Brownstein Podcast Series

One of the biggest obstacles for Colorado’s master-planned community developers is municipal approvals. The timing, uncertainty and communication issues that arise during the entitlement process can plague a project before it’s ever built. Listen in as Brownstein’s Carolynne White and Greg Vallin discuss the entitlement process and the role of home-rule, how developers can navigate the most common hurdles and risks involved with realistic project timelines and financial sustainability.

In his first year back in office, President Trump committed over $1 trillion to defense spending. With global tensions rising—from Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific—the U.S. is relying on its defense industry to stay ahead. Brownstein’s Defense Team breaks down the delayed NDAA, the recently concluded reconciliation fight and the kickoff of FY2026 appropriations talks.

Landowners looking to sell have a long list of questions to answer before a deal is final. What is the main motivation to sell? What is the risk tolerance? What market factors might impact the final sale? Tune in as Brownstein’s Greg Vallin, a member of the firm’s Master Planned Communities team, sits down with Pete Thompson of the Thompson Group to discuss answers to these questions and other considerations for landowners before selling.

Before heading into the Memorial Day recess, House Republicans met their self-imposed deadline by narrowly passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Now, the reconciliation package moves to the Senate, where it faces criticism from both fiscal conservatives and moderates. Our tax team breaks down the 10 most likely changes that could emerge as the Senate takes up the bill—changes that would only need GOP votes to pass.

When the dust settles, the results of the 2025 Colorado Legislative session will impact the real estate industry. Listen in as Brownstein’s Andi Stader, Sarah Mercer, Abby Kirkbride and Claire Havelda discuss what passed and what the possible short- and long-term impacts will be.

House Republicans are crafting a reconciliation bill to advance President Trump’s legislative agenda, including tax cuts. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a key achievement of President Biden, has faced criticism, particularly regarding its green energy tax credits. In this episode of our continuing tax podcast series, our team discusses the future of clean energy tax provisions in congressional negotiations.

More than 100 days into the Trump administration, the spotlight has primarily focused on executive actions. Meanwhile, Congress continues to investigate matters tied to the president’s policy agenda, and issues prioritized by House and Senate committee chairs. Our team revisits the oversight predictions they made after the 2024 elections and examines the risks industries face after the beginning of the 119th Congress.

Colorado counties reassess property taxes for real and personal property every two years. With the notices of valuation for the 2025-2026 cycle being released on May 1, Brownstein Shareholders David Meschke and Justin Cohen explain why commercial property owners need to start preparing to review their assessment notices and decide whether it makes business sense to appeal those determinations.

President Trump has made returning manufacturing jobs to America a cornerstone of both his terms. Republicans in Congress are hoping to lend a helping hand during the drafting of their reconciliation bill by including provisions that offer tax incentives to companies that commit to domestic production. In this episode of our tax podcast, we delve into the potential structure of these credits and explore whether lawmakers might draw inspiration from past tax legislation, including the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act.

With the reconciliation framework in place, congressional Republicans face the challenge of crafting a final bill. As they aim to solidify tax provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, deliver on promises President Trump made to working-class voters and address broader tax concerns, lawmakers are searching for methods to offset the costs of their ambitious policy agenda. Today, Brownstein’s tax team explore proposals gaining traction in Washington, including increasing taxes on individuals earning over $1 million. They'll examine the feasibility of this departure from conservative orthodoxy and discuss alternative strategies Congress might consider.

Construction defect litigation has loomed large over Colorado’s development industry for more than a decade. From insurance issues to HOA lawsuits after the fact, construction defects can impact any stage in the life cycle of a development and the threat of lawsuits been used as a scapegoat for Colorado’s lagging housing supply. Tune in as Brownstein’s Kevin Walsh and Corey Zurbuch go over the legal landscape surrounding construction defects and how the related volley of statutory changes, judicial rulings and litigation have impacted communities in Colorado.

Jan. 20, 2025, marked the starting line of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term. This podcast is part of a series tracking critical policy issues the White House may look to act on during the defining period of any president’s administration. This week, our team examines the state of congressional negotiations on appropriations bills that continue government operations, and budgetary reconciliation efforts that advance the Republican policy agenda.

Jan. 20, 2025, marked the starting line of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term. This podcast is part of a series tracking critical policy issues the White House may look to act on during the defining period of any president’s administration. This week, our team delves into artificial intelligence: examining how the Trump administration and Congress aim to advance the technology, and how states might respond or even preempt federal policymaking.

Tax law allows those who itemize their returns to deduct certain state and local taxes, this is known as the SALT deduction. The provision was capped for individuals regardless of marital status at $10,000 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a revenue raiser, upsetting those in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. With current razor thin margins in Congress and members of both parties representing these areas, our tax team dives into how the House and Senate may negotiate the caps and how they could be extended to corporations in 2025 tax legislation.

Jan. 20, 2025, marked the starting line of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term. This podcast is part of a series tracking critical policy issues the White House may look to act on during the defining period of any president’s administration. This week, we focus on how Trump may handle tax policy, including expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, campaign promises of additional tax relief and reshaping the federal tax collecting agencies.

Jan. 20, 2025, marked the starting line of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term. This podcast is part of a series tracking critical policy issues the White House may look to act on during the defining period of any president’s administration. This week, our team discusses early policymaking by the Trump team and the reaction of congressional Republicans, as well as how industry stakeholders can ensure their interests are considered under the GOP trifecta.

Some of the biggest constraints for homebuilders in Nevada is availability of land and water, government approvals and construction costs. Listen in as Greg Vallin and Michael Alires, members of Brownstein's Master Planned Community group, talk through how developers and homebuilders in the state can navigate these regulatory hurdles under tight deadlines and unpredictable costs.

In the next Congress, Republican lawmakers, who now control the White House and Capitol Hill, will attempt to pass a majority of their agenda through the reconciliation process. Navigating thin majorities in the House and Senate, legislators will look for funding sources to pay for new policies, including tax relief for millions of Americans and their businesses. In this conversation, Brownstein Shareholders Russ Sullivan and Rosemary Becchi talk about where members of Congress may look to off-set their revenue reduction plans.

While on the campaign trail, President-elect Trump didn’t just promise to extend the tax cuts he passed with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017, he promised additional tax breaks for Americans. Ranging from the removal of taxes on tips and overtime for workers to reductions in corporate rates for businesses, tax legislation in the next administration will have wide-reaching effects. Our tax policy team breaks down these proposals and discusses their likelihood of inclusion in reconciliation legislation.

When it comes to master-planned communities in Colorado, developing water supply is an increasingly complicated area—often costing more and taking much longer than anticipated. Tune in as Brownstein’s Greg Vallin and Wayne Forman dive into the complexity and difficulty of water resource development and acquiring water rights for real estate development under Colorado law.