Now is a good time to do the routine maintenance that will keep your home in good working order—and make winter a cozier affair. Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Given the recent wildfires, it is especially important to keep alarm batteries fresh. To avoid the middle-of-the-night alert that your batteries have expired, change the … Read more
After years of drought, many of us are pleased to hear that it may be a wet winter; however, some of us get a little nervous when we hear meteorologists predicting a La Nina year after wildfires, because that can mean flooding and potentially, mudslides. If you buy a home in a federally designated flood … Read more
Not long after the pandemic started, many supply chains were interrupted, which caused the prices of some goods and services to skyrocket. One of those was lumber. Between a lack of stock and an increased demand from do-it-yourselfers who were stuck at home during lockdowns, lumber prices went through the roof. Well, if you’re still … Read more
Once people decide to sell their house, they usually don’t want the experience to drag on too long. Here are some tips to sell your house quickly. Some may surprise you. Choose a Good Realtor Although it may seem self-serving to suggest hiring a Realtor as the first order of business, I do so in … Read more
If you’re thinking of buying a house (or a car, or a business, or anything else that requires a loan), be aware that lenders will use your credit score to determine whether to make the loan, how much to lend, and cost of the loan. Because credit scores consider so many variables, they can predict … Read more
I recently ran across an interesting article about some of the challenges millennials face when it comes to buying their first homes; one of the biggest challenges is their own misconceptions about what it takes. Millennials were born in the 1980s and early ‘90s, so they are mostly in their 30s now. One of the … Read more
When I see people, especially older folks, selling their real estate holdings so they can give the revenues to their children, it makes me sad because I know that by selling, they are inadvertently giving much of their money to Uncle Sam. If you own a property, it is best to bequeath it to your … Read more
As if historic droughts, seasonal wildfires, and a pandemic aren’t enough, pests have decided to join the fray. Rodents have come in from the less inhabited parts of Mendocino County to take advantage of all the food, water, and shelter humans have to offer. I know this because until recently, my home was providing far … Read more
Anyone in the market to buy a house right now knows how competitive the market is. People are offering tens of thousands of dollars over the asking price and still getting outbid. The California Association of Realtors recently reported that the median price for single-family homes in the state is $720,500 and rising. The median … Read more