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
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
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
As the drought continues in California, water rights will probably become more interesting to many of us, like this local Willits reader who said, “Recently at a road association meeting in my Willits neighborhood, water rights came up. A neighbor said that the superior water right holder for our area was the Brooktrails Township, even … Read more
This summer I’ve written three “Real Estate Investing” columns covering single family residential properties; duplexes, four-plexes and apartment complexes with fewer than five units; and larger apartment complexes (with up to sixteen units). I recently received a request to write a column on investing in commercial real estate, so here you go. Commercial property is … Read more
A couple weeks ago, I talked about title insurance and how it can help you guard against unexpected liens on your property (someone having legal rights to your property that trump yours). I made a reference to an easement and promised to define it, so here you go. According to legaldictionary.law.com, an easement is “ the … Read more
With the longer days of summer, some of you have a little more time on your hands, providing an excellent opportunity to prevent future hassles. How? By making a floor plan. First, grab a tape measure, paper, and if, like me, you were not blessed with the coordination required to draw a straight line, a … Read more