THINK TWICE ABOUT ATTIC AND RAFTERS STORAGE! October 30, 2011

A man in Michigan is suing his in-laws because he fell through their attic helping them retrieve Christmas decorations.  So we are using this opportunity to remind everyone most attics are built for one purpose – to hold up the roof.  The rafters and trusses are designed to support the weight of the roofing material.  They are [...]

WHEN IS A WIRE TRANSFER NOT A WIRE TRANSFER? October 13, 2011

This was one of the easiest short sales we have handled until today!  Last Monday our clients signed their loan docs so escrow could close Friday.  All they had to do was wire the rest of their down payment and closing costs to the title company.  Before leaving the office, the buyers were given the [...]

TOP TEN WAYS TO LOWER THE VALUE OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD September 23, 2011

(or How to make it difficult for your neighbor to sell his home) Don’t mow the grass or water it.  Two foot high dead weeds are always a neighborhood downer. Let juniper hedges and ivy overgrow the public sidewalks.  This will keep nosy people from walking past your house while giving rats a nice place [...]

USERS, MAINTAINERS, IMPROVERS – OH, MY! September 5, 2011

After viewing thousands of homes over the years, we have noticed that there are three basic types of homeowners: Users, Maintainers, and Improvers.  You know them; you see them; they live in your neighborhood.  Some times they live in the same house together. The User tends to defer maintenance as long as possible.  Problems are [...]

SO YOU THINK YOUR HOME IS IN A TRUST September 1, 2011

 Many homeowners have their homes in their trust for tax and legal purposes or to avoid probate.  However, when refinancing a home, a lender will usually require the property to be taken out of the trust and put back into the owner’s name so the owner will be responsible for the loan, not the trust.  This [...]

TOP TEN PHYSICAL INSPECTION ITEMS August 30, 2011

Selling a home can have a lot of emotional ups and downs.  That roller coaster ride does not end with a signed contract.  Sellers have been known to lose their lunch on the Physical Inspection Plunge.  Safety issues will usually be recapped in a report and these are especially of concern to buyers. Following are [...]

HOW WILL CALIFORNIA PAY FOR A FIRST-TIME BUYER CREDIT? March 28, 2010

The California First-Time Buyer Tax Credit is designed to be an economic stimulus plan.  Following is the typical scenario that the State is banking on: Several years ago, Mark received an inheritance from his grandfather and decided to purchase a two bedroom, one bath condominium for $150,000.  This home served him well, but three years [...]

RENTER BEWARE! October 3, 2009

A rental scam generated in craiglist.com is thwarted when potential victim calls agent listed on “For Sale” sign.