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
When a buyer wants to purchase a property but doesn’t want to pay the whole price in cash, and the seller wants to sell the property but doesn’t need the whole amount in cash, an opportunity exists for both to get what they want through seller financing. The buyer can acquire a property that may … Read more
Covenants, conditions and restrictions, or CC&Rs, are almost always put in place when a subdivision is created. They cover a large range of property rights and uses, determining issues as broad as the height of your fence to whether you can park an RV in your driveway. Some CC&Rs can be quite restrictive; governing details … Read more