Archive By Section - HOME SCENE
Navigating a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
DEAR BENNY: My friend and I would appreciate knowing how to go about initiating a "deed-in-lieu of foreclosure."
Bringing home a 3-D TV? What you should know before you buy
Everyone, it seems, is eager for 3-D. It's a fad that's had its heyday more than once in pop culture, but this time all signs point to 3-D finding staying power in American theaters and homes. If you have any doubt that 3-D is hot, consider the fact that more than 100 movies - from children's animated films to big-budget sci-fi offerings - were released in 3-D in theaters and on DVD in 2009 and ...
Expert tips for choosing the right fountain
Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon spent many years and covered many miles searching for the fabled "fountain of youth." Fortunately, you don't have to go to those lengths to find a special fountain that will transform your backyard into a private oasis. You only need to make a trip to the local garden store.
Updating classic California flat-top
Home Depot for close to a month became my home away from home. It's what happens when you decide to remodel your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and make other assorted improvements throughout your home all at the same time. The decision to remodel was easy. Just like with buying a home, this is an opportune time to remodel. Contractors - well most anyway - are extremely competitive and reasonable and aren't so buried with work ...
Affordability drops slightly in Manteca housing market
Manteca is bucking the national trend ever so slightly when it comes to housing affordability. Housing affordability did not drop in Manteca during 2010 as it did nationally. It actually went up. Economists determine housing affordability based on the ratio of annual household income to home prices. That made Manteca's affordability index 2.78 in 2010 when the median selling price of an existing home was $185,000. In 2009, the affordability index was 2.68 when the ...
Manteca on pace to sell 1,026 homes during 2011
Manteca is on pace for a fourth straight year of 1,000-plus existing homes exchanging hands. Thirty-two days into 2011, there have been 90 resales that have closed escrow for a daily pace of just over 2.8 homes. If the rate continues there will be 1,026 home sold by year's end. Existing homes sales for the previous three years in Manteca are as follows: •1,193 homes in 2010 with a median selling price of $185,000. •1,211 ...
Classy looks spur steady sales
Union Ranch is a unique neighborhood for many reasons. •It has a loop street pattern serving eventually more than 400 homes. That means no through streets teeming with traffic. •It will back up to the future northerly extension of the Tidewater Bike Way. •Homes are 100 percent owner occupied and there are no distressed properties. •It is one of the first developments doing well enough to get ready to break ground on installing infrastructure for ...
Free classes address credit issues, needs of first-time home buyers
Knowledge is the key to home ownership. Deborah Romero of Ability Mortgage - who has been a mortgage lender since 1997 - noted that people with credit issues, foreclosures, and even bankruptcies can buy homes. All it takes is going through specific steps, and holding a steady course for a year or so or simply just months. At the same time many renters who want to own homes may not realize they could be in ...
Valley Blossom a big hit
Valley Blossom is showcasing the completion of its newest model homes this weekend. The floor plan, standard offerings such as granite kitchen counters, price point, and location have been so popular that 25 homes sold before the models could be finished. Florsheim Homes Chief Executive Officer Joe Anfuso expects sales will kick up even more now that people can see what they are getting in a new home starting at $169,900. As such, Valley Blossom ...
Manteca builder showcasing energy-efficiency
For several years, K. Hovnanian Homes has responded to its customers with higher levels of energy-efficiency and green technology in new homes. The builder has been a proactive force in the industry, pursuing new research, pushing initiatives and educating homeowners about living energy-efficient and earth-friendly lifestyles.
Transfer ownership without tax bite?
DEAR BENNY: If I buy a house outright for my aunt for $459,900 (fair market value), what is the best way for me to transfer ownership to her without tax consequences? I know that the gift tax exclusion is now $13,000. I'm not married and neither is my aunt.
Creating versatile living spaces for today’s families
With the active and bustling lifestyle families lead, it is no surprise that they frequently change the way they interact with, and in, their living spaces. Different stages of life call for different living spaces. Most homes are not equipped to offer this versatility. Outfitted with traditional swinging doors that squander space, standard-width doorways offer limited accessibility and restrictive living areas.
Three years & counting
Three years into the great foreclosure meltdown and people are still wondering whether it is worth the risk of buying a home as they have fears over the future being uncertain.
Underwater? Not a big deal unless you are treading water
Home prices aren't going to go up again. Bet you've heard that line. It's typically uttered by people who believe it makes no sense to buy a home, someone who is stewing over the fact they've lost equity, or someone trying to tell someone else that they are "stupid" to stay in a house that is "underwater" even though they can still make the payments. Those eight words aren't uttered by everyone but for the ...
Have short sale lien holders been naughty or nice this year?
Even Santa is surprised by the behavior of banks. As the end of the year approaches it would do us well to analyze the behavior of the banks. Short sale lien holders have caused many homeowners and real estate agents both grief and joy throughout the year. We have all heard the stories and unfortunately some of us have been on the receiving end of their "gifts". These wonderful packages sometimes come wrapped up in ...
Articles by Section - HOME SCENE
Ellen Paradiso’s 4-season garden is a quiet and peaceful hide-away
Ellen Paradiso's blueberries were bought during a clearance sale at Park Greenhouse nursery in Ripon.
Buying tips to keep in mind as housing market warms
Ready to buy your first home, or move up to a larger home for your expanding family?
Reserve home mortgage can be good option for many seniors
Do you know that if you are 62 years or older you may be able to buy a house or a condominium using a reverse mortgage? A reverse mortgage allows you to get money from a lender, but you do not have to pay it back (or make any monthly payments) until you sell or die.
Homebuilder confidence rises in May from April
NEW YORK (AP) - Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded this month, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season and the strongest outlook for sales over the next six months in more than six years.
Rate on 30-year mortgage fixed loans rises to 3.51 pct.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but stayed near their historic lows. Cheaper mortgages have helped the economy by spurring more home-buying and refinancing.
Housing starts fell during April
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. builders broke ground on fewer homes in April, one month after topping the 1 million mark for the first time since 2008. But most of the decline was in apartment construction, which tends to vary sharply from month to month.
What are pros & cons of buying rental property?
Hello Real Estate Boys: My wife Bambie, and yes she is a dear, recently lost her parents to an accident and we are in the middle of closing out the estate with one of Turlock's wonderful attorneys. I suppose at this point I should say Bambie was an only child and will inherit her parents' entire estate. While the estate is not huge it will give us a very nice sum of cash soon. The ...
Four new-home trends that can work for your remodel
Builders are back in business, and new-home construction is up in areas across the country. So is remodeling, as plenty of Americans choose to stay put and upgrade their current homes rather than tackle the challenge of buying and moving into something new.
Give your home a fresh look with color
A fresh coat of paint can give any room an instant lift, making it a great solution for converting a space from drab to fab.
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