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What are CC&Rs? What are CC&Rs? CC&R stands for Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions.  While this may sound redundant, there are subtle differences between these types of regulation.  All of these are agreements on the part of the buyer to do or not do certain things.  The buyer automatically agrees to these by purchasing the property. The main difference between them is the punishment that can be doled out when an infraction occurs. If a buyer violates a covenant, they have broken an agreement, and the seller can sue for damages or get an injunction to prevent any future violations. If [&hellip

California Mello-Roos Property Tax Mello-Roos was signed into law in 1982 as a way to gain funding for new communities after Proposition 13 inhibited the raising of property taxes in California.  Though it isn’t technically a property tax, it is an additional tax that is applied to properties in newly developed areas.  The money is used to build the necessary facilities, utilities, roads, and the like for new towns.  This keeps the cost of development for the new town on the shoulders of the persons living there. Because Mello-Roos is independent of the property tax that is protected by Prop [&hellip

Why do sites like Zillow and Trulia have so many sold listings mixed in with the active houses for sale? Property searches can take a long time to find the right home. It makes is twice hard to find the right house if half the properties on the list are sold. Looking on sites like Zillow (Dan Parisi is a premier agent), Trulia and the like return many properties that are sold or are pending. Why? Most of the listings on the national real estate web sites come from secondary sources. Here is how it works. A Realtor takes a [&hellip

Making an offer to buy a home Winning — The point of making an offer to buy property is to gain acceptance from the current property owner. Different real estate markets have different rules for success. In some markets, just putting in an offer wins the deal. Other markets, a bid of ten thousand above list price will not win the home. Understanding the current market is crucial to making a successful offer. Discuss with your real estate the offer amount you have in mind, based on the research you have done on comparables, the condition of the home and [&hellip

Benefits of a home protection plan   Just as homeowner’s insurance covers the property against damage or repair based on your designated deductible, a home protection plan helps protect your home system components and appliances against costly repairs or replacements. A home protection plan is a renewable service contract that covers many of the most frequently occurring breakdowns of home system components and appliances that are not usually covered by homeowner insurance. Home protection plans offer coverage of many of the critical major system components and appliances in a home that generally are of a high cost to repair or [&hellip

Two Important Considerations for First Time Home Buyer First time home buyers are wise to buy with the end in mind. Thinking ahead in these two significant areas can pay big dividends in the future. Consider properties that will have a strong resale value and correctly evaluate the total cost of repairs and remodels. First: Buy with re-selling in mind. Home owners should plan to stay in the first home for a while to build equity and to maximize investment advantages.  The fact is that few people remain in their first home forever. First homes are often used as spring [&hellip

  4 Tips for Keeping Your Plants Cool This Summer   The Sacramento area is known for its hot summers, and heat can decimate a garden.  Don’t give up on all of your hard work until you try these 4 tips.   1.  Prioritize the pots.  You need to be extra careful with any plants that you have in pots. They don’t have the Earth to insulate them and, therefore, are much more susceptible to heat damage and drought. Be sure to keep these plants out of intense sunlight and leave them in the shade.  Water them at least once [&hellip

  Creating a Theme Palette         Sometimes you want more than just nicely painted walls. Sometimes you want something that is unique, something that is exciting or calm or subtle. Creating a theme palette can help you get started to making those special, unique rooms in your home. A theme palette is a combination of colors that work together to create a beautifully painted and decorated room. Some of the colors can be paint on the walls and the other colors in the palette can be items that you use to decorate the room. Take your time [&hellip

First time home buyers: Determine how much debt can you afford Take a realistic look at how much future income you anticipate to have and how many expenses you expect to incur. Remember, the lender will tell you how much you are qualified to borrow, not necessarily how much you can afford. Only you know how much you can comfortably handle, what your other expenses are, how much you need to save and what kind of lifestyle you wish to maintain. Lenders use the monthly payment on a property to determine a borrower’s qualifications. The payment includes principal, interest, property [&hellip

Living green isn’t only the right thing to do…it’s also the smart thing to do. Cleaning Tips Green Energy Homes and Green Living Some commercial cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that can adversely affect waterways, rivers, streams, aquatic life and indoor and outdoor air quality. Cleaning products can also be harsh to human skin, eyes and respiratory systems, particularly for allergy sufferers. Fortunately, there are some effective and often less expensive green alternatives that can be made with readily available natural products. It is always good to test in a small area unseen first. Some specialty surfaces react to natural [&hellip