Once winter weather hits in California, the housing market slows: homeowners don’t want to spend time outside sprucing up their property in cold, wet conditions and this weather usually means the holidays are approaching—when most people would rather spend time with family than focus on selling their home. It’s much more fun to think about … Read more
Real estate, like many industries, has a whole language of terms and definitions that make sense to those of us who live and breathe real estate, but that can leave homeowners in the dark. So I thought I’d shed a little light on the subject. Licensed Real Estate Agent – someone licensed by the California … Read more
Buying a house is likely to be one of the biggest purchases (if not the biggest purchase) you will ever make, so I recommend protecting yourself with a home warranty. Home warranties can cover everything from repairing plumbing leaks to replacing a central heat and air system. They are particularly important at the time of … Read more
If you buy a home in a federally designated flood zone with a federally insured loan (and most loans fall into this category), you are required to purchase flood insurance. Sometimes, property that falls within a designated zone on a map isn’t all that likely to flood, yet the insurance is still required—with one exception: … Read more
You’ve heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Well, it’s true with home maintenance, too. After writing about earthquakes and disaster preparedness recently, I received a note from a reader who told me about a “motion-activated” gas shut off valve. I called local plumber John Chan to get the … Read more
How Can I Put Zero Cash Down And Still Buy a House? Sometimes people make enough money to pay a monthly mortgage payment, but just can’t seem to save up a down payment. If that’s the case, there’s still hope. Both the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal Housing Authority (FHA) provide home … Read more
I’ve talked generally about saving money by retrofitting your home with energy efficient upgrades, but after reviewing previous columns, I realize I haven’t provided specific details about how to get money back from government entities or organizations like PG&E. So, here goes. The City of Ukiah is offering a rebate for upgrading to energy-efficient bulbs, … Read more
As some of you may have read in the paper earlier this week, my company is sponsoring a contest to make Ukiah a safer place in which to live and work. Is this self-serving? Sure. The publicity is nice for Realty World Selzer Realty. However, my motivation goes beyond publicity. I’ve lived in Ukiah my … Read more
Preparing for a disaster that may never occur is rarely at the top of my to do lists, and yet, at some point, it should be. Since September is National Preparedness Month, this seems like as good a time as any. And if you ask the folks in Napa who recently felt the jolt of … Read more