Use Title Companies to Avoid Fraud

Recently, one of my REALTORs received a phone call from someone who lives in Spain but owns property in Ukiah. The caller wanted to sell his 800 acres of unimproved land and needed to do so somewhat quickly because he had some family medical expenses to cover. The seller seemed reasonable and motivated, so the … Read more


Time to Winterize

As the weather starts to cool, it’s a good time to prepare your home for winter. Gutters I usually start annual maintenance and upkeep before the rains come by cleaning out the gutters. It’s a lot easier to remove dead leaves and dry debris with a leaf blower before everything gets soggy and heavy. However, … Read more


Is the house you want to buy haunted?

With Halloween right around the corner, this seemed like a good time to discuss how to determine whether you’re about to buy a haunted house. Although I suppose any home could be haunted, the best ghost stories usually involve old mansions. As it happens, the Ukiah Valley has quite a few properties dating back to … Read more


Here’s What Makes a Successful Open House

Open houses are a great way for REALTORS to promote properties for sale, allowing prospective buyers to kick the tires, so to speak. It’s one thing to look at pictures of a home for sale. It’s a whole different experience to test whether the mirrored closet doors roll smoothly on their tracks. When you walk … Read more


Proposition 33 on Rent Control Isn’t the Answer

On the November ballot, you’ll see Proposition 33: Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative (2024), a measure designed to undo the Costa-Hawkins Act from 1995. Whenever I see legislation in favor of rent control, I want to offer everyone with a vote a free class in basic economics. There’s no denying I’m biased … Read more


High-density Housing

I like to keep up with state and national real estate trends, because what happens elsewhere can affect us, either directly or indirectly. To that end, I just learned about a new mixed-use development in Los Angeles, funded in part by Costco. (Mixed-use zoning allows multiple uses on a given plot of land, for example, … Read more


Improve Community Safety: Vote Yes on Proposition 36

On the November ballot, you’ll see California Proposition 36: Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative. Some people are calling this a “tough-on-crime” initiative, but really, it’s a common-sense initiative intended to fix a whole bunch of problems caused by Proposition 47. I had a conversation with Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall and … Read more


City Tax Sharing and Annexation

I recently spent some time with the Ukiah city manager, Sage Sangiacomo, and a city council member, Doug Crane, to learn more about a proposed tax sharing and annexation agreement between the City of Ukiah and Mendocino County. Based on the agreement, ultimately, the new city limits could more than double the City’s current footprint. … Read more


Close Escrow Before September 30

If you are in escrow and the property you’re buying requires flood insurance, you might want to speed things along. The vast majority of flood insurance is provided through the National Flood Insurance Program, a government program that is about to expire (again) on September 30, 2024. If it doesn’t get renewed in a timely … Read more