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Avoiding Scams and Winterizing Your Home

With winter approaching, I thought I’d start with a few home maintenance reminders: Caulk exterior joints around your windows and doors. Not sealing gaps where the wind and cold can seep in could add hundreds of dollars to your heating bills. Have your furnace inspected and cleaned. Annual maintenance is...

Choosing the Right Neighborhood in 2014

People often spend a lot of time thinking about the house they want to live in, but not as much time considering the neighborhood. Here are some important questions to consider before making an offer on a house. Since the answers to these questions are different for different people, I’ll...

Home Security Goes High Tech, and So Do the Bad Guys

Back in the day, when someone talked about home security, they were referring to an alarm system, and maybe trimming bushes and other landscaping to make sure bad guys had nowhere to hide. Now? Things are completely different, and a little unnerving for those of us who are not computer...

Why Aren’t There Any Rentals in Ukiah?

Lately Ukiahans have been complaining about the lack of available rental housing in the area. Here’s a little perspective on why it’s tough to find a rental, and whether things are likely to change in the near future. If we look at our recent past, it all started with the housing...

Homeowners Insurance Covers More and Less Than You Think

When most people think of homeowners insurance, they think of the coverage they’d need if their house burned down. (With the recent fires in Lake County, insurance is a topic of some interest right now.) However, homeowners insurance covers far more than fire damage. It can also cover structural damage caused...

Solving the California Housing Shortage in Ukiah

City leaders are currently discussing ways to address the local impacts of our statewide housing shortage. This is a complex problem, so I don’t envy their task. What I can offer is a perspective, one based on more than 40 years in the real estate business. First, it’s important to gather...

Tired of Renting? Now’s a Great Time to Buy!

Many renters are under the mistaken impression that they cannot afford to buy a house. Some believe they need a substantial down payment; others believe they cannot afford the monthly expenses of home ownership. While these assumptions may be true, it’s best to review the facts before crossing home ownership...

An Ounce of Prevention – Home Safety Edition Part IV

This is part of my series on home safety, and it continues on last week’s theme of protecting kids. Previously, I talked about indoor hazards. This week, I’ll talk about outdoor hazards and gun safety. Once kids get into the yard, dangers abound: power tools, sharp objects, low-hanging branches leading to...

An Ounce of Prevention – Home Safety Edition Part III

This is part of my series on home safety, this time focusing on kids. Little kids explore and get into stuff. They put things in their mouths. They climb and leap from heights. It’s what they do. It’s how they learn. As adults, we must do everything we can to thwart...