Beautifully renovated American River Canyon Folsom home! You will love the open, light and bright floorplan! Enter to find a formal living room with cathedral ceilings, flowing seamlessly into the dining area and family room. The remodeled kitchen is the perfect place to refine your culinary skills and features quartz counters, stainless steel appliances including an induction cooktop with a hood vent, built-in oven and separate convection/warming drawer. You will love the island with a spacious breakfast counter, and lots of counter space, and an adjacent eat-in nook. A possible bedroom/den and full bath are located downstairs. The downstairs bathroom has been updated with a tiled floor, new vanity, and granite counters. Upstairs, the spacious primary suite has a luxurious ensuite bathroom including tub, a luxurious stall shower, dual sinks, and a walk-in closet. Three more upstairs hallway bedrooms, and the upstairs hallway jack-and-jill bathroom has dual sinks, a tiled tub/shower, and granite counters. The landscaped backyard is the perfect place for al fresco dining on a crisp evening, and features a concrete patio and plenty of plush grass to garden or play. HUGE 4-car garage! Close proximity to award-winning schools, the American River Parkway, Lake Natoma, and Folsom Lake! Don't wait! Offered at $899,000. For more photos and a 3D virtual tour please visit 300 Katarina Lane, Folsom, CA 95630.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Thursday, September 11, 2025
New Listing - 1480 Bicker Circle, Folsom, CA 95630
Welcome to The Knolls in Folsom! This stylish, former model home offers 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, and 2,322sf (per assessor) of functional light-filled space. You will love the freshly painted interior, tile flooring downstairs, with new carpet upstairs. Designed for modern living, the open layout and kitchen features lots of storage space, stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar seating, and flows seamlessly into the dining area and spacious family room. You will also appreciate the downstairs bedroom and full bathroom, which provide flexibility for guests or multigenerational living. Upstairs, the spacious primary suite includes an ensuite bathroom with two separate vanities- each with a sink. You will love the soaking tub, stall shower, and a large walk-in closet. Two additional upstairs bedrooms share a convenient Jack-and-Jill bathroom, while the upstairs laundry room adds extra storage capacity. Step outside to enjoy a low-maintenance backyard with a charming stamped concrete patio with lots of sunny space to garden, relax, or to entertain. With upstairs sierra views, proximity to Folsom Lake, Folsom Point State Park, The Palladio, award-winning schools, scenic trails, and Historic Folsom, this home combines comfort, convenience, and lifestyle in one perfect package. Don't wait! Offered at $760,000. For more photos and a 3D virtual tour, please visit 1480 Bicker Circle, Folsom, CA 95630.
Friday, August 22, 2025
New Listing: 2814 Karitsa Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95833
Friday, August 15, 2025
New Listing: 5953-5955 Moss Creek Circle, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 (duplex)
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Pro tip: buyers -- how what you say in front of a doorbell camera could affect negotiation on your Sacramento dream home...
In my 20 years as a Sacramento Realtor, I’ve watched plenty of trends come and go, but one of the more recent changes in how we tour homes is the rise of doorbell cameras and smart home devices.
These days, it feels like at least half the homes I list for sellers or show to buyers have one, quietly recording video and, in many cases, audio. That means when you’re chatting with your agent on the front porch, the seller might be able to hear every word. And in real estate, those words can be worth more than you think.
It’s not just the front door, either. Inside, devices like Alexa, Google Home, or built-in security systems can also pick up casual remarks about the home. That innocent “wow this house is amazing” or “I love this kitchen” or discussing what you might offer and how high you are willing to go could easily end up as leverage in negotiations.
Tip from a seasoned Sacramento real estate pro: Save your unfiltered thoughts for after the showing. You never know how your comments might play out once it’s time to make an offer or request repairs.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
New Listing: 4549 Ashcroft Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841 (Fourplex)
Friday, July 18, 2025
What happens when a home with leased solar panels is sold?
Sounds good, right? Almost.
The buyer loved the home. They were especially excited about the idea of lower energy bills and sustainability. But once they got their hands on a copy of the actual solar lease agreement and dug into the fine print, the mood shifted.
The terms weren’t a dealbreaker on the surface, but the buyer had some questions. The monthly solar lease payment increased slightly each year. The agreement required the new owner to formally assume the lease through the solar company’s process, which involved a credit check and added paperwork. At the conclusion of the 20-year term, the homeowner did not actually own the solar panels...instead they had the option to extend the lease, or have the panels removed, or IF they wanted to buy those panels there was a balloon payment option at the end of the term. The buyer wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being locked into a third-party agreement they hadn’t chosen. On the upside, not owning the panels meant they did not have responsibility for maintaining the panels. The buyers were torn...
Rather than walk away, the buyer made an ask: they loved the idea of having a home with solar panels, but only if they could own them outright. After a little back-and-forth, both sides reached an agreement: the seller agreed to pay off the solar agreement at closing, which converted the system from a leased asset to an owned one and gave the new owner full ownership of the solar array from day one.
So many homeowners in Sacramento are now installing rooftop solar systems (and rooftop solar is actually required on new construction homes!), but not everyone realizes how it can affect a sale. The reality is that many buyers will happily assume a solar lease from a seller, while other buyers will not love it and want to negotiate with the seller to pay off the solar to own it outright.
Leased Solar vs. Power Purchase Agreement Solar vs. Owned Solar: What sellers and buyers should know...
Leased Solar Systems are owned by a third party. Homeowners pay a monthly amount for the use of the solar system. These leases often last +/-20 years and are usually transferable, but buyers need to qualify and agree to the lease terms.
Owned Solar Systems, whether paid in cash or financed and paid off, are treated like other fixtures. They generally add value to a home and are simple to transfer because there’s no lease to assume.
What to do if you are selling a home with Solar...?
Pull out your solar contract before you put your home on the market...buyers will want to review it. They likley also will ask for copies of your energy bills...be prepared and download 12-months of your bills so buyers can evaluate the seasonal fluctuation of power production and utility billing, AND so they can look at your "true-up" bill if you have one. In California, you will also want to complete the "Solar Advisory and Questionnaire" Disclosure.
Be upfront about whether the system is leased, on a power purchase agreement, or owned (with or without a loan). And be prepared to discuss options: Are you willing to pay off the lease? And how much does it cost to pay off the lease? Can the lease or power purchase agreement be assigned? Will the buyer need to apply to assume it?
In my case, the seller closed the sale, and the buyer got a great home and a fully-owned solar system. But it was only possible because we had the right conversations upfront, read the fine print, and stayed flexible.
So yes, you can absolutely sell a home with solar in Sacramento. But whether it’s smooth and seamless or unexpectedly sticky depends on many factors.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
What Happens When You Discover an Old Water Well on a Suburban Property?
In rural property transactions, it’s pretty typical to come across homes that rely on water wells for water rather than municipal water. In many rural areas (around here think places like Elverta, Wilton, Rio Linda, Herald, etc), municipal water systems don’t exist as they are located too far outside of cities or county service areas, where public water infrastructure is only extended so far...when I sell a home with a water well, we commonly inspect them for structural integrity, water quality and quantity, and that the pump equipment works well. No big deal...another day at the office.
But in suburbia, encountering a water well is a lot less common. So when I’m representing a buyer on a suburban home and we learn there’s a old well on the property, my antennae go up. And that’s exactly what happened recently in Carmichael.
The home is fully connected to public utilities now: water, sewer, etc. But as we reviewed the property disclosures, the seller noted something unusual: an old water well in the backyard. It hadn’t been operational for decades. Just... there. And the hole just covered with a small piece of concrete the size of a garden paver.
Naturally, my buyer had questions. And so did I. We started digging (figuratively of course, LOL). I reached out to my go-to local well service contractor to learn more about the rules and risks. Turns out, unused wells -- especially old ones -- can pose serious hazards. For one, they’re often incredibly deep (this one was measured to be 138 feet deep!). That is a major safety risk. Remember the story of Baby Jessica? No one wants a hidden vertical shaft on their property, especially if they have kids or pets. And then there’s the environmental angle. If surface water from a storm, or someone washing their car, or sprinkler runoff after fertilizing the lawn gets into that well it could carry contaminants directly into the groundwater supply. That’s a big deal for neighborhood water districts that depend on groundwater for their water.State law requires that abandoned wells be properly destroyed—meaning sealed from bottom to top with approved materials like concrete, to prevent contamination and collapse. Sacramento County Department of Environmental Management oversees this process in the county. The process has to be handled by a licensed C-57 well contractor, with permits, inspections, and documentation filed.
So this week, I stood in the backyard of that Carmichael home as the County supervised the destruction of that old well. The contractor pumped concrete all the way to the surface—officially sealing off that 138-foot well shaft once and for all. In this case, we negotiated that the seller pay for this...and it was not cheap.It was a great reminder: even in the middle of suburbia, properties can come with surprises.
If you’re buying or selling a Sacramento home and come across something like this, don’t panic—but do ask questions. The solution might just be a little concrete, some paperwork, and peace of mind.