If you want to buy a home, prepare to ask a lot of questions. This is not a time to be shy or to hold back because you think someone might be offended by a question. If you’re like most people, this real estate purchase will be the largest purchase of your life, so I … Read more
Recently, I received a letter from a woman who wanted to share her experience as a cautionary tale for trusting souls who may inadvertently lose their homes to unscrupulous family members. She and her sweetheart (they aren’t married) are in a legal mess because her partner made a verbal contract with his son, and according … Read more
If you receive Medicare benefits, it’s important to know how selling your house may affect your taxable income—and therefore, your monthly Medicare premiums. While most everyone of a certain age is entitled to federal healthcare benefits through Medicare, high-income earners pay higher premiums for their coverage. In 2023, individuals with a modified adjusted gross income … Read more
Everyone likes roads, parks, streetlights, and a sewer system that extends all the way to their neighborhood. These amenities are useful and important for a safe and functional community. What everyone may not agree on is how to pay for these things. Years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that local governments could no longer force … Read more
Technology continues to evolve, and with it, so do the ways we can be deceived. I’m not talking about artificial intelligence, but rather old-fashioned fraud perpetrated with new tools. In real estate, at least two types of fraud have happened right here in Mendocino County. Lest you think you’re immune, beware. The people who got … Read more
In 2019, the City of Ukiah completed three of the four phases required to build a water recycling system, often referred to as the purple pipe project. The fourth phase is currently underway. As of now, the City produces about 1,000-acre feet of recycled water annually, which it uses for agricultural irrigation, parks, the golf … Read more
In a recent nationwide survey of more than 1,600 people, respondents shared some of the reasons they would consider leaving their hometown (or their home state) as opposed to what kept them there. This is interesting to me both as a real estate broker and as a community member. One of the hot topics was … Read more
Last year was a perfect storm for the housing market: interest rates and homeowner’s insurance premiums skyrocketed, wages were stagnant, and fewer houses were on the market. So, it’s no wonder that last year was the least affordable year on record for single-family homes. “Affordable” indicates that people with the median income for an area … Read more
Traditionally, spring is the time when people put their houses up for sale. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the hope is that the beauty of the season will render the homes on the market irresistible to prospective buyers. This spring, we’re likely to see quite a bit more inventory. People have mostly recovered … Read more