New Listing - 11932 Old Eureka Way, Gold River, CA 95670

Highly sought-after Gold River home in Mother Lode Village! This spacious 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom approximately 3,102sf home features an abundance of natural light and so many features you will appreciate! Enter to find a large living room with an adjacent formal dining room with cathedral ceilings. The updated expansive kitchen has an island and large pantry, and flows seamlessly into the family room. Look out your double doors that lead out to the private backyard oasis complete with a sparkling built-in pool, arbor-covered patio, plenty of space to garden or play, and mature landscaping. Downstairs bedroom and full bathroom. Upstairs, you will discover a loft space that is the perfect media or home office area! You will love the spacious primary suite with a large walk-in closet, ensuite bathroom with dual sinks, soaking tub and a separate shower. Two other hallway bedrooms share a jack-and-jill bathroom. Home has a tile roof, 3-car garage, solar power and pool solar to extend your swimming season! Conveniently located near the American River Parkway, Lake Natoma Aquatic Center and the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Don't wait! Offered at $915,000. For more detail and a 3D virtual tour, please visit 11932 Old Eureka Way, Gold River, CA 95670.

Accessory Dwelling Units -- want to build one? It is a lot easier than it has been in the past...

At the end of 2019, during an interview with the Sacramento Bee asking my opinion about the local Sacramento real estate market, the reporter asked about my most "out there" forecast or trend: I responded with -- wait for it -- constructing Accessory Dwelling Units, aka - ADU's! 

At that time, I was optimistic that as some state legislation encouraged city/county ADU application streamlining and the "by-right" ability of residential property owners to add ADUs to their properties, we'd see more homeowners building them. There are many parcels in greater Sacramento that could easily accommodate ADUs, whether that means converting existing space like a garage or basement to an ADU, or constructing a freestanding ADU Casita in the backyard. We could have thousands of mini-infill projects all over our region adding more housing at affordable prices.

Well, fast forward to 2025: ADUs have arrived! 

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary residence on the same lot as a primary home. It can be attached, detached, or created by converting existing spaces like a basement. ADUs offer flexible living solutions, increase housing unit supply, and provide more affordable housing options. Examples include detached cottages, garage conversions, or repurposed home areas.

I am noticing ADU construction all over greater Sacramento...I am also noticing more and more that you can purchase existing resale homes with ADUs (which is now a searchable property characteristic in our MLS), and I am noticing new construction builders offering options for detached ADUs or attached "multigen" suites -- separate attached units with private entrances, kitchenettes, living space, and private bedrooms/bathrooms. Super cool, and I can tell you these are in demand.

I am so glad to see that Sacramento County and many of the cities withing Sacramento County have not only made the permit/application process easier for ADUs -- they have also created pre-approved design plans!

ADU info in different jurisdictions -- 

• Sacramento County (basically will be any areas within Sacramento County that are not within the city limits -- areas like Antelope, Orangevale, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, parts of areas called Sacramento that aren't in the city limits, etc) -- https://building.saccounty.gov/pages/adu.aspx 
• City of Sacramento -- https://adu.cityofsacramento.org/Shelf-ready-plans 
• City of Citrus Heights -- https://www.citrusheights.net/1108/Permit-Ready-ADU-Program 
• City of Elk Grove -- https://www.elkgrovecity.org/sites/default/files/city-files/Departments/Building/building-forms-and-handouts/over-the-counter-adu-program.pdf 
• City of Folsom -- https://www.folsom.ca.us/government/community-development/housing-services/accessory-dwelling-units
• City of Galt -- https://www.cityofgalt.org/government/community-development/planning/planning-division-forms-handouts
• City of Rancho Cordova -- https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/home/showpublisheddocument/20034/638644999044430000

If you are interested in constructing an ADU, I can point you to a few different builders who have come to specialize in them...or if you are wanting to purchase a resale or new construction home with an ADU, I am happy to assist you. Don't hesitate to reach out.

2024 Independence Day fireworks celebrations in the Sacramento region...

Carmichael - Red, White & Blue Celebration 

• Location: La Sierra Community Center, 5325 Engle Rd. Carmichael, CA 95608
• Cost: FREE
• Time: June 29th, 6-9pm, fireworks at 9:30pm

Citrus Heights - Stars & Stripes Celebration

• Location: Van Maren Park, 6601 Thalia Way, Citrus Heights, CA 95621
• Cost: Free
• Time: July 4th, event starts at 6pm, fireworks at 9:45pm

Elk Grove - Salute To The Red, White And Blue 

• Location: Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624 
• Cost: Free Admission – Parking $10 - Free Shuttle Service beginning at 4:30pm from SacRT No in/out parking privileges after 3 p.m. 
• Time: July 4th, 5pm-10pm, fireworks at 9:40pm

West Sacramento - 11th Annual Fourth on the Field 

• Location: Sutter Health Park, 400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95691 
• Cost: Advance tickets are $15 and increase to $18.50 on the day of the event. Family four-pack tickets are available for $12.50 per day ticket ($16 day of). Club level for 21-and-over attendees are available for $25 ($30 day of) 
• Time: July 4th, Gates open at 6pm. Fireworks show begins at 9:30pm 

Rancho Cordova - 4th of July Celebration

• Location: Hagan Community Park; 2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 
• Cost: $5 online ($10 the day of). Parking is $10 (cash only) 
• Time: July 3rd, gates open at 4pm, fireworks at 9:45pm; July 4th, gates open at 10am, fireworks at 9:45pm 

Folsom - Folsom Pro Rodeo

• Location: 200 Wool Street, Folsom, CA 95630
• Cost: $30 general admission, $45 reserved seating, $75 corral club, $110 family pack. 
• Time: July 3rd & 4th, gates open at 5:30pm, rodeo begins at 7:30pm, fireworks at 9pm.

Davis - 2024 Fourth of July in Davis 

• Location: Community Park, 203 East 14th Street 
• Cost: Free admission 
• Time: July 4th, 4pm-10pm, fireworks at 9:35pm

Woodland - Fireworks Celebration

• Location: Woodland High School; 21 N West Street, Woodland, CA 95695 
• Cost: Free admission 
• Time: July 4th. Pre-fireworks festivities begin at 6pm, fireworks at 9:15pm

Galt - Fireworks Spectacular

• Location: Veterans Field: 900 Caroline Avenue Galt, CA 95632
• Cost: Free admission
• Time: events start at 7:30am, fireworks at 9:30pm

New Listing - 2664 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Adorable and updated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,309sf Rancho Cordova home! You will love the light and bright floorplan. Formal entryway leads to a spacious living room with a cozy fireplace and built-in shelving, and a huge picture window overlooking the backyard. Remodeled kitchen has granite counters, tile flooring, and a breakfast nook. Formal dining room with dual pane sliding door leads to backyard. Primary suite offers lots of closet space and remodeled ensuite bathroom. Large hallway bedrooms, and updated hallway bathroom has dual sinks & lots of storage. Laminate and tile flooring throughout. Dual pane windows. Newer central heat & air in 2020. Newer sewer line 2018. Attached 2-car garage and extra wide driveway, dual-swing gate, and paved side-yard fits your toys. The backyard has a covered patio area, huge grassy area to play, and offers an amazing fenced separate garden area and a greenhouse to grow veggies to your heart's content! Located in close proximity to American River Parkway, Hagan Community Park, shopping, restaurants, schools and public transportation. Don't wait! Offered at $449,900. For more photos, detail, and a 3D virtual tour, please visit 2664 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New listing - 10491 Dolecetto Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

This adorable 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1,253sf Rancho Cordova home is ready for a new owner! You will love the spacious, light and bright layout. The enviable remodeled kitchen offers white cabinets, granite counters, Whirlpool stainless appliances, breakfast bar and a passthrough window to the patio! Large living room features a cozy fireplace and luxury vinyl plank flooring. Adjacent formal dining room. Large hallway bedrooms. Primary suite has lots of closet space and ensuite bathroom. Attached 2-car attached garage. Large backyard with 5 varieties of fruit trees, water garden, planter beds, and lots of space to garden, relax under tree canopy, or play in the sun! Drought tolerant zero-scape in front yard. Dual pane windows. Central heat and air. All this located in close proximity to light rail, the American River Parkway, Hagan Park, k-12 schools, shopping, restaurants, & more. Don't wait! Offered at $399,900. For more photos, details, and a 3D tour, please visit 10491 Dolecetto Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New listing - 11837 Delavan Circle, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742

Stunning single level 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, approximately 2,401sf Rancho Cordova / Anatolia home, lovingly maintained by just one owner! You will appreciate the optimal integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Formal entryway leads to sizable living room with large sunny windows that let the outside in! Large formal dining room. Spacious open kitchen with pantry, granite counters, island and breakfast bar overlooks the large family room and has access to the backyard! Spacious hallway bedrooms and hallway bathroom on one side of the house, while your private primary suite is situated on the other side- enjoy dual closets and a sitting area that leads to the backyard. Luxurious ensuite bathroom offers dual sinks and a separate tub and shower. 3-car garage. HUGE, park-like backyard has enviable manicured gardens, seasonally blooming flowers, and lots of space to enjoy coffee and conversation or the perfect al fresco dining on a crisp evening. All this with the amenities of the Anatolia HOA (dues $103/mo), pools, gym, parks, trails, and more! Don't wait! Offered at $529,900. For 3D virtual tour, additional photos and detail please visit 11837 Delavan Circle, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742.

Number One Agent in my Coldwell Banker Sierra Oaks office September 2019...

September was a pretty busy month. So busy that I was the number one producer for my Coldwell Banker office in September. I have been the top individual producer several times (and was the #1 individual producer in my office for all 2018), but notably this month I beat out all the TEAMS, which is quite an accomplishment. Teams can have many people (in my office, some have up to 6-7 agents) contributing to the production of the group. I closed a total of 6 transactions for a total of $2.77M. (Believe it or not, this is not my single highest producing month ever...last year in July 2018, I closed 10 transactions for a total of $4.86M - and with that I was the top individual, though a large team beat me for total production. Oh well! LOL)

New Listing - 11100 Morgan River Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Location, location, location! A really special 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1579sf Sunriver Rancho Cordova home is ready for a new owner. You will love the open spacious layout, separate living and family rooms, vaulted ceilings, updated kitchen with tile counters overlooks the backyard. Large bedrooms with lots of closet space. Laminate flooring. Central heating and air. Newer water heater. Section 1&2 pest clearance. Attached 2-car garage with brand new metal garage door. HUGE private quarter acre+ lot has lots of sunny space to garden or play. An outdoor oasis awaits with a built-in pool and spa. No rear neighbors! Backs to the Sunrise Recreation area section of the American River Parkway and its abundant recreation amenities - enjoy the river, bike trail, horse trail, hiking and wildlife. Also located just one block to Sunriver Park. Easy access to restaurants, shopping, Hwy 50 and light rail. Don't wait! Offered at $419,900. MLS# 19045555. For more photos and information please visit 11100 Morgan River Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New listing - 10589 Malaga Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Adorable 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home in Rancho Cordova! You will love the spacious light and bright open layout, laminate floors throughout, updated kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances, and breakfast bar. Formal dining area and large open living room. Spacious bedrooms with ample closet space. Composition roof new in 2015, dual pane windows throughout, central heat and air. HUGE corner lot with lots of sunny space to garden or play! Large covered patio is great for backyard gatherings. Fruit trees, extra long drive way for additional parking. Located in close proximity to parks, schools, shopping, light rail, and more! Don't wait! Offered at $295,000. MLS# 19036483. For more photos and information please visit 10589 Malaga Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New listing - 2671 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Adorable, renovated 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1229sf Rancho Cordova home! You will love the light and bright spacious floorplan with freshly painted interior, wood flooring throughout, and dual pane windows with custom shutters. Updated kitchen with white cabinets, laminate counters, newer appliances, and new flooring. Formal dining room, large bedrooms, newly remodeled hallway bathroom with new vanity, dual sinks, tiled tub surround, and custom storage cabinet. Enclosed rear patio makes an ideal home office, workout or play room (not included in the home's square footage). The backyard has a large storage shed, and lots sunny spaces for gardening, BBQ, or recreation. Section 1 and 2 pest clearance and roof certification recently completed. Located in close proximity to shopping, restaurants, schools and public transportation. Don't wait! Offered at $289,000. For more photos and detail, please visit 2671 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. MLS# 19010557

New Listing - 2664 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Adorable updated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1309sf Rancho Cordova home! You will love the spacious floorplan with laminate flooring throughout, dual pane windows, remodeled kitchen with granite counters and tile flooring, formal dining room, large bedrooms, master suite with remodeled bathroom, updated hallway bathroom with dual sinks and lots of storage space. The backyard has a covered patio area and lots of sunny spaces to garden or play. Located in close proximity to shopping, restaurants, schools, public transportation, and more. Don't wait! Offered at $299,900. For more photos and information please visit 2664 Aramon Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. MLS# 18071964

New Listing - 2008 Benita Drive, Unit 4, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

This 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 924sf upper-level Rancho Cordova condo is a great investment opportunity! You will love this low-maintenance, cute, clean unit, light and bright open floorplan, updated kitchen with granite counters, updated bathroom with tile tub surround and newer vanity, laminate flooring, and window coverings. Well-manicured gated community. Conveniently located near the American River, parks, public transportation, the new Folsom Lake College campus, Hwy 50, shopping, k-12 schools, and more. Don't wait! HOA dues $267/mo. Offered at $102,500. For more photos and additional detail, visit 2008 Benita Drive #4, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New Listing - 3536 Riojo Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Elegant Stone Creek 3 bedroom + den, 2 bathroom, 1,612sf home on large corner lot in Rancho Cordova! You will love the spacious open layout, vaulted ceilings, separate living and family rooms, laminate flooring, remodeled kitchen with granite counters, full backsplash, remote-controlled undercabinet lighting, and stainless appliances. Large master suite, dual sinks, multiple closets, doors lead to backyard. Ceiling fans and recessed lighting throughout. Den/possible 4th bedroom off front entry area. Exterior recently re-stucco'd, covered patio, and newer fencing. Short distance to parks, schools, bike trails, recreation, shopping, and more! Offered at $369,900. Don't wait! For more photos and virtual 3D tour, visit 3536 Riojo Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Want to list your Sacramento area property on AirBnB or VRBO? Here's what you need to know...

"If I buy this downtown condo, can I just list it on AirBnB and rent it to legislators when they visit the Capitol?"... "What if I turn this detached garage into a 'granny unit' and rent it out on AirBnB?" Hmm...good questions.

I get asked pretty often about transient occupancy and short-term rentals. Just to clarify, a transient occupancy or short-term rental is one that is for a term of less than 30-days. Think of a place that might be rented using AirBnB or VRBO -- probably more commonly thought of as vacation rentals. This type of short term arrangement is becoming more common these days thanks to these websites, and can be a nice alternative for travelers who perhaps want to stay somewhere other than a hotel. (Side note: a rental in excess of 30 days does not fall into this category. A landlord-tenant relationship is created in that case, and an entirely different set of laws apply.)

For example, my family and I stayed in a home for 5 days that we rented on VRBO in Scottsdale when we attended the SF Giants Spring Training a couple years ago. It was a nice place and the convenience of having a home where 6 of us could all comfortably stay, with amenities like a kitchen and laundry facilities were great!

It sounds appealing -- and a nice way to supplement income renting out part of your home, or perhaps you have a rental property and you'd like to offer it as a short-term rental instead of leasing for a longer term...People visit Sacramento, right? But as a property owner, what are the local rules? Well, right now the rules differ all over our Sacramento region.

City of Sacramento: for properties within the city limits, the City requires owners to obtain a Short-Term Vacation Rental Permit and pay a fee of $125. Owners must also collect and remit 12%  Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). And there is a different set of parameters if you are renting out space in your own primary residence, versus renting out a vacant/non-primary residence (such as a 90 days per year limit).

County of Sacramento: for properties within the unincorporated areas of the county (like Antelope, Arden, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, other non-city Sacramento areas, etc.), the county requires owners to obtain a Vacation Rental Permit and pay a fee of $270.66. Owners must also collect and remit 12% TOT. The county does not allow short-term rental of vacant/non-primary residence property.

City of Galt: it seems there is no specific ordinance regarding short-term rentals within the city limits, however if you own any Galt rental property you are required to get a business license from the city. They also require TOT.

The Cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, Elk Grove, and Rancho Cordova all require collection and remittance of TOT, however it seems they have no specific policies governing short-term rentals right now. You may want to defer to the county's policies here.

Keep in mind that just because the city or county may allow short-term rentals, if your property is located in a Homeowners Association (HOA), the HOA may specifically prohibit short-term rentals. I have started to see this in a number of HOA documents for my transactions. Also, speaking with a local insurance agent, be sure that your property insurance policy covers this sort of activity. Most policies specifically exclude coverage for short-term rentals.

Where to get free sandbags in the Sacramento area...

With the torrential rain forecast for the Sacramento area this coming week, many homeowners should stock up on sand bags to prevent flooding in their homes...here are locations where free sand is available:

C-Bar-C Park in Citrus Heights (city of Citrus Heights residents only)
Folsom Fire Station #36 in Folsom (city of Folsom residents only)
Jose P Rizal Community Center in South Sacramento
Lowe's Parking Lot in Rancho Cordova (city of Rancho Cordova residents only)
Orangevale Community Center in Orangevale
Point Pleasant United Methodist Church in Elk Grove
Port of West Sacramento (city of West Sacramento residents only)
Sacramento County Branch Center in the Mather area
Sacramento Metro Fire Station #106 in the Arden area
Sacramento Metro Fire Station #55 in the South Sacramento area
Westside Park in Rio Linda
Wilton Fire Station in Wilton

Many locations have free bags for you to fill as well, however I would suggest that you bring your own bags and a shovel. Most of these locations are completely self-service.

Make sure to read inspection reports provided to you...

Not long ago, I represented the buyer for the purchase of an investment property in Rancho Cordova. The duplex had previously been in contract with another buyer who ultimately was unable to complete the purchase. That buyer had obtained a few inspections on the property, which were passed along to us as disclosures. They had also negotiated a section one termite clearance with the seller and that repair work had been completed already. Section one work includes remediating things like treating for active termites and repairing deteriorated wood. That's obviously nice!

However upon reading the original termite inspection that the clearance was based upon, I noticed there was a glaring omission. The sub-area, aka the crawl space under the structure, had not been inspected and was not included in the clearance! That's a big exclusion...often times a home that looks pristine on the exterior can have major issues underneath.

So, we requested that a smaller inspector come back out to the duplex, one who could fit underneath, and complete the inspection. The supplemental inspection found some rotten floor joists. Obviously that needed to be addressed, and we negotiated that the seller took pay for those repairs.

The moral of the story is -- make sure to read inspection reports that are provided to you.

New Listing - 2605 Tronero Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Well-loved 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1,000sf adorable Rancho Cordova home is ready for a new owner! You will love the spacious layout, remodeled kitchen with oak cabinets, tile counters, upgraded light fixtures, and tile flooring, formal dining area, cozy living room with fireplace, remodeled bathroom with tiled shower, tile flooring and pedestal sink, freshly painted interior, brand new carpet throughout, 2-car attached garage, central heat and air, dual pane windows, newer composition roof, and newer stucco exterior. Located close to schools, shopping, public transportation, the river, and more! Don't wait! Offered at $239,000. For more photos and information please visit 2605 Tronero Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

What NOT to do to get your offer accepted...

One of my new listings that came on the market last week ended up with multiple offers over the weekend. Of the eight offers I received, 3 of them contained errors, or were just poorly written by the buyers' agent. Sadly, most buyers don't know how to tell if their agent has done a good job for them in this regard...and its lame for buyers to have the chances of their offers being accepted greatly reduced, especially in competitive situations, because they have an inexperienced or sloppy agent.

Without getting into the weeds of the California Residential Purchase Agreement contract, I will just point out a glaring example of what I mean. What's missing from this screenshot? Yep, the price. Just how much is this buyer offering for the home? My crystal ball tends to be hazy. Perhaps I should just take the liberty to fill in? Perhaps this buyer wants to pay ONE MILLION DOLLARS? (insert my best Dr. Evil voice with pinky finger pointed to the side of my pursed lips)

Probably not. Needless to say, this buyer's offer was not accepted for this house. Though I did reply to the agent and ask them to rewrite and submit the offer.

New Listing - 10757 Campana Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Cute 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,300sf Rancho Cordova home on nearly a third acre lot is the perfect blank canvas for your personal touches. You will love the separate living and family rooms, cozy brick fireplace, wood floors throughout, formal dining area. Dual pane windows, central heat and air, attached 2-car garage. Huge yard with covered patio and shed. Short distance to American River access, shopping, public transportation, and K-12 schools such as Riverview Academy, Williamson Elementary, W.E. Mitchell Middle School, and Cordova High School. Don't wait! Offered at $230,000. For more photos and information please visit 10757 Campana Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

New Listing - 2235 Palmwood Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Adorable 3 bedroom + loft / possible 4th bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 1742sf home in popular Mills Ranch in Rancho Cordova! You will love the tile and laminate flooring, vaulted ceilings, open light and bright layout, formal dining room, separate living and family rooms, dual pane windows, updated bathrooms, large master suite with walk-in closet, large covered deck overlooks big private back yard. Ideally located in a cul-de-sac, close to American River access, parks, schools, shopping, public transportation, and more. Don't wait! Offered at $279,900. For more photos and detail, please visit 2235 Palmwood Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.