New listing - 4405 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95864

This 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2,052sf Sacramento home has been lovingly maintained by the current owner for nearly 3 decades. You will be WOWed by the unmatched style and features, and awesome location! Step inside to find a formal living room, adjacent formal dining area. All new kitchen in 2017 with quartz counters and full backsplash overlooks backyard and family room! Large hallway bedrooms and remodeled hallway bathrooms! Enviable primary suite features a large walk-in closet, personal craft/workspace closet, remodeled ensuite bathroom with dual sinks, separate soaking tub and stall shower. Upstairs find a sizable 4th bedroom/loft area. HUGE, quarter acre park-like backyard with lots of sunny space to garden or play, areas shaded by tree canopy, two storage sheds, RV access. Refinished original oak floors, newer tile and carpet throughout. Composition roof, central HVAC, dual pane windows, inside laundry area, dual water heaters, and 2-car attached garage. All this located near award-winning k-12 schools, parks, shopping, restaurants & more. Don't wait! Offered at $599,900. For more photos, a video, and 3D tour, visit 4405 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95864.

It's time to 'Check Before You Burn' in Sacramento...

It's that time of year again...I had the first fire of the season just this last weekend. And as per usual between November and February, in Sacramento, I had to check the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District website - luckily it was ok to burn that day.

If you are not already in the habit of checking before you burn - you need to do it!

Sacramento County residents and businesses are restricted, or potentially prohibited from using indoor or outdoor fireplaces, wood stoves, firepits and chimineas that burn wood, pellets, manufactured logs or any other solid fuel, when fine particle pollution is forecast to be elevated. And if you burn on a "no burn day" there are penalties. First time violations will result in a $50 fine or an option to complete and pass a wood smoke awareness course. Fines for subsequent violations are higher. Call 1-877-NOBURN-5 (1-877-662-8765) to get the daily burn status, check online, or you can subscribe to a daily "Air Alert" as I have, where the air forecast is emailed to you.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department volunteers will do "Vacation Checks" while you are out of town...

When you're on vacation or away from your home for an extended period of time, would it give you peace of mind if someone was checking your house occasionally to make sure it is secure? I know I sure would love that at my house!

Do you live in the Sacramento County area? 

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and its "Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff" (VIPS) provide a free service to do "vacation checks" for Sacramento County area residents. They will visit the home while residents are away and perform periodic checks that the property is secure. You can find out more information about this program or sign up for this service at a local Sacramento Sheriff Service Center near you.

Do you have a Sacramento home to sell that one of my buyer clients might like?

And continuing with my buyer clients "wants and needs" series of blog posts -- here are what some of my buyer clients are looking for...are you (thinking about) selling a home that would meet any of these buyers' needs?

"Buyers A" are very well-qualified pre-approved first-time home buyers. They would like to live in Garden of the Gods or a nearby neighborhood in the Arden or Carmichael area. They are looking 3+ bedrooms, and 2+ bathrooms, decent closet and storage space, and a .15ac+ yard. Real hardwood flooring and a 2-car garage are both "must haves", and they do not mind something that needs updating. A large side yard or RV access would be a plus. Their max purchase price is $350,000.

"Buyer B" is a very well-qualified pre-approved investor buyer seeking a duplex. He ideally would like a property in the Citrus Heights, Arden, Carmichael, or nearby Sacramento areas. He would prefer 2+ bedrooms on each side and rents in the $800/month+ range for each unit. He is doing a 1031 Exchange. His max purchase price is $250,000.

"Buyers C" are very well-qualified pre-approved buyers. They ideally would like a newer or remodeled home in Arden Park, Carmichael, Land Park, East Sacramento or Pocket/Greenhaven. They would like 4+ bedrooms, and 3+ bathrooms, and 2,000sf or more. If a 2-story home, they must have a downstairs bedroom and bathroom. Their max purchase price is $750,000.

"Buyer D" is a cash buyer seeking a single family home, condo or half-plex.  He ideally would like home in the South Land Park, Hollywood Park, or Pocket/Greenhaven neighborhoods. He would like 2+ bedrooms, and 1+ bathrooms, and 1+car garage. A fixer or turn-key property would be ok. His max purchase price is $225,000.

If you own a home that seems to meet any of this criteria and are thinking about selling (or know someone who is), please contact me -- I may have a buyer for your home! If you need to do a short sale, I can certainly facilitate that as well, and am happy to talk to you to see if we are a good fit to work together.

On another note, I am working with numerous other buyers who are looking for homes in several other Sacramento area neighborhoods -- please contact me if you would like more details, and look for future posts.

Every home owner starts as a first time home buyer at some point...myself included!

I vividly remember when I purchased my first home in 1998. I was young; a full-time college student, working a full-time job, and I had a small chunk of money that my parents told me I should use as a downpayment on a home. Homes were not really advertised on the internet at that point, and I looked through the newspaper for homes that looked interesting. I found my Realtor by calling about one of his listings. He was the only agent who took my inquiry seriously...others had blown me off. I didn't know where to start in the process. I just knew I wanted to buy a house.

Sound familiar?

This Realtor had the patience of a saint. I was not a big time client looking to spend lots of money but he still took time to work with me. He walked me through the home buying process from start to finish, and answered all of my questions. I had no idea what I was doing, and figured I might only go through the process a couple times in my entire life. He matched me to a great loan officer and helped me get pre-approved for a loan, listened to what I wanted, and showed me properties that matched my criteria. My Mom tagged along as we looked at property and helped me ask questions. After a couple months, and looking at a dozen or so properties, I ended up buying a bank-repo condo in Fair Oaks. It wasn't perfect - I immediately repainted many of the walls, and replaced the HIDEOUSLY UGLY electric blue laminate kitchen counters with white tile. But it was all mine.

That's me in the photo up top, the day I closed escrow, standing in front of my unit holding a housewarming gift. The other photo is at my housewarming party when my friends helped me break in my new BBQ. I was SO excited! Little did I know at that time -- years later -- I would get my real estate license and help first time buyers on a daily basis. Remembering my first home buying experience, I vowed to be like the agent who so patiently helped me with my first purchase.

So, if you are reading this -- know you are on the right track. The first steps involve reaching out to a Realtor and finding someone who is a good fit to help you with your home search. In conjunction with connecting with a Realtor, you will need to find a great lender to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. I work with several outstanding loan officers I can refer you to who also work with lots of first time home buyers in Sacramento. The loan officer will help you establish your home purchase budget based on your income, explain all of the different loan programs available to you, see if you qualify for any downpayment assistnance, let you know how much your downpayment, closing costs, and monthly payment will be. Your Realtor will help you establish which neighborhoods you are interested in, what kind of home you are looking for, and what features are important to you.

Once you have laid the ground work for your purchase, the fun begins and you can start house hunting...there's a lot more from there that your Realtor and loan officer can review with you in person.

Just remember -- have fun, ask questions, get advice when you need it, and know that your home is out there. You just have to go find it. =)

Sacramento Median Home Price February 2014

Well there you have it. After a slower January for sales volume and price (which is pretty typical if you look at trends over the last decade), Sacramento's median home price for February 2014 bounced back up to $260,000. This does not surprise me at all, and February was a brisk month for my business. I'm guessing March will be brisk too with lots of closings given there's a high number of pending sales...I'm not anticipating a huge upswing in price for next month, and expect things to continue with some modest price appreciation this year. Our current median home price is still FAR below the median from the peak of Sacramento's real estate market in the summer of 2005 (which was just a touch under $400,000). But it's nice to say that it's also FAR above the median home price at the bottom of the Sacramento market in winter 2011 (about $160,000). A trend that I am continuing to notice for the last several months is folks who purchased a home at the bottom of the market in 2009-2011 are calling wanting to sell their home and purchase a larger one (or smaller one, relocate to a different neighborhood, etc). If you purchased a Sacramento home during that timeframe, there's a good chance your home has increased in value in the range of 20%-35% depending on when you bought and where your home is located...so it's a great time to do sell and purchase another home. Of course if you would like me to provide you an estimate of your home's value, I'm happy to do that. Just email me.

Bank of America -- no longer will delay foreclosure for a "Cooperative Short Sale"...

Just received this notification via email from Bank of America regarding their "Cooperative Short Sales" program:

"As of January 15, 2013, there will no longer be a temporary foreclosure hold during the Cooperative Short Sale property marketing phase. We may begin or continue the foreclosure process up until a submitted offer to purchase the property is approved by all relevant parties.  Any existing short sale will not be impacted by this change."

So, again, I can't emphasize to you enough that anyone considering a short sale should be pro-active and do not wait until the last minute (like once a Notice of Trustee Sale has been taped to your front door) to start your short sale. Bank of America will not delay a foreclosure in order for a short sale seller to start the process and market the home.

Is your Sacramento Sewer Line made of Orangeberg?

I have said it before, and I will say it again. If you are purchasing an older home in Sacramento, it is extremely important to inspect the sewer line. This photo is from a sewer inspection performed one of my buyer clients had performed on a house in the Woodlake neighborhood that was built in 1946. The sewer line is made of Orangeberg pipe which over time breaks down and is susceptible to root penetration.

How much sewage do you think can pass by this obstruction before the line backs up during your housewarming party after 19 of your closest friends flush the toilet and you run the dishwasher? Ewwww....

It's best to inspect for this condition during your "buyer investigation" period that is set forth in your purchase agreement. Often times the buyer can negotiate with the seller to have this condition corrected prior to the close of escrow.

Previously approved short sale in Garden of the Gods - back on the market...

So, although I have had this short sale approved two separate times, for reasons outside of my control this adorable Garden of the Gods home has not closed escrow...so it's back on the market. Lovingly maintained 3 bedroom, 1 bath Garden of the Gods home on Morpheus Lane! You will love the wood flooring, dual pane windows, remodeled bathroom with dual sinks, spacious kitchen, ample storage space, 2-car attached garage, composition roof. Central heating & air unit was new in 2008! Offered at $229,000 (contact me for details regarding the previous short sale approvals), subject to lender approval of short sale. For more photos and detail, visit http://www.4320morpheuslane.com/.

Buyers - having trouble getting into contract on right house? The solution may be a more creative Realtor...

If you read my blog post about my little vacation from last week, you will know that I closed a buyer transaction in Garden of the Gods. I wanted to share a little success story about how this transaction came to be, but wanted to wait until after the close of escrow as to not jinx the outcome!

If you are a Sacramento area home buyer, you will know that certain price ranges and certain neighborhoods are extremely competitive - often with properties getting multiple competing offers. My buyer clients were planning to relocate from the bay area to Sacramento, and specifically wanted to live in the Garden of the Gods neighborhood. Unfortunately, at the time they were looking (this was in January), there were only 4 active listings in Garden of the Gods. They wanted to buy sooner rather than later, as they were first time home buyers - and they wanted to take advantage of Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit that is available if they were in contract by April 30th, and closed by June 30th, 2010.

So I put on my thinking cap...

I went into MLS and looked up past listings - ones that did not sell for one reason or another, and were eventually withdrawn or expired. I found a property that had been on the market last summer that seemed to be exactly what my buyer clients were looking for. It was not a foreclosure, and not a short sale either! I called the former listing agent and asked if those sellers were still interested in selling the house. YES of course, she said, and they were planning to re-list it later in the spring. I arranged a showing of the house for the last weekend in January. The house was not on the market.

We toured it, and my buyer clients LOVED the house. We immediately went back to my office and wrote an offer. The sellers then countered, and my buyers accepted the seller's counter offer.

SO.....my buyer clients were able to purchase a great home that fit their needs that was not on the market, in a neighborhood with very little listing inventory, in a non-competitive situation. Given the current brisk, competitive state of the market in that neighborhood and in that price range, what could be better than that? A win-win for everyone involved!

The bottom line - get creative! There are ways to circumvent the market conditions. The buyer's agent will have to do a little more work in order to make this happen, but if you have a Realtor that is not savvy enough to do this, or not willing to go the extra step, you may be working with the wrong Realtor.

Home, Sweet Home in Sacramento...even Realtors take vacations!

Yes yes...the rumors were true - my mom and I took a week-long vacation in Mexico. I returned last night, and of course am right back to work today! Thankfully, I have a great assistant who helped to keep things in order while I was gone, though I still checked in frequently. Closed a buyer transaction on a great Garden of the Gods home and got a Wells Fargo Natomas short sale approved while I was gone!...I should vacation more often!

New Listing - 2009 Medusa Way, Sacramento / Garden of the Gods, CA 95864

Updated 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,680sf Garden of the Gods gem! You will fall in love with the spacious floorplan with separate living and family rooms, formal dining, large master suite with walk-in closet, covered deck, .194ac large manicured front and back yards, and 2-car garage with extra-wide driveway/possible rv access. Freshly painted interior, new carpets, wood flooring, new window coverings, metal roof, central heat & air. NOT a short sale/Foreclosure!! Offered at $359,000. For more photos and additional detail, visit http://www.2009medusaway.com/.

Another 3 seconds of fame on Fox 40 News...

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably already know that Fox 40 reporter Chris Biele interviewed one of my buyer clients on Friday at my office. The story he did was about opportunities for first time home buyers in the Sacramento real estate market (e.g. affordable home prices, tax credit, etc.), and in turn the opportunities available to renters given that so many folks are vacating their rentals in favor of buying a home.

I am shown for a few seconds while my buyer client is interviewed, and the exterior of one of my Garden of the Gods listings at 4320 Morpheus Lane is featured. Cool beans...

New Listing - 4320 Morpheus Lane, Sacramento / Garden of the Gods, 95864

Adorable and lovingly maintained 3 bedroom, 1 bath Garden of the Gods home! You will love the wood flooring, dual pane windows, remodeled bathroom with dual sinks, spacious kitchen, ample storage space, 2-car attached garage, composition roof. Central heating & air unit new in 2008! Don't miss this one! Offered at $279,500, subject to lender approval of short sale. For more photos and detail, visit http://www.4320morpheuslane.com/.