This is the third in a three-part series about recommendations on how to perform an annual home safety audit. This time, I’ll focus on the outdoors, specifically, fire-safe landscaping. You may have noticed that in mid-May, workers could be found along many public roads clearing brush and removing low-hanging branches. They were hired to do … Read more
As I mentioned last week, once you’ve lived in a house for a while, little details often become invisible, which is why annual safety audits are such a good idea. Here’s a continuation of last week’s checklist to keep your home safe and in good repair. Kitchen Fire Extinguishers To keep everyone safe in the … Read more
When you are in the process of buying a house, you pay attention to the smallest details about the property. But after you’ve lived in a house for a while, those details often become invisible. This is why it’s such a good idea to do an annual safety audit. It forces you to pay attention … Read more
Summer is the perfect time to take on a few home maintenance projects, so before the sunshine gives way to fall showers, here are some recommendations. If you see peeling, cracked, or chipped paint, consider painting the exterior of your home to protect the siding underneath. Now’s also a great time to seal cracks in … Read more
If you’re a landlord or property manager, you know how important it is to screen tenants properly. This becomes more complicated when you consider renting to friends or family members. It’s one thing to tell a stranger you need to run a credit check and confirm their income level; it can feel very different asking … Read more
Your credit score is one of the ways mortgage lenders determine whether you’re a good bet, that is, whether to loan you money so you can buy real estate. Most credit scores range from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating more creditworthiness. A good score is considered above 650. Your score is based on … Read more
In the wake of COVID-19, some companies have announced plans to allow employees to work from home permanently, freeing people to live anywhere. What does this mean for Mendocino County? Maybe nothing or maybe we’ll have an influx of city dwellers ready to escape the rat race. Lucky for them, working isn’t the only thing … Read more
Landlords sometimes wonder whether they can use a tenant’s security deposit to cover unpaid rent. The answer depends on whether the landlord planned ahead. Although security deposits cannot be used to cover “normal wear and tear,” California law allows property owners to use security deposits and pet deposits to pay for various tenant expenses, as … Read more
Sometimes when I’m scrolling through information online, I find an entertaining and informative blog that pertains to my line of work. This happened recently when I found a blog titled, “Odd, Bizarre, and Restrictive Rental Rules” by the Tenant Screening Center (www.tsci.com). They rightly point out that one of the toughest things about being a … Read more