Everything you need to know about commuting in Sacramento.

The old adage “Location, location, location,” applies to home buying not just because we want to live in a good neighborhood, but because of where we need to go from there. Most people still have to commute to and from work every day, so navigating the roads and highways and sitting in traffic can constitute a significant portion of our time each week.

Add in our need to drop the kids at school, take them to sports and activities, run errands around town, and maybe even drive somewhere fun on the weekends, and the locationx3 adage rings truer than ever.

In fact, the average daily commute for those living and working in the greater Sacramento region is now almost 90 minutes – or an hour and a half each and every work day!

So, to ensure that you’re factoring in commute times when you decide to buy a house in a certain area, here is some great information on how long it takes to drive to and from work in Sacramento.

Although it’s slightly outdated now, a 2015 article in the Sacramento Business Journal entitled “Worst and Best Cities for Commutes” analyzed average commute times among 20 popular neighborhoods and cities in the greater Sacramento area. Using Google Maps, they determined the typical time to drive to work, and then come home in the afternoon or evening (AM and PM commute times were often very different).

Highlights of the list of commute times in the Sacramento region:

1. West Sacramento

Average round trip: 65 minutes

2. Sacramento (Midtown, East Sacramento and on the Grid)

Average round trip: 65 minutes

3. Rancho Cordova

Average round trip: 73 minutes

4. Citrus Heights

Average round trip: 78 minutes

5. Davis

Average round trip: 82 minutes

6. Folsom

Average round trip: 82 minutes

7. Carmichael

Average round trip: 84 minutes

8. Roseville

Average round trip: 85 minutes

9. Fair Oaks

Average round trip: 85 minutes

10. Rocklin

Average round trip: 94 minutes

11. El Dorado Hills

Average round trip: 97minutes

12. Granite Bay

Average round trip: 99 minutes

13. Elk Grove

Average round trip: 106 minutes

14. Auburn

Average round trip: 108 minutes

15. Lincoln

Average round trip: 114 minutes

According to various studies, here are some interesting facts about Sacramento roadways and commute times:

Last year, the busiest traffic day of the year in Sacramento was Thursday, December 15.

In total, we travel more than 1,382,908 miles on Sacramento’s 13,841 miles of roads (highways are only 171 miles of that!).

The average person spends an extra 28 minutes per day, or 106 hours per year, commuting because of traffic congestion. That’s more than four whole days we sit in traffic unnecessarily because the roadways are too crowded!

Friday after work traffic? Research shows that when it comes to evening commute times, Wednesday and Friday are second only to Thursdays – while Mondays and Fridays are lowest.

Sacramento suffers a 22 percent congestion level, which means that it takes approximately 22 percent longer to get from Point A to Point B because of traffic congestion Notably, that’s up 3 percent from just last year.

However, there is a story within a story for that congestion percentage.

In fact, Sacramento’s traffic congestion rate for:

Morning peaks times +38%

Evening peak time (after 5 PM) +54%

Highways +15%

Non-highways +26%

There’s another dynamic we have to mention when we talk about Sacramento traffic and commuting: The Bay Area. Specifically, there are plenty of people who now live in Sactown and make the long drive (or train ride) down to San Francisco or even the Silicon Valley for work.

At last estimate, there were about 120,000 Sacramento residents who have jobs based in the Bay Area. While many of them may work virtually, just go down to the Bay every few days, or stay overnight there during the week, approximately 17,000 people who live in Sacramento make the long commute to the Bay every working day.

To put it in perspective, that’s about the same number as a sell-out at a Sacramento Kings game!

Of course, with all of the benefits of growth and enrichment in the Sacramento region (including a boon to home values), there is a significant downside on the traffic situation, prolonging our commutes.

In fact, Sacramento was the fastest-growing city in all of California last year!

Not only is the Queen City growing organically, but a large portion of people moving to Sacramento for the first time are actually coming from the Bay Area, choosing to live in Sactown and commute back to San Francisco or Silicon Valley every day.

The swelling street traffic and clogging congestion weighs heavily on Sacramentan’s minds. In fact, a new poll by Valley Vision and Sacramento State’s Institute for Social Research (ISR) find that reducing traffic (and therefore, commute times), is the regions “most serious” transportation issue.

“The findings of this transportation poll offer valuable information to local policy makers on investments and priorities for advancing transportation and mobility infrastructure for our communities at a time when improvements are of increasing importance,” said Valley Vision chief executive Bill Mueller. “Valley Vision believes that having a greater understanding of residents’ transportation uses, needs and challenges will serve to better direct regional planning and goal-setting.”

Speaking of which, what are the viable solutions on the table to help reduce Sacramento resident commute times? The first (and best) one to look at is an investment in public transportation, as even a 10% decrease in cars on our roads and highways during rush hour will ease traffic flow.

Ridesharing is also an important stopgap measure. However, research shows that 69% of respondents (nearly 7 out of 10 people) drive alone most of the time!

So, why don’t people use public transportation more? In this same poll, respondents cited safety concerns and stops that were too far from their homes as the major reasons why they didn’t take advantage of public transportation more.

“Capitalizing on residents’ willingness to increase use of public transit is imperative to congestion relief strategies,” said Henry Li, Sacramento Regional Transit District General Manager/CEO. “As the region’s population continues to grow, our ability to coordinate planning, inject new investment, and assert needed policy actions are all vital to delivering public transit that serves residents’ needs today and in the future.”

It just goes to show that the old adage is true – and choosing your location wisely is paramount when buying a house. But, more than ever, that also includes factoring in your commute times to and from work.

 

You are here. 20 Facts about the amazing Google Earth.

As a real estate agent, I’m passionate about technology that helps my home buyers and sellers (or just makes homeownership more fun), and that definitely describes Google Earth.

If you’re not familiar (a lot of people have heard the name or seen a few Google Earth images but never actually used it), the program allows you to fix in on an address or even exact coordinates and see it from a bird’s eye view. You can then zoom in to the point where you can clearly see the color of your front door and the model of the car in your driveway!

In fact, Google Earth’s nexus of satellite imagery has provided useful to our daily lives, from tracking weather patterns and storms, fostering advancements in agriculture, city planning, traffic control, clean energy, and documenting and protecting our natural environment.

But my favorite part of Google Earth is still zooming in on a house that my buyers are considering or exploring the surrounding community!

Here are some fun and interesting facts about Google Earth:

The program that we now know as Google Earth was originally called “Earth Viewer.” Earth Viewer was designed by a tech company called Keyhole, Inc. that received funding from In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm sponsored by the CIA!

The CIA understood that to keep abreast of cutting-edge technology, they couldn’t simply invent it themselves, so they invested in a host of small tech companies, who developed incredible innovations and then handed them over to the CIA for military, espionage, and national security use.

The modern day version of Google Earth is truly awe-inspiring, as there’s almost no place on the entire globe we can’t visit (virtually), see, and map with the program.

However, Google Earth’s reach and vision are not unlimited, as the owners of the satellites that the Google uses for the program sometimes choose to keep areas off the web. Those include certain government and military facilities, some businesses, and more.

For instance, rogue nations and hostile territories are often blurred out on Google Earth for obvious security reasons, such as North Korea, where you can only see low-res images of a few roads and other sites, but little in detail.

If you’re upset that Google Earth has so much unfettered access to your property that it will impinge upon your privacy, you can simply petition Google to blur out your home, and they’ll comply.

Google Earth may span the entire globe, but it does have a symbolic epicenter from which it radiates outwards. For ‘Earth users, you can see that the center point sits right at Lawrence, Kansas. But that’s no arbitrary accident, as Lawerence is also the hometown of Brian McClendon, the man credited with inventing Google Earth’s technology.

In the middle eastern nation of Bahrain, Google Earth is actually banned by the government, reportedly stemming from concerns by the ultra-rich royal family that the poor common citizens would be able to see the vast areas of land they own, adorned with swimming pools, helicopter pads, mega mansions, and other opulence.

In 2006, the Chinese military made a huge blunder when they revealed one of their military missions. While a border dispute between China and India was ongoing, Google Earth documented a Chinese military complex that was near the border, including a scale model of the actual border that stood 3,000’ by 2,300’, which they were using to plan mock raids on the Indian border.

You can explore the most remote places on the planet with Google Earth, including the inner rainforests, Mount Everest, uninhabited Polar regions, forgotten islands, and the craters of active volcanos.

Whenever a shuttle, satellite, or other space mission goes “up,” the imagery is also shared with Google Earth. So, you can actually explore the surface of the moon and even Mars on the Google Earth site!

Google Earth documents the oceans and seas, not just land. Thanks to their pinpoint satellite imagery, you can actually see a lot of shipwrecks sitting on the ocean floor, including the wreck of the Titanic!

Google Earth revealed plenty of surprises over the years. For instance, when Google Earth first shot birds-eye images of Iran’s national airport, Iranian officials were shocked to see a Star of David – the symbol of Judaism – sitting atop the airport roof. Apparently, the star was erected and left by Israeli engineers who built the structure before the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when it was a more peaceful country – but not discovered for three decades.

Humanity has also made groundbreaking discoveries thanks to Google Earth. A series of lost Egyptian pyramids were rediscovered by archeologist Angela Micol, who carefully scanned Google Earth’s satellite imagery to find them.

And in China, a natural limestone bridge (now called the Fairy Bridge), spanning 400 feet across a raging river buried deep in the jungle, was unknown to humankind until it showed up on Google Earth.

A rainforest in Mozambique in Africa was only known to nearby villagers until Google Earth identified it in 2005. Eager scientists quickly gave it the nickname “Google Forest.”

But it’s not just scientists and industrialized nations making good use of Google Earth. Several indigenous tribes deep in the remote Amazon rainforest in Brazil are using Google Earth and GPS technology to digitally map their lands, monitor natural resources like rivers and medicinal plants, and scout for illegal logging and mining.

Speaking of illegal activity, various law enforcement agencies across the world are now using Google Earth’s mapping imagery to identify and record criminal wrongdoing, such as drug operations.

Google Earth also has some seriously cool features.

For instance, Google Earth includes a flight simulator program so you can pilot around the world, enjoying the scenery thanks to their satellite imagery. From the tools menu, just select “Enter Flight Simulator,” and then you get to choose which aircraft you want to fly in, as well as what location you want to take off from.

Most people don’t realize that Google Earth also has a fascinating feature that allows you to recall historical imagery, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

If you have a strange fascination with end-of-the-world movies, you can use Google’s Maps framework to watch what would happen if a nuclear bomb detonated in your home city.

Of course, Google is continuously updating and reinventing their satellite imaging technology. Recently, they rolled out Google Earth Pro, a desktop version (version 7.3.2.) that makes it easier (and more fun!) for users with multiple search and save tools.

However, before you get into all of these advanced features and options, try Google Earth by searching for an aerial or 3D of your own house!

Simply visit https://www.google.com/earth/ to download Google Earth for free on your PC or mobile device (however, you will need Google Chrome to use it – not Apple’s Safari).

If you’re unfamiliar with the program, just shoot me an email with your address and I’d be happy to do it for you and send you the photos!

***
Look for part two of this blog where I talk about Google Maps, Google Street View, and more fascinating technology that’s at our fingertips!

Turn-key equity: Buying a house that just needs some cosmetic TLC presents a huge opportunity.

You walk into the house with high hopes, but almost immediately have second thoughts.

After all, the home looks great from the outside and is in a neighborhood you really like, but once inside, you see that the carpet is a little worn and stained, the tile in the kitchen is outdated, and the fixtures throughout look like they were the new trend – in 1985.

But before you turn around and walk out, on your way to look at a dozen newer homes that same day before making an offer, I encourage you to give it a moment and take a second look.

That’s because one of the biggest mistakes people make when buying a home is to pay for someone else’s upgrades.

On the other hand, a home with good “bones” that’s in the right location, location, and location but just needs some TLC can actually be a wise investment. In fact, that kind of house is a golden opportunity for first-time homeowners, investors, or just someone who wants to walk into a home with potential sweat equity.

Basically, instead of paying for the upgrades and remodeling that the homeowners have already finished (reflected in a higher purchase price), why not get the price at a much more conservative number, do the simple and easy fixes on your dime and time, and realize the profit, yourself?

Buy a home that’s listed at less than marketing value and you could be the one profiting from these cosmetic upgrades, not the home seller!

In fact, I’ve seen buyers come into a situation where there’s the potential to realize $5,000, $10,000, or even $25,000 in equity just by upgrading the house with cosmetic fixes – and within a few short months.

But too many homebuyers ignore the potential for a great investment because, well, because it’s “dressed in overalls and looks like hard work,” to paraphrase Thomas Edison.

I see it again and again, and for several reasons:

Sometimes, the buyers are relatively inexperienced when it comes to the time, cost, and process it takes for these upgrades. It might even be their first home, so just the thought of a leaking toilet frightens them.

Most people don’t have the skill to do the work themselves, of course, and maybe they don’t know a reliable contractor or handymen that would help them be comfortable with the process.

Other times, they move into the home, and a significant remodel is untenable since they’re living in the space. If you’ve ever stayed in a home undergoing work and experienced the mess from sheetrock dust, muddy footprints, and more, then you know what I’m talking about!

Or, homeowners sometimes have SO many projects that they want to embark upon in and around their house that they fail even to get started – or complete – one!

Furthermore, when someone first buys a house, it’s expensive enough to go to Target and purchase shower curtains, area rugs, and basic kitchen goods. Despite your best intentions, these upgrades or fixes could easily fall further down the Honey Do list.

And let’s face it: a house looks GREAT with brand new upgrades.

When we’re out looking at homes and considering making an offer, you naturally are attracted to the house that looks the nicest. The last thing you want is to buy a home that’s slightly dirty, outdated, or requires significant repairs. After all, no one wants to make a lateral move from their current home – or even take a step backward. We all usually want bigger, better, and much nicer when we’re out home shopping.

But I’m here to tell you that some incredible financial opportunities are hidden beneath that dirt, dust, and dated fixtures.

Here’s why:

It’s easy to identify the upgrades, repairs, and sprucing up that aren’t too difficult or costly but will really boost your home’s appearance – and its value.

Together, we call these “cosmetic fixes,” and savvy real estate investors often call properties that are undervalued because they need a little love, “cosmetic fixers.”

Just how lucrative can these cosmetic upgrades be for your property value?

While it’s not an exact science, a national survey of home buyers estimated that for every $1 you invest in a cosmetic upgrade, repair, or remodel, you could potentially yield about $5 in extra home value.

Of course, that’s just one estimate, and you won’t realize the profit on a house until it’s time to sell (or refinance) it, but the point is that there are plenty of minor repairs and upgrades you can do that will only require hundreds in – but pay out thousands.

So, what are some of these cosmetic improvements we can make?

• Replace linoleum flooring (especially in kitchens and bathrooms)
• Rip up old and dirty carpet. You can replace with new carpet, tile, laminate wood flooring, or there may even be original wood underneath! Score!)
• If you don’t want to start ripping up the tile in your kitchen or bathroom, just scraping out the old grout and re-grouting will make it look bright and new.
• One of the best ways to add curb appeal is by pruning, planting trees and flowers, laying new mulch, and other simple landscaping you can do on the weekends.
• The single easiest way to make a home look and FEEL newer and nicer is with a fresh coat of paint! This isn’t confined just to the walls, as you can sand down and paint old kitchen cabinets that are in good shape without replacing them.
• New window coverings, shades, etc. Let light in, brighten a room, add color, and make it look more modern or spacious just by addressing the windows or slider.
• New fixtures. You can make a home look like new just by focusing on the details. It’s not expensive or difficult to update doorknobs, faucet sets, lighting fixtures, and the other small things that add up to make a big difference.
• New bathroom vanity. Without tearing out tile or replacing the whole shower, you can make a bathroom like brand new just by replacing the sink vanity (and maybe the commode, too). They sell pre-assembled kits at Home Depot and other stores that are cost-effective but will make your bathroom look like those in a luxury hotel.

You’ll probably start noticing that this list matches up pretty closely with the list of basic home repairs you can make that will earn you the highest Return on Investment when selling.

For instance, I’m listing a home for sale that’s a perfect example of a cosmetic… Well, I don’t even want to call it a “fixer” because nothing NEEDS to be fixed – it’s perfectly livable, clean, and nice. However, the features, amenities, and design are somewhat outdated since it was built in 1968.

But if we go down our checklist of what we’re looking for in a great real estate investment:

• Good neighborhood.

(Well established, steadily increasing values, maturing landscaping and close to plenty of amenities.)

• In a top-rated school system.

(Near top-rated Elk Grove high school.)

• Great bones.

(3 beds and 2 baths, spacious at almost 1,700 square feet, well-designed floor plan, open and inviting – but also sturdy.)

• From a respected builder.

(This home was built by Guttridge Construction, which has a well-earned reputation for putting up quality homes.)

• Easy to alter the floor plan.

(These models are known for easy-to-remove interior walls, so you can expand your living area, create a great room, etc.)

• Motivated sellers!

Of course, these sellers could put a little money into the property and probably sell it for substantially more, but they are motivated to find a buyer sooner or later and sell it in its present (perfectly nice) condition.

• Older home charm.

Sometimes, the fact that it’s not a newer home is an asset! Older homes typically have larger lots, are more likely to be single story (sought after by buyers), and can even have real brick fireplaces and other charming features.

• The price is right!

How much is this fantastic home that is ready for a little cosmetic TLC?

Contact me for details and a private showing!

 

Anchors that will drag down your home’s value.

If you own a home, you’re probably especially interested in its value. Most likely, you pay attention to news reports about the local real estate market, watch with baited breath as your neighbor’s home sells, and even ask their favorite Realtor (like me) for a Comparative Market Analysis.

We also focus on ways we can increase our home value, like painting, replacing the roof, or even putting in an addition.

But there are just as many things that could potentially decrease the value of our home, too. Many times, these factors don’t even have anything to do with our house, and there’s nothing much we can do to control them.

Today, we’re going to be covering some of these home value anchors, as I call them. According to numerous studies and national home sales data, the presence of these elements will also drag your home value down. They’ve also assigned a percentage to the potential value drop (compared to similar homes in your county that aren’t near those things):

These things can act as anchors, dragging down the value of your home:

Substandard school:

Home buyers pay very close attention to schools in the area they’re considering, and that extends to schools that are underperforming or just plain poorly rated. In fact, if your neighborhood school is rated “bad” by GreatSchools.org (considered 3 out of a possible 10 or less), your median value may be a whole 22.2% less than comparable homes near top-rated schools! As a Realtor, I’m not allowed to give you specific school information, but I can refer you to some helpful resources if you wish.

 Hospital:

On the one hand, it’s great to have vital services and amenities easily accessible to where you live. On the other hand, it seems that people really don’t want to live near a hospital. Between the sound of ambulance sirens, police cars, increased traffic, and possibly even medical helicopters coming and going, a 2015 study found that homes in the close vicinity of a hospital earned 3.2% less when selling.

 Strip club:

It’s not hard to see why the presence of a “Gentleman’s Club” would bring an unsavory element to any neighborhood, and one study that correlated home sales near 2,000 strip clubs around the country found that they sold for about 14.7% less than similar homes in ore family-friendly confines.

 High crime rates (but not all types of crime):

According to a study conducted by Florida State University that was published in Regional Science and Urban Economics, there are two main types of crime; property and violent.

However, they discovered that only violent crime exerted a “meaningful” influence on reducing property values. In fact, a 10% increase in violent crime within a specific area has been proven to lower home values by up to 6%.

One thing that can spell a death sentence (pun intended) for the price of your house is if a particularly gruesome, strange, or highly-publicized crime takes place on or right near your property. 

Substantial billboards (and those with the wrong ads):

Of course, billboards are everywhere these days along highways, large intersections, and casting their shadow in commercial areas. We often just “tune them out” and don’t really notice after a while, but that same trick won’t work for your home values.

In fact, studies show that if a billboard (particularly large ones) are within 500 feet of your house, your home value would be $30,826 compared to similar homes without a billboard nearby.

Furthermore, it’s not just the mere presence of a billboard but what’s on it that cause your home to be worth less. Research suggests that billboards advertising strip clubs, politicalcandidates (either party!), laxatives (or other personal items), or public service announcements for drug addiction can further sink the value of homes in that immediate area.

Sinkholes:

Sinkholes are a relatively new phenomenon, with reports of the ground opening up and swallowing up cars, houses, and even whole blocks, in certain parts of the country (especially Florida). If this happens to you, insurance may pay for the damage to your home, but home prices in that area will likely never recover, as they take an average 30% hit virtually overnight – if they are sellable at all, even if they were not affected!

Dumps and power plants:

It may not be right next door, but no one wants to live near a dump. That’s the conclusion of a study that found that even if you live within two miles or less of a dum or landfill, your home could be worth up to 7.3% less than it otherwise would be.

Similarly, power plants raise some safety concerns, sometimes creating “cancer scares,” (Whether justified or not). So, homes within two miles of power plants will usually be worth 5.3% less.

High foreclosure density: 

It seems that foreclosures and other distressed properties (like short sales, bank repos, etc.) beget more foreclosures – or, at least lower property values. Even if you pay your mortgage on time every month and have plenty of equity, but those around you are in default, your value could fall by an average of $7,200. In fact, it’s estimated that for every foreclosure in your neighborhood within 1/8^thof a mile, your home value drops by 0.09% on average.

Fracking and water issues

Bad water? That probably means your home value will start going down the drain, as research in Flint, Michigan and other high profile cases shows. In fact, confirmed issues with drinking water, or just the presence of fracking or drilling operations that often cause those problems, will drop the area home values by up to 24% within a 1.25-mile radius.

Neighbor nuisance:

Sometimes, it’s neighbors blasting their music every night (and it’s never good music that they play loudly!). In other cases, they’re filling up their yard with junk, or inviting over 100 of their closest friends for a Civil War reenactment on their front lawn every weekend. Having bad neighbors can drop your value by up to 5 or even 10% when it comes time to sell!

Shooting range:

The presence of a shooting range in your neighborhood can exert a negative influence on your home value, as buyers may have safety concerns. However, the average drop in home value is only 3.7% (just a little more than having a hospital in your neighborhood), alluding to the fact that some buyers may actually feel safer with a shooting range in their proximity.

Casino:

For decades, homeowners, community organizations, and developers debated the positive economic benefits of having a casino open in a certain area. However, an intensive 2015 study by the National Association of Realtors found that the presence of a casino had an “unambiguously negative” impact on home and property values in the area. Furthermore, communities within a 10-mile radius of a casino experience higher than normal rates of foreclosures, crime, and other blight.

Coming home to golf in Sacramento.

“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have to play the ball where it lies.”
– Bobby Jones

If you’re an avid golfer, then it’s more a way of life than just a sport of weekend hobby – much to the chagrin of your spouse, family, and boss! It’s also true that some of the best golfing and golf courses in the world are located in California, and our Sacramento capital region is no exception. With beautiful natural surroundings that encompass rivers, lakes, woodlands, and rolling hills and weather suitable for year-round golfing, Sacramento is a perfect spot to tee off for amateurs, enthusiast, and aspiring professionals alike.

In fact, there are at least 44 golf courses within only a 45-minute drive of the heart of Sactown!

Today, I’m going to bring you a quick profile of golf in the Sacramento region, including a very special opportunity for those who have always dreamt about living right near a golf course!

First, here are five of the highest-rated golf courses in Sacramento:

Timber Creek Golf Course
7050 Del Webb Blvd, Roseville, CA 95747

Winner of the Sacramento A-List best golf course for 2018, Timber Creek boasts perfect fairway and green conditions. With ponds, waterfalls, and shaded groves, it’s also one of the best-maintained courses you’ll find anywhere – the inspiration of course designers Billy Casper and Greg Nash. It’s also fairly challenging, but a hard day on the links will be well worth it when you hit the 19th hole – their Timbers at the Lodge bar and restaurant.

Granite Bay Golf Club
9600 Golf Club Drive, Granite Bay, CA 95746

It doesn’t get much better than a stunningly beautiful course in the foothills of the Sierras, close to the western shore of Folsom Lake with granite formations and plenty of mature oak trees on the horizon. Golfers are never disappointed spending the day at the Granite Bay Golf Club, as aside from its 18-hole course, they feature three renowned restaurants and plenty of activities and amenities for events and meetings.

Haggin Oaks
3645 Fulton Ave., Sacramento, CA 95821

Haggin Oaks actually is home to two separate championship courses, Arcade Creek and Alister Mackenzie. It was here that all-time great Ben Hogan won his first pro event way back in 1938, taking home a $35 prize at the Sacramento Open. Today, courses cater to beginners all the way up to aspiring pro golfers, and there is plenty of opportunity to work on your game at Haggin Oaks with their notable driving range with 100 hitting stations and top-flight pro shop.

Teal Bend Golf Club
7200 Garden Hwy, Sacramento, CA 95837

Designed by course architect Brad Bell and opened in 1997, Teal Bend sits right along the Sacramento River, with 250 acres of natural wetlands paralleling its well-groomed fairways. Teal Bend is also known for its fast greens, and the par-5, 512-yard hole number 17 will test even the most seasoned golfers!

Ancil Hoffman
6700 Tarshes Dr, Carmichael, CA 95608

Nestled in between the American River Parkway, Ancil Hoffman Park, and Effie Yeaw Nature Center, this signature William F. Bell course (he also designed Torrey Pines in San Diego as well as 200 other courses) first opened in 1965 and has been entertaining Sacramento golfers ever since. They have a five-tee placement system that makes the course playable for any skill level or age, and their pro shop is known as one of the best in NorCal!

Fun Sacramento golf fact:

Who is the best golfer ever to come out of Sacramento?
That’s an easy one, as Sacramentan Al Geiberger won 21 PGA and Champions tours during his storied career, including a PGA major in 1966, two second-place finished at the U.S. Open, and was the first ever player to break 60 on the PGA tour!

Other notable golf courses in the Sacramento region:

Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course
One of the newest – and most technical- golf courses in Sacramento has become increasingly popular.

Turkey Creek Golf Course
This Lincoln, CA course offers a unique experience, as golfers navigate between granite rock quarries, some of which are now lakes.

Sierra View Golf Course
Designed by architect Jack Fleming in 1953, Sierra View is a par-72 golf mecca!

William Land Park Golf Course
One of the oldest courses in the region, as the 160 acres upon which the modern course is built was donated by iconic Sacramentan Willian Land.

Bradshaw Ranch
One of the nicest public courses you’ll find, Bradshaw Ranch is the perfect place for beginners to tee off or those who want to get a quick 9 in after work.

Our special favorite golf course:

Morgan Creek Golf Course
8791 Morgan Creek Ln, Roseville, CA 95747

One of the most beloved courses among local Sacramento area golfers is the Morgan Creek Golf Course, located in Roseville. This top-rated eighteen-hole course was designed in the classic architectural style of Kyle Philipps, with professional-grade conditions integrating seamlessly into the natural landscape. However, this course will always prove challenging and test the limits of your technique, but equally rewarding, as no two rounds at Morgan Creek are ever the same.

Morgan Creek’s picturesque grounds are also the home to professional tournaments, amateur events, holiday gatherings, and plenty of weddings. Their golf pros and staff and restaurant are world-class, but Morgan Creek is still an excellent place for the family to unwind (and tee off!), with plenty of camps and summer leagues for the kids.

For those who only want to drive (their golf cart) a long chip shot to the Morgan Hills clubhouse, the Sun Valley Oaks offers high-quality homes in a private residential community.

Have you ever thought about living on or near a golf course?

Is it your dream to not only drive out to the links and play 18 once or twice a week, but to walk out of your front door and be so close to a golf course that you might hear “Fore!” while mowing your lawn?

The greater Sacramento area is home to several communities built just for golfers, such as the luxurious villas within Serrano Country Club, homes along the fairway at the Lincoln Hills Golf Course, and, one of my favorites, the Morgan Creek golf community in Roseville.

Take a look at this home for sale within Sun Valley Oaks near the Morgan Creek Golf Club – with a 0.5-acre lot and backyard big enough for you to set up your own practice area! It’s priced surprisingly affordable and mere steps to Morgan Creek, so you can tee off at any time!

You can take a virtual tour of this listing (and think about if you want a huge pool or a putting green in the backyard) here.

Or email me with any questions or to set up a private tour of the home at Courtney@CourtneyWay.com

 

To buy or not to buy, that is the question. (How do Americans feel about buying their first home?)

The American Dream still includes buying real estate as a means to financial prosperity, with 75% of Americans polled say that owning their own home is a priority and 91% – a near consensus – reporting that they’d like to own a home at least once in their lifetime.

However, our current homeownership rate is surprisingly low at 64.2% as of Q1 2018 – some of the lowest levels in thirty years despite high demand and great mortgage interest rates.

But there very well could be a new wave of homebuyers coming soon, balancing out the scales of our seller’s markets and increasing the U.S.’s paltry homeownership rates now.
In fact, about one-third of Americans who don’t now own homes plan to buy one within the next five years.

Of those first-time homebuyers, the younger generations, led by Millennials at 49%, lead the charge for a desire to own soon. In fact, 82% of Millennials (compared to 75% overall) say that owning a home is a priority.

They’re followed by 35% of Generation X’ers and 17% of Baby Boomers who plan on buying within the next 60 months.

According to this survey, 15% of Americans polled have already purchased a home within the past five years.

Even when they would love to buy a home, most renters (88%) have serious concerns about buying, for one reason or another.

Of course, the number one reason why Americans still want to buy is that they understand owning a home is a great investment, with 64% of soon-to-be buyers say that the financial benefits to owning are the main factor. In fact, more than half of all  those surveyed agree with the statement “I would rather have a home I own appreciate in value than have more money in retirement savings.”

It’s understandable that the economy will affect the motivations and behaviors of home buyers, but what about the political climate?

In fact, a Harris Poll of 2,165 U.S. adults asked the question, “If you were in the market to buy a home, would the current economy and political landscape make you more or less likely to buy?”

35% of respondents said that they were more likely to buy because of the current economy and political climate, and an equal share of 35% said that they were less likely to buy because of the same reasons, and• 30% were unsure.

Considering that they want to become homeowners, what do today’s potential buyers feel about their ability to purchase a home, especially compared to one year ago?

It seems home buyer sentiment is split right down the middle, with 50% of Americans neither better nor worse about their prospects for buying property this year compared to last.

But 28% do feel better about owning a home (compared to just one year ago.) Of those home ownership optimists:

45% say they have more savings for a down payment, and41% are making more monthly income so they can qualify and afford a house easier.

Finally, almost a quarter of all Americans who don’t now own a home (23%) feel like they are further away from that goal than last year, with 48% having less savings, and 57% earning less income than the year before.

Currently, 35% of Americans surveyed are renting their primary residence, but only less than one in five (17%) say they prefer to rent.

Of that small minority that prefer renting over owning, A third of them (33%) say it’s because renting is more affordable to them.

(On a side note, that’s interesting because 30% of those who DO plan on buying in the next five years say that one of the main motivations is that owning is more affordable than renting!)

Others prefer renting because of the freedom it gives them to move if they wish, and the fact that they don’t have to handle maintenance and upkeep when they rent.

These home maintenance concerns seem to present a significant worry for would-be homebuyers who are renting instead. In fact, 58% of current renters say that the maintenance on a home if they owned it is a concern.

According to reports, the average cost to maintain and home, provide preventive maintenance, and fix what breaks comes to about 1-2% of the home’s value every year, or about $5,000 for a median-priced ($254,000) home in the U.S.

However, it may be lower, based on the condition of the home, age, and area of the country. There are also ways to protect yourself from unexpected costs, such as home warranties and roof certifications at the time of purchase, and most home maintenance expenses may even be tax deductible, deferring the true cost.

But the majority of those who prefer renting may truthfully plain old believe that they can’t buy. For instance, 56% of pro-renters admit that they don’t have the money to buy (or so they think), 222% say their credit isn’t good enough to buy, and only 24% say they don’t want the long-term financial commitment. (Of course, we understand that renting is a lifetime financial commitment – with no upside!)

Furthermore, there may be a misconception about the funds needed to buy a home that’s preventing some renters from buying. For instance, 44% of Americans still think that you need a down payment of 20% of the home’s purchase price in order to buy, and they vastly overestimate what credit score is needed.

However, there are plenty of great loans, like those guaranteed by FHA, the Federal Housing Authority, that only requires a 3.5% down payment. There are even some lending products and down payment assistance programs that allow new homebuyers to qualify and get their keys with no money down!

Likewise, FHA loans can accommodate buyers with less-than-perfect credit.
With better education, familiarity with the process, and assistance from mortgage lenders, there are millions of potential new homebuyers out there who are ready to buy soon!

Another 5 ways to sell your home for more.

When it comes to selling your home, every homeowner wants to walk away with as much profit as possible. As your home selling specialist in Sacramento, I’ve put together this list of ten ways to do just that based on my experience selling homes for top dollar, housing sales data, and industry research.

In part one of this blog, I covered my first five ways to sell your home for top dollar. Those tips including making cosmetic repairs in the kitchen and bathrooms, what we should (and should not) say in the listing description, and how to price it ever so carefully to sell it quickly but for full price (or even create a bidding war!).

With these five additional ways, you now have plenty of tools and resources to get every penny you deserve when your home sells. Contact me for a complimentary evaluation of your home’s value and let’s get started!

1. Declutter and start packing 

Aside from just cleaning spotlessly, it’s time to go through every room of your house and remove a good portion of the contents, and especially unneeded and personal effects. Decluttering will simplify your rooms and make them look more open and even bigger.

Likewise, by removing 50-70% of all unnecessary items from each room, as well as closets and shelves (just as important), you’re essentially providing any potential buyers that walk through a “blank canvas,” so they can envision their own paintings, furniture, mementos, and personal items.

So, before we put your home on the market, take just one hour each day going room by room, putting things in plastic bins or boxes and carefully label them. You can either store those in the garage in an orderly fashion or, better yet, reserve a small storage space and start putting your unneeded and packed things there.

Just think of this as the first step of staging your house (which we’ll talk about next), and the good news is that you’ll have to start packing soon anyways when we sell your house!

2. Consider staging

Professional home staging is a fantastic way to maximize your home’s showing potential and is proven to help attract and engage buyers once they see it (which includes on listing photos online!). If you’re selling a bare-bones rental property or a humble starter home, then it may not be necessary, but for just about any other home seller, staging will pay off big time in the long run.

National surveys show that homes that are staged sell on almost twice as fast over non-staged homes (13.8 days on the market compared to 30.9 days) and sell for a higher average price.

In fact, 31% of Realtors surveyed say that staging can boost the sale price by 1-5% and 13% believe it actually increases an offer price by 6-10%!
To put that in perspective, on a $500,000 house, a 1% increase is still $5k and 5% is a whopping $25k!

Professional staging does require an initial investment but, as you can see, that quickly pays off once we close the deal. Ask me how home staging can help you net more money!

3. Lighten

When a buyer first walks in, we want them to be dazzled by how bright, open, spacious, clean, and airy your home feels. Aside from putting on a $100,000 remodel to make it bigger or adding more windows, we can achieve that same effect by removing dark and dreary window coverings, updating lighting fixtures, and adding new soft white bulbs.

It’s also essential that you lighten the walls by painting in light and neutral colors like shades of off-white, which will also make it look larger, newer, and more inviting.
Studies point to the fact that repainting your home’s interior in these easy-on-the-eyes light colors will yield an average 300% Return on Investment once we close the sale!

Courtney Way’s home selling tip:

When does it not pay to paint your rooms in light colors? Research shows that some bolder tones in certain rooms can actually make you more when it comes time to sell! 

In fact, a study of 32,000 listing photos of sold homes found that when the bathrooms were painted powder blue or periwinkle, the average value was $5,440 higher!

The same was true for bedrooms painted in blue hues ($1,856 more on average), and blues or soft grays in the kitchen netted an extra $1,800.

4. Make it easy to show

You can have the most amazing home in the world and offer it at an incredible bargain, but if we make it difficult for other Realtors and their buyers to see, you’re doing yourself a big disservice. In fact, homes that are listed as showing by appointment only, have limited hours of availability, or require a call or arrangements with the listing agent or seller, first, statistically sell for less than their competition.

Likewise, make sure that pets – and especially dogs – are carefully sequestered in side yards or someplace away from potential buyers as they walk through, so the buyers won’t be rushing through, be a little scared, or just turn around and walk out.

Quite simply, homes with unfettered access through a lockbox and no free-roaming pets or dogs are easy to schedule, see, and comfortable to walk through, and that can only help you when it comes time for them to write an offer.

5. Document your upgrades

A great way to communicate the value of your home to a potential buyer (and justify its favorable price) is by showing them all of the upgrades you’ve made, pointing out any high-end or uncommon appliances, and demonstrating tech and green upgrades.

Collect all of your invoices from contractors, product and appliance manuals, and other paperwork that documents the energy-efficient features in your home, such as solar panels, electric water heaters, solar shades, and the like.

We can then organize them in a nice binder, explaining a little about each and the benefit to the potential new homeowner, which we’ll use to make the case that your home holds added value. Not only will the buyer appreciate this but trust me when I tell you that their real estate agent will appreciate this touch, too!

Small home? Here are 20 hacks to make it look and feel bigger!

Square footage is always at a premium when you buy a home, but that’ even more so as prices climb and centralized neighborhoods become more attractive.

In fact, the average square footage of new homes has gone down since the zenith of McMansions in the mid-2000s. In neighborhoods like East Sacramento, Arden, midtown, Curtis Park, and more, we often find a lot of smaller homes – often with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and maybe only around 1,000 square feet – that are otherwise charming and perfect.

So, how can you make the most out of a small home, and make it look and feel much larger than it really is? Here are 20 hacks that “solve” your small home dilemma.

Hint: I can even help you with #20!

1. Install floor to ceiling bookshelves to make your rooms look taller. It’s also great for additional storage and you’ll look well read!

2. Add outdoor living spaces to extend the use of your home. This can be a wrap-around porch, an outdoor eating area, a covered patio, or a sitting area to enjoy your wine/coffee and greet your neighbors in the front of your home.

3. Remove unneeded walls, opening up the floorplan and making it appear bigger. (For instance, many smaller homes in East Sacramento have a wall separating the kitchen from the living area that can be taken down with the addition of a new header beam by a licensed contractor.

4. Add a breakfast bar across a window or even “floating” on the wall. Breakfast bars and counters save you a lot of space by eliminating the need for a whole table.

5. Use large mirrors to trick the eye into seeing the room as much larger than it really is. Mirrors are also great for spreading natural light.

6. Turn your eyesore fence into the highlight of your yard by covering it with vines, stone, colorful paint, strings of outdoor lighting, or other decorations.

7. To maximize space and add more storage, install a loft over your desk or office, in the spare bedroom, or over your main garage area.

8. If you have a two-story home but are cramped for space, a contractor can transform your plain staircase into a storage dream. The stairwell is particularly spacious, and each riser can be turned into a separate drawer, too.

9. If you can’t remove walls (because of load-bearing issues), you can easily swap doors for sliding walls, opening up options for multi-purpose spaces.

 

10. Or, reconstruct walls with interior glass panes, windows, or opaque materials that allow natural light to go pass.

11. Adding a nice shelf over your kitchen sink (even across the window) frees up a lot of countertop space.

12. Too often, people think that they need to paint small rooms all-white to make them look larger and brighter. However, a fun and funky paint color can revive old cabinets, adding personality and interest in the kitchen.

13. For bedrooms and living areas, try the opposite: go with a white motif and color pattern. Your place will look more modern and airy, and any color that you do have (like paintings, pillows, etc.) will really jump out!

14. Just about any window can be expanded to a floor-to-ceiling window or French door!

15. Floating, fold-down, and floor-to-ceiling shelves are all great, but they still take up valuable airspace in your small home. However, you can easily build shelves into the recesses of each wall, so they’ll only slight protrude—or not at all.

16. Small bedroom with very limited storage space? Dreaming of a bigger bed—and a walk-in closet. You can actually have both by building a large sleeping loft in the bedroom that with a full closet underneath!

17. Postage stamp-sized backyard? Dreaming of a swimming pool on hot days? A small pool is better than no pool, and they make all sorts of easy-to-install pools that fit in any corner of your yard.

18. I love this idea;- make use of empty corners by building in small shelving. You can even hang rods in the bedroom and closets across corners to hang clothing.

19. Not only can you use a floating desk, nightstand, or breakfast bar to save space, but they can actually fold down from the wall—and go back up again when you need the room.

20. Buy a bigger house! Problem solved!

 

 

Seller’s Paradise in Sacramento

If you’re a homeowner in the Sacramento area and thinking about putting a For Sale sign in your front yard, the perfect storm of market factors is now in your favor – a veritable seller’s paradise.

No matter if you’re listing your home with the ultimate goal of cashing in on a half-decade of rising prices, relocating to a more desirable neighborhood, or even selling and downsizing, now may be the ideal time to get started.

If you live in Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, or other surrounding counties, don’t worry – your ship has come in, too, with much of the same rise in equity that Sacramento homeowners have seen.

But this won’t last for forever.

Already we see one key indicator of a healthy cool-down, the average Days on Market, increasing slightly. Add in the fact that mortgage interest rates have nudged higher (but are still great), and it’s clear that your window to sell for top dollar is wide open at this moment, but may start to gently close.

Let’s look at why it’s a home seller’s paradise in Sactown right now:

Homes in the greater Sacramento area have seen an unprecedented run of price appreciation. In fact, median residential real estate prices have gone up every single month over the last six years – at least 72 months of positive growth!

For instance, if your home appreciated only 1% every month during that 72-month spell, your house would now be worth 72% more than it was back in 2012.

However, homeowners should be overjoyed that we’re not talking about only marginal increases. In fact, as of the April 2018 resale home report, Sacrament county prices jumped to $356,000 year-to-year, an impressive 13% annual increase.

Likewise, Placer County now boasts a median home price of $479,500 – up 7.9% from this time last year, and El Dorado County homes sit at a $450,000 median that’s 4% higher than a year ago.

Remember that example I gave above of a home that is worth 72% more than in 2012 (assuming that it only went up 1% every month)? Well, the true appreciation could be much more than that. In fact, the median home price in Sacramento County hit the skids in late 2011 and early 2012 at only $155,000! That also means that we’ve seen prices double -and then some- over in that same period.

There’s even more room to grow, as the Sacramento median price still sits below the all-time high that was recorded in the mid-2000s, pre-real estate crash and mortgage meltdown. In fact, the median property price was $360,00 in 2006.

At first glance, it may look like we’re close to that all-time high number. However, economists point out that if you adjust for inflation (2006 dollars versus 2018 dollars), the Sacramento median back then was probably closer to $442,000 in today’s value.

So, why not sit tight and wait for homes to keep appreciating?
Aside from the Average Days on Market statistic (that I mentioned earlier) ticking up, we’re also experiencing increases in available home sale inventory. More inventory = more options for buyers + less competition, which results in less upward pressure on prices.
Additionally, a good deal of these rosy appreciation and sales volume numbers include new home sales, which were unusually vibrant early this year after a long pause in new home building.

Don’t forget, too, that summer is HOT home buying season, as most families prefer to buy and move in before the school year starts. So, the summer and fall are always the most active times of the year for listings, buyers, and price bumps.

But what will the market look like this fall and into the winter?

Will the Days on Market continue to increase, forcing sellers into more price reductions? Will mortgage interest rates edge up again, bringing this seller-friendly market back in balance? Will demand wane as Sacramento wage earners can’t justify paying prices that are inching closer to those in the Bay Area?

Remember that there is never one exact, perfect time to sell your home since so many factors are in play (including the desire to buy a different house here once you sell!).

Therefore, this is no dire warning that you NEED to sell now or that there’s another real estate bubble ready to pop soon. (You don’t and it’s not.)

However, statistical evidence and market trends all point to the fact that the top of the home price mountain is in sight, so if you want to cash in and get top dollar (without the risk of selling as the market softens), we should list your home very soon!

Home value “balloons” – 15 unexpected things that may increase your home’s price tag.

Every homeowner wants to see their value on the rise, and every home buyer wants to purchase a property that has the potential to go way up in price. Of course, buying a beautiful, big home in the best neighborhood possible will ensure that happens, and there are also countless blogs and articles that go over how to boost your home’s value by improving its curb appeal, remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, and the like.

However, there are some other, far more unexpected, factors that play into your home’s value. I assure you that although these factors may seem frivolous and even illogical at times, they are all based on credible data and studies into home prices.

Therefore, by paying attention to these fascinating home value “balloons,” you may be in for a value increase, too!

15 Home value balloons:

 1. Access to public transportation.

The American Public Transportation Association has found that market values are higher on average for homes that are located near popular public transportation hubs. Although it’s inconclusive just how much these properties will rise in value, one estimate is that they’re worth 42% more than comparable homes that are not near public transport. While that number seems stunningly high to me, there’s no denying that homes with easy access to transportation are more attractive to buyers.

2. A good school district.

There’s much debate about the influence good or bad schools play on home prices, and some think that it’s actually good neighborhoods that make a school, not the other way around. But studies have shown that there’s a direct correlation between higher-priced communities and good school systems. In fact, it’s estimated that buyers will pay between 1 to 10% above their budget for a home in a better school district.

Likewise, research shows that if a school is named a National Blue Ribbon School, the surrounding homes have the potential to increase by up to 5%.

3. The Starbucks Effect.

The presence of a Starbucks coffee shop in your neighborhood is such a clear boon to home values, that there’s a name for it! It’s true – homes that are less than a mile from a Starbucks increase in value 30% faster than comparable homes further away.

4. Other coffee shops?

Does that home appreciation magic extend to coffee chains other than Starbucks? Maybe, but it’s certainly not as prevalent. For instance, if your home is within a mile of a Dunkin Donuts, it’s likely to appreciate faster than the national average – but nowhere near the Starbucks Effect’s 30%!

5. A Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

A study by a national real estate website found that proximity to a Trader Joe’s appreciated in value up to 40% faster than homes further out, and a Whole Foods could increase your values by 34%. Of course, this price appreciation doesn’t happen immediately when one of these establishments opens next door but exerts its positive influence over time.

6. Close to parks and outdoor recreation areas.

If you’re lucky enough to live within a stone’s throw of a nice park, jogging trail, or even golf course (Ok, maybe you don’t want to be TOO close to the driving range!), then you could be looking forward to rapid home appreciation. A comprehensive study found that homes in those locations are worth, on average, 8 to 20% more than similar homes that aren’t close to these outdoor amenities.

7. Mature trees and well-manicured landscaping.

If your neighborhood enjoys mature trees, your home value may increase by up to 3 -10% more than similar structures in neighborhoods that don’t have them. Additionally, well-maintained landscaping in yards and public areas is at a premium and may boost your home’s value by 3-15%!

8. Street names – not numbers.

Believe it or not, your street name may factor into your home’s value. A New York Times study concluded that homes on streets with names – not numbers (like 3rd Street) – went up in value 2% faster. Likewise, if your address contains “Lane” or “Place” instead of just “Street,” then your home price may increase at a faster rate. Furthermore, uncommon or unique street names can also boost values more than ordinary street names.

9. Privacy.

It seems that we don’t want nosey neighbors and passer-bys seeing what we’re doing at home, so we’re willing to pay more for privacy! In a study of home prices in 1,836 counties across the country, properties that rated higher privacy scores also had higher values.

10. A wide lot.

Often referred to as “frontage,” homes with particularly wide lots see a boost in their values in many markets around the country. However, country and suburban properties see the most prominent value gains by wide frontage, not city properties.

11. Backyard views.

Curb appeal and street views are important but don’t neglect the view from your backyard, too. In fact, a national study found that homes with larger view angles (no matter what they saw from that vantage point) routinely had higher values.

12. A down-sloping backyard.

One study measured housing prices cross-references with the slope of their respective backyards. They found that homes with downhill slopes in their backyards sold for significantly more than homes where the backyard sloped uphill.

13. Military base.

A study by a national real estate website found that homes near military bases went for a premium, as much as 34.8% higher than the median home average in those areas!

14. Drop in crime.

Of course, we can assume that high crime rates will drop a home’s value. But what’s interesting is that research shows as those same crime-blighted communities start to clean up their streets, property values will rebound accordingly.

15. Walkability.

Homeowners love being able to leave their front door and walk around their community, particularly to local restaurants, coffee shops, or other stores and amenities. Studies show that this “walkability” feature is so attractive that it actually improves neighborhood home values.

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