Archive for Community
Owning a home
By · April 14, 2011 · CommentsOwning a home is still the desire of the vast majority of people. In spite of housing crash people still want to know the roof over their head is theirs. First-time homebuyers are the largest group of new homeowners, followed by single women. So, if you are thinking of selling you may need to keep that in mind when doing upgrades. However, regardless of who the purchaser is the most important improvements one can make to their home is in the energy efficiency area.
Dual pane windows and new doors will lead to the highest return on investment regardless of whether or not you sell your home. If you are doing the improvement for yourself you will benefit from lower heating and cooling bills. For the buyer the energy efficiency can be translated into money saved not only from the point of view the improvement is done but also from utility bill savings.
As we move forward the HERS rating of a home will be extremely important. I will discuss more about that later. As always, make sure when choosing a Realtor you talk to more than one and make sure that person is aware of all the latest developments in real estate sales.
Murer Foundation
By · April 13, 2011 · CommentsSomething very exciting is happening in Folsom. The Murer Foundation is working on opening the John Murer house and grounds for tours. What a great opportunity to learn not only some of the history of Folsom but some Italian history and learn about Italian traditions. The property was put into a 40 year trust to be used as a historical site. Currently the house and grounds are under the Parks and Recreation Department but volunteers work on the property donating their time and/or money to maintain the buildings and grounds. The public you can rent space for classes or use the grounds for small events.
The grounds and house will be open during the Folsom Garden Tour being held April 3oth and May 1st. Be sure to stop by and enjoy a little piece of history. By the way, donations are always welcome!
Folsom Relay for Life
By · March 24, 2011 · CommentsMay 21, 2011 at Sutter Middle School in Folsom – mark that date on your calendar.
I was asked to post something about Folsom’s Relay for Life by a reader so here goes. Oddly the reader did not know I am a cancer survivor myself so all the different cancer fundraising events are very near and dear to my heart. There are lots of events one can participate in and multiple organizations requesting donations you may not know who to donate to. Let me tell you – it doesn’t matter which one you choose just pick one or several and donate what you can. I feel very fortunate to be a survivor so I routinely participate in at least one event each year. What I have learned is any money donated for cancer research helps all types of cancers. For example, there has been breakthrough in the disease lupus because of research looking for a cure for lukemia. Because of some breast cancer research there have been strides made in finding a cure for other blood cancers. So, regardless of what you do it helps. The amount is inconsequential; every little bit helps.
If you actively participate in the event you will be changed forever. To be a participant you can volunteer to do a small task, you can walk or run, or just watch, you can raise money, you can do any number of things. You will, however, gain a new perspectives of people both survivors and those participating in honor of or in memory of a loved one or friend. The emotions go from sadness to extreme pride in our society because you are surrounded by caring people.
So, mark you calendar to attend. Together we will all have more birthdays with loved ones!
Buying or selling a home – think energy audit
By · March 8, 2011 · CommentsDid you know the U.S. Department of Energy is coming out with a new program that will standardize the testing of homes across the United States to test the efficiency of your home. Much like we compare cars for gas mileage we will be able to compare homes once they have had an energy audit. With the rising cost of utilities this will likely become something a buyer may want to know before they make an offer to purchase a home. Knowing the energy efficiency of a home and what components are in question could likely affect the price a buyer is willing to pay. If you were looking at two similar homes and one had utility bills substantially lower than the other because of better insulation or new dual pane windows that house would have more value and would likely sell quicker than the energy hog.
While location, location, location will remain the most important factor affecting a home’s saleability energy usage will likely become another consideration in determining the value of a home.
Where to purchase a home
By · January 13, 2011 · CommentsThere are so many things to consider when purchasing a home. Some reasons stay the same but the results vary. For example, you may move into an area because the majority of the neighbors are neighbors yet within a short amount of time they could equally be rentals. The location has stayed the same but your reasons for being there have changed. Things that are beyond a buyer’s control can happen but there are still several things that designate whether a neighborhood is a keeper or not. They include the crime rate, schools and public services. With regards to the crime rate I would suggest you contact the local police or sheriff’s department and ask questions. While some of the information they give you is limited it is still valuable in helping you to determine if you want to purchase there or not. Schools are another huge one. You can always go to the schools themselves and shadow a student or visit the classrooms. However, there are webites that can give you information as well. They include City-Data.com; GreatSchools.org and SchoolDigger.com. Last but not least is the amount of public servies provided. With all the cuts being made to state and local governments you may want to know if public libraries are still available or if the city still supports it’s city parks.
While these are three concrete things one needs to be concerned about your overall circumstances will dictate the importance of those items coupled with your needs. Be sure when inteviewing a Realtor you ask what their goals are and acertain their business vision. Together with all of these things you should be able to find the right person to help you with most likely the largest purchase you will make in your lifetime.
