Last week, I shared a list of common mistakes first-time home sellers often make. Here are several more. Hopefully, this will help you avoid them! Seeing Only Dollar Signs Once a prospective buyer makes an offer, it’s important to remember that price is only one piece of an offer. Contingencies and loan...
If you’ve never sold a home before, allow me to share a few common mistakes so you can avoid them. Overpricing Especially in this market, it’s easy to fall into the trap of overpricing. Given how much housing values have risen in recent years, it would be natural to assume that the...
Since fire season is now an annual event, we need to look at neighborhoods differently. How are people reducing risk? Are there exits that will allow people to flee quickly enough in the event of an ever-more-likely wildfire? Since I live in the Ukiah Valley’s eastern hills, I am particularly interested...
Spring rains help us reduce the drought—which is good. But they also make it possible for lots of vegetation to grow—which can become fuel for wildfires. Have you hardened your home against wildfire? In the face of a raging fire, there’s nothing any of us can do but evacuate; however, by...
In college, my friend’s dorm room was next door to a guy who played incredibly loud music late into the night. My friend was an early riser, and the late-night music was driving him crazy, so he asked the guy to keep it down once it got late. When that...
Given our experiences during the last few years, all of us need to be diligent regarding fire safety. Although I’ve shared much of this information before, please keep reading as it bears repeating until we’ve all taken it to heart. Each one of us is responsible for the safety of...
Since COVID, people seem to have more pets, or at least they seem to bring their animals to more places more often. When folks are out and about at the park or on a walk with their animals, that’s great, but you know things have gotten out of hand when...
It’s a seller’s market, and if you’re thinking of selling, one way to be successful is to make your home more energy efficient. Even if you’re not thinking of selling, it’s nice to have your home remain comfortable without high utility bills. In real estate lingo, the first “improvement” to a...
Last week I shared ideas about how to improve your home’s energy efficiency by making changes to your home’s interior (replacing old appliances, adding a whole-house fan, etc.). This week, I’ll share some thoughts on exterior improvements to reduce your costs and increase your comfort. As with many things, improvements come...
A couple years ago, I wrote about homeowners and renters insurance and I strongly recommend investing in it. I sure hope those who live in Lake County happened to read and heed that advice. If you live in an area that has not been devastated by fire recently, and you...
