Signs of a Good Realtor – Part 1

The Ukiah Valley has plenty of Realtors, so it can be hard to know who to choose. Here are some ways to figure out which…

Predicting Mortgage Rates Part 2

Last week, I reviewed the effects of interest rates on home affordability. This week, we’ll look a bit more closely at the market factors that…

How Can Legislators Support Home Ownership Responsibly?

Plenty of studies demonstrate the connection between home ownership and building wealth—for the current generation and for generations that follow. Unfortunately, with the economy’s current…

Make an Impression with Home Staging

When it comes to selling a house, most people want three things: the highest possible price, the shortest possible time on the market, and the…

What’s To Be Done About Noisy Neighbors?

In college, my friend’s dorm room was next door to a guy who played incredibly loud music late into the night. My friend was an…

Buying Homeowners Insurance in a Fire-Prone Area

Insurance companies are always trying to reduce risk to improve their bottom line and, if idealists are to be believed, to prevent the heartache associated…

Predicting Mortgage Rates Part 1

For the last ten years, mortgage rates have remained relatively steady and quite low. I knew those rates couldn’t last forever, but I certainly couldn’t…

How Can We Get Rents Down?

Since 2017, I’ve been complaining about an executive order passed by Governor Newsom that limited property owners’ ability to raise rents to keep up with…

Trees on the Line

If you’re wondering who owns the tree that hangs over both your property and your neighbor’s property, look at the trunk. If the trunk is…

New Market, New Loans

For at least the last five years, interest rates have been at historical lows. Coupled with a housing shortage, these low rates have contributed to…