Did you ever play the game 20 Questions as a kid? If you could identify what your opponent was thinking within 20 questions, you won; otherwise your opponent won. Well, in real estate sometimes Realtors feel like they are playing 20 Questions with their clients. They really want to meet or exceed their clients’ … Read more
Most of us think we won’t be duped by a scammer, but these people are good at what they do and desperation sometimes causes us to bypass our common sense. With the rental market in Ukiah as tight as it is, people are frantic to find a place to live, which can cause them to … Read more
For the vast majority of American homeowners, their home is the single largest asset they will ever own; and like the rest of their financial assets, upon their death, that asset will need to be dealt with. Most likely, if your spouse survives you, ownership of your property will be transferred to your spouse. Depending … Read more
In California we have deeds of trust rather than mortgages, and when we get real estate loans, our lenders are typically the trustees who receive a deed of trust with the power of sale (since they put up the money to purchase the property). If all goes as it should, when you finish paying off … Read more
When prospective homebuyers think about jumping into the market, they like to see what’s for sale in their price range with the amenities they’re looking for in their geographic location. They typically go online and find various sites promising to make their search easy and quick. Generally, these are empty promises, and one of the … Read more
I’ll start by saying I’m not generally in favor of government rebates or subsidies. If investing in something does not make sense without a rebate, then the rebate will result in an inefficient allocation of resources at the expense of either the taxpayer or other rate payers. However, right now the City of Ukiah is … Read more
Last week I reviewed a list of items to consider when buying a home. As a homebuyer, you typically know how many bedrooms you need, how many bathrooms you’d like and a basic layout that matches your lifestyle. But you may not realize the impact of little things like a lack of adequate storage space … Read more
When considering which house to buy, something that seems unimportant at first blush can become a nagging pain in the back (or lower) over time. Since spring is here, many people are thinking about either remodeling or buying a new home. This being the case, let’s consider how important some of these items can … Read more
I’ve been asked why we don’t see more new homes constructed in our valley, and the answer is simple: it’s too expensive. Right now it is significantly more expensive to build than to buy because building costs don’t stop with time and materials. Let’s say you are driving along and you see a beautiful meadow … Read more