Scott Union
September 24, 2026
Aerial mapping companies now contract with the Rancho Santa Fe Association to detect unpermitted improvements year over year. Here is what buyers and owners need to understand before building or buying in the Covenant.
September 22, 2026
The Rancho Santa Fe Art Jury can approve or deny renovation plans that seem perfectly reasonable, and buyers often find out too late. Here is what to do before you make an offer on a Covenant property, and why doing it in the right order changes everything.
September 17, 2026
When a family home sells decades after it was last listed, the first estate appraisal is often the wrong number. Locking it in before listing can create a taxable gain that costs heirs tens of thousands. Here is how to catch the problem in time.
September 15, 2026
California fire departments now conduct formal risk assessments that can stop a subdivision outright, no matter what planning and zoning have already approved. A $33 million La Jolla project shows what happens when fire access requirements surface too late, and what to do instead.
September 10, 2026
California's new coastal bluff setback rules, effective July 1, 2026, pushed requirements to roughly 60 feet from the bluff edge in La Jolla, Del Mar, and Solana Beach. On a typical bluff-adjacent lot, that shift can eliminate up to 10% of the buildable envelope before pool and garage setbacks are even counted.
September 8, 2026
California homeowners over 55 can transfer their existing property tax base to a new home anywhere in the state, up to three times. Most don't know this exists until it's almost too late to use it correctly.
September 3, 2026
Owning high-value property in California's fire country is manageable if you prepare before the offer, not after closing. Scott Union rebuilt from a 2017 wildfire loss and explains the tools, insurance realities, and sequencing that make the difference for buyers in fire-risk zones.
September 1, 2026
California's home insurance crisis has reshaped luxury buying in Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, and Napa Valley. Major carriers have exited, the FAIR Plan falls short for high-value homes, and knowing your options before making an offer now matters more than ever.
August 28, 2026
Fire insurance in high risk California real estate has changed fast. Scott Union lost his own home to fire and explains what buyers here need to budget for now.