associations with architectural approval processes, so you usually can’t just unilaterally yank a fence and replace it with something new even if it is an approved material. That’s also to say nothing about what your neighbor would think about the replacement – maybe they have plants along the edge of their fence line; maybe they have pets that need penning… and on and on…
All Californians are interested in better fire safety measures, but my opinion is we can do without the point-of-sale clauses. I’ll be watching the issue closely; that passage could spell much higher costs for home sellers & buyers and we need to take the heat off of home prices, not increase it.
1 https://californiaglobe.com/fr/statistics-from-the-2025-legislative-session/
“Statistics from the 2025 Legislative Session”
Chris Micheli | California Globe, October 2, 2025
2 https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1455/id/3269051
California Assembly Bill 1455
3 https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/defensible-space-zones-0-1-and-2
“Defensible Space Zones – 0, 1, and 2 // Clear zones. Safer homes. Defensible space saves lives.”
Board of Forestry
Fun Stuff
Here are a few photos from the week, with some drawings from the meetings near the end:
The new Gaylord Pacific hotel in Chula Vista, California – was a beautiful resort hotel, perfect for the 2025 Fall C.A.R. Business Meetings
Expansive view across the grounds and beyond (I think to Tia Juana in Mex) from the 12th floor at the Gaylord Pacific in Chula Vista
I was on the 12th floor and loved this look out the window; had my camera with me and the light was just right, cutting through the window, framing the vista and lighting the interior with a slashing light.
The REALTOR crawl between meetings at the Gaylord Pacific during the 2025 C.A.R. Fall Business Meeting in Chula Vista, CA.
The Legislative Committee Meeting at the 2025 C.A.R. Fall Business Meeting in Chula Vista, CA.
There was large working shipyard next to the Gaylord Pacific Hotel in Chula Vista – there were so many visually engaging angles on the space, but I loved this look across the new verdant lawns to the yard.
The Crowley tug that was in drydock for repairs; it was a rare sight and I took a ton of photos of it… Loved this shot of the boat as it seems to motor out of the photo frame.
A closeup of the Crowley tug that was in drydock for repairs; it was a rare sight and I took a ton of photos of it… couldn’t beat this on-center shot that showed the bulk, the symmetry and static force it projected.
The 2025 C.A.R. Fall Business Meeting Board of Directors Meeting on the last day; this is where we gather as state Directors to vote on committee matters that have been worked on for the week. Always lots of energy in the room and some great points brought up from the floor for consideration. C.A.R. 2025 President Heather Ozur at the podium with opening remarks.
Region 32 Caucus Meeting the night before the BOD meetings; I don’t think we’ve taken a group photo before – was good to get one and we got everyone smiling! I’m over on camera left with the trademark “shaka” to bring maximum aloha to the proceedings.
The 2025 C.A.R. Fall Business Meeting Board of Directors Meeting on the last day; this is where we gather as state Directors to vote on committee matters that have been worked on for the week. Always lots of energy in the room and some great points brought up from the floor for consideration. C.A.R. 2025 President Heather Ozur at the podium with opening remarks.
The Laguna Board of REALTORS & Newport Beach Association of REALTORS in the house! Love these people!
Yes – Blackberries are still a thing! We vote on these and as you can see from the screen, someone “Called for the Question”, which in the parliamentary meeting style we adhere to means – “Let’s vote on the matter now” (as opposed to further discussion)…
A little extra special work on the betting sheet this year with some of the desktop accessories added as background flavor.
2025 Orange County REALTORS President, Ed Molina, won the bet! Yours truly with the man; Ed’s the best!
Jesse Brossa (2025 President, Laguna Board of REALTORS) with Reuben Gulledge (one of the brightest minds in the the real estate industry, Past President for Newport Beach Association of REALTORS, a Director with LBOR, Compass Manager and most importantly – a good friend!)
