Placer OKs 14,000 homes

All I have to say about this is YIKES!

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Placer County supervisors Monday approved a development the size of a small city just north of the Sacramento County line. The Placer Vineyards project -- in the works for the past 13 years -- is the largest development ever approved for the unincorporated portion of Placer County, and one of the largest ever approved in the region. It will bring 14,132 houses to a rectangular swath of 5,230 acres of farmland west of Roseville. About 32,800 new residents are expected in the development, which will be built over 20 to 30 years.

The unanimous vote on Placer Vineyards was a setback to the voluntary "Blueprint" regional growth plan adopted by the member governments of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments in 2004. The idea behind Blueprint was to pack more people into areas earmarked for growth, making it more efficient to serve them with public transit and reducing the need to build on more farmland over the next half century. In this case, however, the Blueprint concept lost amid community concerns about traffic.

The Placer supervisors opted instead for a plan containing fairly typical suburban densities for single family homes. SACOG had advocated an alternative with 21,631 residential units. "There was just an obvious concern about additional traffic," said Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the 21 different property owners involved in the Placer Vineyards plan.

Supervisor F.C. "Rocky" Rockholm said pursuing the Blueprint alternative would have added further study time and delayed construction. "We can move forward today," Rockholm said. "Thirteen-plus years (of planning) is enough."

Other supervisors said they might have voted for the Blueprint plan, but instead would defer to Rockholm, who represents that area. SACOG Executive Director Mike McKeever was out of town Monday and could not be reached for comment. But he has previously said that he viewed the Placer Vineyards vote as an important one in predicting the success of the voluntary Blueprint plan on the ground. McKeever sent a letter on July 9 emphasizing the benefits that he said the county would realize by adopting the alternative favored by his staff. "Building 7,000 fewer homes in Placer Vineyards means they will be built someplace else," McKeever wrote. "They will not just disappear." He went on to predict that opting for a less-dense option in Placer Vineyards would result in more long-distance commuting.

Situated in the southwest corner of Placer County, the Placer Vineyards area was earmarked for growth in the county's 1994 general plan. The project is bounded by Baseline Road on the north, the Sacramento County border on the south, the Sutter County line on the west and by Walerga Road and Dry Creek on the east. Two town centers are planned -- one at Watt Avenue and Baseline Road and the other at Watt Avenue and the future East Town Center Drive. In addition, the project will include 48 miles of recreational trails, 210 acres of parks and 709 acres of open space. Stretches of Baseline Road and Watt Avenue that fall within the project each will be expanded from their current two lanes to six lanes.

Other amenities include a bus transit system, a transit center, a county corporation yard, an aquatics center, a youth center, a library, 11 church sites, water infrastructure, two fire stations, a sheriff's substation, a high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools.

"It's going to be a very well-planned community," said Kent MacDiarmid, project manager for Placer Vineyards. "The people who will live in this community will be very proud." He said the town center -- with restaurants, theaters and a civic center -- will give residents an opportunity to walk to and shop in their own community, possibly reducing vehicle traffic to outside shopping areas.

The county's approval Monday does not mean that Placer Vineyards will soon start construction. The landowners must still go through the review of their proposed habitat mitigation with federal environmental agencies. The Placer Vineyards property is dotted with vernal pools, the seasonal wetlands that host a variety of endangered species, and other types of wetlands.

Landowners plan to preserve about 3,600 acres of open space off-site and 700 acres on-site, according to documents filed with the county. The developers anticipate filling about 100 acres of wetlands both on-site and off-site where roads and pipelines will be built. They will compensate by preserving twice as many vernal pools elsewhere, said lawyer Jim Moose. The Sierra Club maintains that the mitigation plan is inadequate, and is considering a lawsuit.
Terry Davis, coordinator of the Sierra Club's Motherlode Chapter, said Placer Vineyards should include more detailed plans for preservation of vernal pools and connected grasslands. "Our ballpark figure would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 to 5,000 acres," he said.
Federal agencies also have raised concerns.

In a May 1 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which must issue permits before any wetlands can be filled, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended "denial of the project as currently proposed."

Link:
http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/276289.html

Ask Erin: Requests for Repairs

I was asked recently by one of my buyer clients if the seller of the subject property was "responsible" for replacing all of the old galvanized plumbing pipes with new copper pipe. The property my client is purchasing is a little cottage in Fair Oaks built in approximately 1941...galvanized pipe was the standard when the home was built, however newer homes are generally plumbed using copper pipe, or flexible "pex" pipe.

So let me clarify...in Real Property transactions in the State of California (other states may vary), the only state or local requirement that mandates a seller to bring anything in a home up to a higher standard applies to making sure there are operable smoke detectors in a home, and that the water heater is braced with seismic retraints. Aside from those two items, almost anything else is fair game for negotiation, but the seller is certainly not "responsible" to repair or update anything.

In short, a seller is not required by any mandate to bring a house built using old or out-of-date building code standards (or older-type building materials) up to current standards when selling the subject property. If you absolutely want a house built to current code and with up-to-date building materials, you may not want to purchase an older home...

Before & After...

Well the June stats just came out...total inventory keeps climbing. I thought it might be fun to take a trip down memory lane by showing the current inventory stats as compared with stats June 2004.

Behold! The top chart shows inventory from April 2003 - June 2004...a seller dominated market.

The bottom chart shows inventory from April 2006 - June 2007...a buyer dominated market. If you click on the charts, you can see enlarged versions.

Sellers...do NOT overprice your homes!! Buyers have a lot of choices.

Source:

http://www.trendgraphix.com/

http://www.sacrealtor.org/

Sacramento County Crime Mapping Tool

If you live in Sacramento County, or are interested in living in the County jurisdiction, you might be interested to check out the Sacramento County Sheriff Department's crime mapping tool. You can search an entire zip code, a radius around an address, near a park, etc. Little icons are used to represent different types of crimes, and you can search back as far as 90 days. Pretty interesting...

Link:
http://crimemap.sacsheriff.com/cvc/wizard.asp

Home site with a history

A single-family home is proposed at the site of the former governor's mansion in Carmichael. The house would occupy 0.4 acres on the 11-acre site near Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. Owner Sigmund Zygelman, a Sacramento businessman, said he plans to live in the two-story home with his family and chose the site because of its location.

"It's a very nice, quiet area," Zygelman said. The state bought the site in 1970 to build the official residence of the governor. The site, at the southeast end of California and Oak avenues, eventually became known as "La Casa de los Gobernadores," even though no governor ever lived there. In 1984, the state sold the property to Carmichael developer Matt Franich, who subdivided the property into several lots.

The sprawling former governor's mansion and a single-family home occupy the site. County planning officials also approved two other single-family homes, which have not been built. Zygelman purchased the property in December and submitted his application in March. The project requires the Board of Supervisors' approval. It will go before the Carmichael-Old Foothill Farms Community Council in September or October for recommendations, said Ione DeMorales, a county planner. She said a staff report should be ready by the end of July. Jacob Mesika, Zygelman's builder, said the new house would be about 5,000 square feet. It would be constructed in a French country style, with earth-tone colors and an acrylic stucco exterior to conform to zoning for the area, he said. The project cost is estimated at $1 million. Like many, Zygelman says he is amused by the name and history of the site.

The governor's mansion in Carmichael was built in the mid- 1970s for Gov. Ronald Reagan, who left office during its construction. His successor, Jerry Brown, refused to live there. Some residents say the site isn't convenient, since it is about 10 miles from the Capitol. "For whatever reason, no governor has ever lived there, so I do find that kind of amusing," Zygelman said.

Link:
http://www.sacbee.com/arden/story/255237.html

New Listing - 2708 17th Street, Sacramento / Land Park 95818

This is the nicest home in this price range in Land Park! Gorgeous remodeled home! This tastefully done 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home was renovated with permits by licensed contractors, and is a perfect combination of old world charm and new amenities.
Step inside to find beatifully refinished hardwood floors, a cozy living room with a warm fireplace, recessed lighting, and many windows letting in lots of natural sunlight. The kitchen boasts new white cabinets, complete with wine racks and decorative shelving, stainless appliances, a dramatic vent hood over the gas range, granite counters, recessed and under cabinet lighting and more. In conjunction with the dining room, this house is perfect for entertaining or family gatherings!

The master bedroom is a quiet retreat, with a ceiling fan, recessed lighting, and door to the private backyard. The master bathroom has a large, stunning dual-head travertine shower - you must see it to believe it! The guest bathroom has a very nice travertine tub/shower combo, pedestal sink, and extra storage cabinets. The two guest bedrooms have ceiling fans and large closets. The backyard has a cute covered awning, perfect for BBQ's or relaxing.

This home also has an oversized one-car detached garage, a .09 acre lot, 3 bedrooms, and 2 full bathrooms. It is offered at $499,000.

For more photos and detail visit http://erin.golyon.com/listings.html or http://www.2708-17thstreet.com/

For a private showing, please contact Erin Attardi at 916-342-1372.

Rates on 30-year mortgages sink

Rates on 30-year mortgages sank this week to a one-month low, while rates on most other mortgages also fell, good news to prospective home buyers. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.63 percent. That was down from last week's 6.67 percent rate and was the lowest since early June, when rates stood at 6.53 percent.

The moderation is welcome for people in the market to buy a home. In mid-June, rates on 30-year mortgages climbed to 6.74 percent, an 11-month high.

Rates on many mortgages have ebbed in recent weeks as investors' fears about an inflation have eased. "Long-term mortgage rates continued to move lower for a third consecutive week, in part reflecting a moderation in core inflation," which excludes food and energy prices, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist.

The Federal Reserve in deciding to hold a key interest rate steady last week noted that some readings on core inflation have improved. The Fed's key rate has been at 5.25 percent for a year, offering borrowers a period of steadiness. Some other mortgage rates tracked by Freddie Mac also showed declines this week. Rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, fell to 6.30 percent from 6.34 percent last week. And, rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.29 percent, down slightly from last week's 6.30 percent.
However, rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages rose to 5.71 percent this week, compared with 5.65 percent last week.

The mortgage rates do not include add-on fees known as points. All mortgage types each carried a nationwide average fee of 0.4 point last week. A year ago, rates on 30-year mortgages stood at 6.79 percent, 15-year mortgages were at 6.44 percent, five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.39 percent and one-year ARMs were at 5.82 percent. After a five-year boom, the housing market fell into a slump last year. Sales turned weak as did home prices. The slump is expected to drag on probably through the rest of this year.

Link:
http://www.sacbee.com/845/story/257676.html

New Listing - 2757 Land Park Drive, Sacramento / Land Park 95818

Their loss is your gain! Must sacrifice this wonderful home - all offers will be considered! This could be an incredible opportunity for the right buyer. This home appraised at $795k just months ago. 3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms, 1848sf per assessor + basement. It has a newer roof, newer electrical, central heat & air, kitchen was remodeled in 2004, 2-car attached garage, basement, nice patio & yard, etc. Please feel free to call or email me. Showings must be arranged with me directly. This property will not be published on the MLS. 3% Buyer's agent commission. Do not disturb the occupants.

See all my listings at http://erin.golyon.com/listings.html

Erin Attardi, Realtor

Lyon Real Estate

erin@erinattardi.com

Tel 916-342-1372

http://www.erinattardi.com/