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JaCi Wallace
How To Avoid Home Buying Mistakes In Sacramento
How to avoid home buying mistakes in Sacramento. Every single real estate agent I know in Sacramento wants nothing but the best for her buyers and for her home buyers to find the perfect home. But sometimes, communications can break down and, in an effort to please and make buyers happy, agents can stick with a buyer much longer than is good for both parties.
Buyers also don’t always understand exactly how a buyer’s agent works. They might think the agent should be available 24 / 7 to talk to them, answer all non-applicable questions, gently brush a fallen hair strand from the buyer’s forehead, overlook disrespect and be ready at a moment’s notice to pick them up and show homes. That person is not a buyer’s agent, though. That person is your mother.
Read more in our personal blog today about Don’t Make These Sacramento Home Buying Mistakes. If you want to hire a hard working buyer’s agent who tells you the truth, but also respects your and their time please call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors; we can be reached at 916-233-6759.
JaCi Wallace DRE 00773532
RE/MAX Gold Realtors
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Feral Chickens and Chickens in Fair Oaks
Feral chickens and chickens in Fair Oaks; speaking of chickens, one of my mother’s first jobs as a teenager, besides serving ice cream at Bridgemann’s, was that of a chicken plucker at a chicken factory in Saint Paul. The chickens would come down the assembly line with their broken necks and feet still attached, while factory workers would grab them and furiously pull out their down and feathers—total yuck.
I have no idea how it is done today, and I imagine the chicken factories are completely automated now if they are even still in business. My mother’s chicken plucking days were in the 1940s.
We have many chickens running around in Fair Oaks, California, but nobody tries to grab them and shove the birds into a deep fryer. At least not that I know about. However, the feral chickens who live in Fair Oaks are nowhere near the number of wild chickens in places like Molokai.
You can read more in my personal blog today and find out why there is a stray chicken wandering around the parking lot at Fairytale Town: Chickens in the Road and Fairytale Town
. Elizabeth Weintraub.
Elizabeth’s blog, Feral Chickens and Chickens in Fair Oaks, held a familiar ring. I wanted to add I also worked in a turkey plant in Turlock, California, when I was 16. The turkeys were on an assembly line, all plucked and hosed clean, then hung up on a hook. We each had a specific cut using a very sharp boning knife. There were about 20 workers on the line, all-female. By the time the turkey made its way to the end of the conveyor belt, it was fully boned. Of course, the plant thought I was 18. Elizabeth’s mom and I shared something in common, we both worked in poultry as teenagers.
I have eight chickens currently. In my youth, I would raise and butcher my chickens. Yes, I plucked all the feathers too. My chickens today are 100% pets and provide fresh eggs. When I want chicken for dinner, I go to the grocery store and buy it.
I drove through old Fair Oaks recently, and sure enough, the feral chickens were strutting about.
If you are interested in buying or selling a Real Estate property, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Weintraub and Wallace Realtors. Elizabeth Weintraub & JaCi Wallace/ RE/MAX Gold. You can reach us at 916-233-6759.
~~JaCi Wallace
A Contingent Offer is Only as Good as the Home Listed
A contingent offer is only as good as the home listed. Contingent offers are on the rise and happening quite a bit in Elk Grove real estate as well as Sacramento real estate. A potential home buyer is working with one of my team members to buy a home in Elk Grove, but she keeps coming back to a listing we have and asking about buying it with a contingent offer. Her close relative has her home listed, and this buyer continually expresses displeasure with the way things are going. The problem is we cannot interfere in the sale of her home, and we certainly would not ask her to list with us. It has to happen the other way around, and she has got to ask us to list her home.
It’s sorta like being between a rock and a hard place. Because when I look at her listing, it is apparent to me that she is about $50,000 over market value. That’s significant. A contingent offer is only as good as the home listed. She likely will not get her price in this market at this time. So, do I tell her that? Do I take the risk that I could be interfering in her transaction even if she asks me? Do I take the risk that her relative will chase me down in the parking lot with an ice pick?
You can read more in my personal blog today about https://www.elizabethweintraub.com/making-a-contingent-offer-when-your-home-is-not-yet-on-the-market.
If you want to sell or purchase a home please call Weintraub and Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
Finding Halloween spirit when searching for Sacramento Real Estate
People with kids tend to celebrate Halloween more than people without kids, I suspect. And even if you don’t have kids of your own, you still have nieces and nephews and maybe even your next-door neighbor kids or kids at places where you volunteer to spend time with on Halloween.
When we reach a certain age, most of us don’t necessarily attend Halloween parties, but that doesn’t mean we have to end up hungover and sleeping in the bathtub. There are other options for a party.
This family in the photo above are clients who are looking to buy a home in Sacramento. We sold their home about 18 months ago, and they decided to rent to have more time to find the right property. Searching for Sacramento real estate takes a lot of time and energy, but this family also takes time out to enjoy each other and their precious little boy. I hope they ate too much candy.
When looking for treats and finding Halloween spirit, make sure your Sacramento Realtor is showing you homes in between costume changes on Halloween! Call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with REMAX Gold. You can reach us at 916-233-6759.
~~JaCi Wallace
A 2-Minute Guide To Flood Insurance: Do You Need it?
Blog – A 2-Minute Guide to Flood Insurance: Do You Need it?
This is a timely blog by our lender Dan Tharp– JaCi Wallace. When I heard a powerful “bomb cyclone” storm was hitting Northern California last week, I instantly thought about my Flood insurance. For many, they assume their property is covered for any type of detrimental occurrence that can take place. However, not all homeowners in Sacramento know that home insurance policies don’t necessarily cover damage related to a flood, as the risks are too great. As a result, homeowners must purchase flood insurance through a private company.
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the US, costing billions of dollars in damage to properties every year. And more importantly, if you are in the process of shopping for a new home in Sacramento or anywhere in California for that matter, budgeting that monthly payment, it’s good to know if flood insurance will be required.
What Is Flood Insurance?
Flood insurance policies are typically made available to homeowners in flood-prone areas. The majority of insurance policies cover some form of water damage, from things like leaking faucets to bursting plumbing pipes. However, such policies don’t cover water damage due to flooding of rivers or sewers that cause water to ruin a home. Instead, specific flood protection is provided by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Standard flood insurance policies cover “direct physical damage” to a property resulting from floods.
A separate policy must be purchased to protect the belongings inside the home or building. Homeowners can buy up to $250,000 in coverage for the home and $100,000 in coverage for possessions. Even renters are permitted to purchase flood insurance to cover their possessions.
How Does Flood Insurance Work?
Flood insurance isn’t sold by FEMA directly but rather is sold to customers through private insurance agencies. The government determines premium rates, and they remain consistent from one insurer to the next.
How much a homeowner pays for their specific flood insurance depends on a number of factors, including how prone the neighborhood is to floods and how much coverage a homeowner wants. Natomas, where my office sits, is in a flood zone and my clients are required to get flood insurance. The yearly premium on my last quote was $516 annually. I can direct you to some very qualified local experts in flood insurance if you need a quote.
Filing A Flood Insurance Claim
The claims process is like any other insurance claim. Once the claim is filed, the damage will be analyzed by an adjuster assigned by the insurance company. A “proof of loss” form will need to filled out and submitted to the insurer within 60 days of the flood occurrence.
Do You Need Flood Insurance?
It’s necessary to find out if you are eligible for flood insurance before buying it. For residents of a community to be eligible, the community needs to enforce floodplain statutes to lessen the chances of flood damage, after which FEMA ensures that such regulations are followed.
Only those who reside in a community that participates in NFIP can buy insurance – today, about 20,000 communities across the country participate in this program.
FEMA offers maps that outline what areas are at high risk for floods, and those at moderate-to-low risk. The law requires homeowners to have flood insurance if the properties are located in a high-risk zone and have a federally-backed mortgage. This is because properties in these high-risk areas have a 26 percent chance of suffering flood damage during the 30 years it would take to pay off a mortgage. If you are currently shopping for a home and are not sure if you are in a flood zone, just give us a call with the home address and we will find out for you.
Homeowners are not required to buy flood insurance if they reside in a moderate-to-low-risk zone, though it may be a good idea to purchase it anyway. Properties outside the high-risk areas make up over 20 percent of NFIP claims. Homeowners in these areas can purchase up to $200,000 in flood insurance.
The bottom line is, even if you don’t necessarily live in a high-risk zone, this doesn’t mean your home won’t ever get flooded. Many conditions can result in flood damage, including clogged drain systems, flash rainstorms, and damaged levees.
In Gratitude,
| Dan Tharp – Branch Manager – 916-257-1470 NMLS# 280913 | Company NMLS # 3274 Guild Mortgage |
