New Safety Law for Balconies
In June of 2015, a dozen or so UC Berkeley students were celebrating a friend’s twenty-first birthday out on the balcony of a fifth-floor apartment…
Category: Real Estate
Housing Affordability – Is Now the Time to Buy?
Every quarter, the California Association of Realtors publishes an update to the Housing Affordability Index, a measure of the percentage of households that can afford…
Updating Your Homeowners’ Insurance Policy
When you purchase a home, lenders almost always require you to acquire homeowners’ insurance. What they don’t tell you is that they are primarily looking…
School Impact Fees – A Tradition of Inaccurate Assessments
The State of California allows public school districts to impose impact fees (also called developer fees) on new residential and commercial construction, based on the…
The Tax Benefits of Home Ownership
Home ownership comes with many benefits, including tax advantages. Here are a few ways that owning a home can save you money.Mortgage Interest DeductionWhen you…
How to Hire for Home Repairs
Are you considering a home remodel or building a new house? Here are some questions you should ask before you choose a contractor or other…
A Scam You Don’t Really Need to Worry About
Recently, a Ukiah homeowner reached out to me, concerned about a letter he received offering insurance to protect against scam artists who might want to…
Senior Living: How and When to Downsize
When you’re ready to downsize, figuring out what to do with your existing home is often the most difficult decision. The good news is that…
The Financial Benefits of Home Ownership
Last week, I wrote about some of the tax benefits that come with home ownership. Here are more ways to maximize the financial benefits of…
An Expensive Calamity
Most folks in Mendocino County have heard of the Assessor’s Office, the Auditor’s Office, and the Tax Collector’s Office, but very few could tell you…