As you prepare to sell your house, you may be tempted to engage in practices that could ruin your opportunity to get the best return on your investment. Here are some tips to come out on top. Don’t rush the process Selling a house can be nerve wracking, so it’s understandable when sellers jump at … Read more
Recently, homeowners in Rogina Heights were stunned to discover that after moving out of their home in preparation to sell, someone had setup living quarters there by crawling through the wood box (a box used to load firewood from the outdoors and access the wood from the indoors). Squatting is on the rise and removing … Read more
For the last several years, rates for homeowner’s insurance for single family homes have skyrocketed. A few years back, a friend of mine paid about $1400 per year for insurance. Today, he pays about $28,000 per year—that’s a 20-fold increase. It’s enough to make you ask, “Do I really need this insurance?” The cost of … Read more
Last week, I shared some important questions that people who are in the market to buy a home should ask so they can make the best decisions possible. If you’re like most people, buying a home will be the largest purchase you’ll ever make, so I recommend finding out everything you can. In addition to … Read more
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
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
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