I’ve talked about how to hire a realtor and a lender, but they probably won’t be the only professionals you need during your real estate transaction. You may need an insurance agent, home inspector, pest and fungus inspector, several contractors, landscapers, appraisers, and others. I’ll cover some of these in this column and some next … Read more
I was recently asked how important water is when deciding whether to buy a rural property. My answer? It’s about as important as water is to your body–yep, it’s that important. If you’re considering building a home on a property that has no water district, three primary options are open to you: drill a well, … Read more
Last week, I talked about how to hire a realtor. This week, I thought I’d review the basics of hiring a lender. A lender’s job is to find a loan with the best rate available for you. With the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, banks now have very little flexibility, … Read more
A few months back, I wrote about why you should consider hiring a realtor if you plan to buy or sell a home. What I neglected to mention was how to hire a realtor. Like anything, if you’ve never done it before, it’s hard to be an expert out of the gate. Briefly, here’s a … Read more
As a real estate broker, I follow trends on why people buy and rent homes in Ukiah, and whether more people are coming to town or leaving. Lately things have been changing. Until recently, about 80 percent of new rentals in our property management department related to people moving within Mendocino County, but starting in … Read more
Lots of Californians have purchased homes so far this year, and the California Association of Realtors did a little research to find out why. More than a third of California homebuyers cited price reductions as their reason to buy. Housing prices are still down as much as 35 percent from their peak (before the economic … Read more
Even though interest rates are up about a quarter of a percent, the housing market remains strong (maybe because interest rates are going up – folks want to make a move before rates go higher). Basically, with the same monthly payment, a quarter point rise in rates reduces the amount of loan you can get … Read more
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating: in this market, sometimes you need more cash to rent a house than to buy it. If you’re interested in owning your own home, read on. Several loan programs allow buyers to purchase a home for less cash than a conventional (bank) loan and sometimes … Read more
This column is in response to a community member’s request. I’m about to provide information that should be used as a basis for discussion with your accountant or financial planner. I’m not either, so I’m simply sharing my opinion, NOT giving advice here. The question I received was, “Should I use my Individual Retirement Account … Read more