After years of drought, many of us are pleased to hear that it is supposed to be a wet winter; however, some of us get a little nervous when we hear meteorologists predicting an especially strong El Nino year, because that can mean flooding. If you buy a home in a federally designated flood zone … Read more
Recently, rural properties in California have had a harder time qualifying for homeowner’s insurance. After the big fires in 2014 (and the not-so-big Black Bart Fire locally), many insurance companies have declined new requests for coverage and even opted not to renew existing policies. Why? Because the Department of Insurance disallowed a rate increase for … Read more
If you don’t spend much of your time buying and selling homes, you probably don’t have a clear sense of what title insurance is or why it’s important. Like many types of insurance, it’s not important–unless it is, and then it’s crucial. People can have unrecorded or unofficial rights to your property, so it’s important … Read more
Before I jump into the topic of who pays for what on a rental property, let me say that contracts trump all. If you sign a contract that gives away your rights or requires you to pay for uncommon expenses, it doesn’t matter what’s “typical.” You have to comply with the contract. When you own … Read more
Sometimes life goes in a direction you don’t expect—either positive or negative. So this week, I thought I’d write about one way to prepare for surprises of the unpleasant variety. (Most of us can handle the happy surprises without too much preparation.) Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, I strongly recommend investing in homeowner’s or … Read more