I was recently quoted in the LA Daily News regarding California’s proposed SB 1243, which would pause evictions for tenants affected by ICE activity. I argued that adding another 180-day eviction pause to Los Angeles County’s already layered tenant protections won’t change landlord behavior during a tenancy; instead, it will force them to tighten underwriting and screening standards before a lease is signed. This economic chain reaction will ultimately cause more applicants to be turned away, increase vacancies, and raise rents for everyone—hurting the very families the bill aims to protect. As I noted in the article, good intentions do not equal good policy, and I invite Los Angeles multifamily property owners to message me to discuss how this regulatory environment impacts their NOI and exit timing.
I was recently featured in a California Post video story—which just reached 100,000 views—discussing how Iranian Americans rebuilt their lives and created generational wealth through Los Angeles real estate. After the 1979 revolution dismantled my family’s successful life and business in Iran, I watched my parents’ generation arrive in LA as immigrants and completely reshape the city’s commercial and multifamily landscape through sheer work ethic and property ownership. Witnessing this resilience firsthand profoundly shaped my approach to the business. Today, this heritage is the foundation of how I run Maher Commercial Realty, and I invite Los Angeles property owners to connect with me to discuss the next generational chapter for their own portfolios.
Maher Commercial Realty is featured in this weekend’s LA Times, weighing in on the ongoing impact of the Measure ULA tax. While we fully support the affordable housing movement and believe the non-profits receiving these property tax funds will do meaningful work, we remain concerned that the unintended economic harm caused by ULA will ultimately outweigh the good.