Question of the week: Will the federal government shutdown impact the timing of my loan approval or closing? Answer: It’s like I jumped into my DeLorean DMC-12 and dialed up 2018 instead of 1955 with this question. You likely recall that the last federal government shutdown occurred for 35 days, from December 22, 2018 to […]
Question of the week: How do we handle physical issues with home we are buying? Answer: Last week we spoke about seller disclosures of known physical deficiencies with a the property they are selling; more specifically when a disclosure is not required. As a buyer, what are your options when your home inspection report details […]
Question of the week: Why did the seller not disclose issues with home we purchased? Answer: Hopefully because they were not required to under California law. California Civil Code requires that sellers of most residential property types (residential properties with five or more units are exempt) complete a Transfer Disclosure Statement. The purpose of the […]
Question of the week: What impact does the Federal Reserve have on mortgage rates? Answer: Nerd alert—I got a bit too involved in this topic, my econ major came out. Towards the bottom I hope I simplified it for those looking for the Cliff notes version. For most of its history the Federal Reserve had […]
Question of the week: Are we breaking the law? Answer: I hope not! This question came from long time client Tomas. He called in a panic as over the years, decades?, he has purchased several homes, some of which he retained when buying a next home. His panic was due to the Department of Justice […]
Question of the week: Will mortgage rates come down because of what the Fed did today? Answer: Yes, they did. There was no “action” today be the Fed, but a significant event. Today is the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Is JHEPS the acronym? The […]
Question of the week: Are the courts making new residential construction cheaper? Answer: Yes. Going back to the late 1980’s, Federal Circuit courts, and the Supreme Court, have backed individuals in their suits against government agencies that have agreed to permit building in exchange for fees or extraction of land. In 1987 in Nollan v […]
Question of the week: Is the market cooling? Answer: According to my Magic 8-Ball, and statistics from the California Association of Realtors, most likely. Markets by Goldilocks, if the market is cool there is more supply than demand, if the market is hot there is more demand than supply, if the market is just right […]
Question of the week: Is there a tax advantage to owning rental property outside of California? DISCLAIMER: I am not an accountant, CPA, or licensed tax preparer. Please consult with your accounting/tax professional for your particular situation. Answer: No. After last week’s WR&MU regarding possibly retaining your home in California if you live out of […]
Question of the week: If me move out of state, should we keep our current home? Answer: Maybe. We have written around this subject before, most recently in June 2023. Over the past several years we have had a lot of clients who have moved out of California for a variety of reasons, primary economic. […]
