And install some upgrades while you’re at it
By Matt Larson
Summer is coming! Unless you received this publication late, in which case, summer is here! If it’s even later than that … how was your summer?!
“What could I possibly do to get my home ready for the summer?” you might ask—well, we reached out to some of our trusted advertisers and turns out there are a few things you can do! We also asked them for some general home improvement tips as well. To make it easy, here are their responses in bullet-point form!
How would you recommend prepping one’s house for the spring and summertime?
- “Now is the perfect time to reseed and fertilize lawns,” said Steve Williams, General Manager of Foster Lumber Yards. He also recommended power washing driveways and parking areas, and staining fences and decks to add years of life to the wood. “Staining decks will add a layer of protection that wood needs in the hot summer sun,” he added. “Staining on an annual basis is like applying suntan lotion to your own skin—if you protect your deck on an annual basis, you will get additional years of use out of it.”
- To prepare for the hot summer months, spring is a great time to get maintenance done on your air-conditioning system. Jason Davis, Service Manager for A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air in Vallejo, told us that as the furnace runs during the winter months, the furnace blower is the same that moves the air for the air-conditioning system—in fact, the only thing that is not utilized on your furnace, while using your air conditioner all summer long, are the burners. “Over the winter months the blower collects small amounts of dust,” he explained. “These small amounts of dust can reduce the efficiency of the system by up to 20%.” Additionally, the outdoor part of the air-conditioning system often collects fallen leaves and debris over the winter months, severely impacting efficiency and performance. “Keeping the system in optimal condition by having maintenance done on a regular basis keeps the cost of operation as low as possible and helps greatly reduce nuisance breakdowns.”
- Renee Marie Jordan, Broker Associate for Jordan Real Estate, kept it simple: “Clean gutters, scrub walls/baseboards, replace filters, clean out dryer vent, wash exterior windows, and test smoke detectors,” she said. “These small maintenance items won’t take much time at all to do and will be very beneficial in the long run.”
- “Check your roof/gutters/downspouts, and prolong the life of these items by keeping them clean, and pruning back trees,” said Krystle Karimian, Realtor/Broker/CEO of Krystle Properties in Vallejo. She added, “Artificial turf is no maintenance, drought friendly, and can even come in a pet-friendly variety. Also, insulation and windows are great home improvements; this is an expensive improvement if your windows are single paned and older, but so worth the cost. They will make your home more beautiful and comfortable, and they have about a 75% cost recuperation at the time of sale—read up on tax rebates to see if you can be eligible for savings!” Also, if you’re looking to sell your home but don’t have much cash on hand for aesthetic upgrades, Krystle recommends considering a refinance, an equity line, a 203k construction loan, and/or a shared equity agreement.
- If you’ve been considering an upgrade or have been working on a project on and off, Jeff Laugen, President of Benicia Home Improvement Center, suggested finishing them now, once and for all. “Whether it’s as simple as changing a paint color to something bright, or a renovation that completely changes the look and feel of any space—spring and summer are optimal times to have projects completed,” he said. “Out with the rain and in with the new!”
What home improvements, big or small, would you suggest our readers consider?
- Paint; new floors; replace outdated lighting; replace rusty faucets; stain cabinets and replace handles; install mirrored closet doors to make a room look and feel larger; give your front door or your fireplace a makeover—if you need help with any of these projects, give Krystle Karimian a call. “We manage over 700 units and have had the pleasure of working with many handymen and great contractors,” she said. “On a daily basis we are getting homes ready for sale and for rent; please feel free to call and ask for vendor referrals!” Also, make sure to ask about her Pinterest inspirations and DIY ideas.
- “Adding stepping stones across the lawn can help reduce wear and tear on the lawn, and can add a bit of decoration,” Steve Williams suggested, among other things. “Adding some bark along the edge of driveways or walkways can add a clean new look; painting around window and door trim can add a fresh splash of color; adding a picket fence can be very easy and affordable!” For the picket fence, he recommends purchasing wooden stakes that are 1×3 24” or longer, and pre-paint them the color of your choice. “Attach these stakes to a pressure-treated frame with deck screws.” If you plan to do this yourself, might wanna stop by Foster Lumber Yards to get all of Steve’s installation details.
- Jeff Laugen suggested painting and experimenting with color as some great, cost-effective ways of improving your home, as well as changing up your cabinets: handles, hinges and all. “A simple finish change or shape of hardware can create a variety of looks,” he said. “Consider changing the kitchen faucet as well to tie the finishes together!” He also recommends replacing your interior doors and molding. “Doors can be inexpensive, and some nice molding details can be created for some beautiful custom looks.” Or just call him to renovate the whole place, as you may notice his craftsmanship in the before-and-after kitchen photo.
- “Landscaping is very beneficial with 100% return on the investment,” Renee Marie Jordan “And kitchen upgrade would be next on that list for most beneficial in the long run.”
- Heating and air conditioning systems have come a long way in recent years, and it’s all about the performance of your home as a whole. “The idea is to have a system installed that basically zeros out your utilities, called net zero,” Jason Davis “This includes solar, insulation, windows, and the heating and air system; it amazes people that we can install a system like this in their home and it pays for itself.” He also suggests replacing and/or sealing your duct system, as unhealthy particles may be pulled into your personal air stream, which a filtering system can help combat. “Very few people think of indoor air quality,” he said. “Filtering systems, humidifiers, or de-humidifiers added to your system can greatly increase indoor air quality.”
Well … that oughta be enough to get you started! To follow up with any of our aforementioned partners who may have peaked your interests, we’ve got their contact information below. Let us know if this article prompted any home improvements and send us some before and after pictures to share for next year!
Krystle Karimian, Broker/CEO/Realtor®
Krystle Properties, 2101 Tennessee St., Vallejo (707) 563-0433, sales@krystleproperties.com
Jeff Laugen, President
Benicia Home Improvement Center, 736 1st St., Benicia (707) 745-8337, info@beniciahomeimp.com
Jason Davis, Service Manager
A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc., 1768 Broadway St., Vallejo (707) 645-0734, estimate@a-1guaranteed.com
Renee Marie Jordan, Broker Associate
Jordan Real Estate, 1038 First St., Benicia (707) 746-4864, reneemarie@jordanrealestate.com
Steve Williams, General Manager
Foster Lumber Yards, 3280 Sonoma Blvd., Vallejo (707) 557-3000 and 1601 West Texas St., Fairfield (707) 425-3400, fosterlumber.com
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.”
Some simple changes that can refresh your living space
By Matt Larson
Our surroundings have a greater impact on our psyche than we may ever realize. If a tidy person hosted a guest who cluttered up their apartment, it could impact their mood, increase stress, and create negative energy. If a typically cluttered person were to suddenly have their entire living space all cleaned up to perfection, they’d probably feel a huge weight lifted off their shoulders that they never even knew was there. Taking care of the space you live in is important, as it’s actually taking care of yourself.
Redesigning your home is often not a particularly easy process. From deciding what you need, to picking out what you want, to welcoming a crew of craftsmen into your home while you wait for things to get back to normal, you probably wouldn’t want to hire just anyone for such an involved, personal process. If you’re in need of a trusted company to help redesign your home’s interior in any way, Benicia Home Improvement Center has been establishing trust with their clients here in Solano County, and all throughout the Bay Area, for the past 20 years.
You may be happy with your current living space, or at least content with it, but it’s always good to change things up every now and then. There must be some small, easy improvements to be made that we non-craftsmen might not even consider, so we asked Jeff Laugen, president and founder of the Benicia Home Improvement Center, who also has 32 years of experience in the field, if he had any recommendations for some low-cost/high-reward home improvements.
“A lot of the small services we do today are countertop replacements to match newly painted cabinets, or in some cases clients love their countertops and cabinets but might need a simple backsplash; a lot of folks are going for a full-height, tile backsplash between their countertops and cabinets so it’s not just a painted wall. Even a simple hardware change on your cabinets can completely change the look,” he said, referring to the cabinet handles and doorknobs in your kitchen. “I really can’t stress that enough. There are certain door styles with cabinetry where a simple hardware change can make the biggest difference in a kitchen, going from a classic look to a very modern look. It’s a very low-dollar investment.”
Pretty much the same is possible for your bathrooms as well, from a simple vanity change out to new countertops to updated hardware. Bathrooms also tend to be much smaller than a kitchen, so changing the flooring is a relatively easy investment as well. “A simple flooring change with new tile, like some of the wood-look tiles, can create quite a difference in your bathroom,” Laugen said. “And what we’re starting to do a lot more of now are curbless shower systems.”
A curbless shower basically means that you can get in and out of your shower without having to step over anything; it’s all level to the ground. “It’s what they call ‘aging in place’ as this style was originally designed for older folks, so people hear that and say ‘hey I’m not that old yet!’, but the look has taken off,” Laugen said. “Right now about 50% of the showers we’re doing are curbless, and that will continue to grow.”
Altering your home may sound all fine and dandy until you actually start looking around online for what you can do, and are suddenly overwhelmed with an endless stream of options. If you have a general idea, or no idea at all, Laugen and his team can help you out. “We have on-staff design help,” he said. “We have people that are fantastic with colors, textures, tiles, and complementary products, so if you’re just walking in the store and looking around, someone can help you pick things out.”
Benicia Home Improvement goes that extra mile for their clients, striving to meet every demand as best they can. They’ve been in business long enough to know which products work and which don’t, so rest assured that when Laugen’s team comes and works on your home, they will leave you with lasting results.
“Cabinets, plumbing fixtures, you name it—these products are going to last you,” he said. “We get asked to use a lot of different products and if we’re not comfortable with them, we generally won’t use them, or we’ll find something that’s a good alternative. It’s all about quality of service, and quality of product.”
If you do require a larger renovation than a simple countertop or bathroom floor, Laugen wants you to know that his Benicia Home Improvement team does everything they can to provide you with an efficient and cleanly experience. “We cover any areas that our feet touch, during any demolition process we put up zip walls and cord off the area—we’ll try to make it as comfortable as possible,” he said. “That level of comfort is different for everybody so we have those conversations up front, discussing what to expect and making sure everything’s okay with the client. The majority of our customers breeze right through it.”
For a complete kitchen remodel, they can place your fridge in a separate area so you can still access it—and they’ve seen some pretty impressive barbecue setups as a makeshift kitchen in the backyard, which is why many of these kitchen remodels are requested in the summer/fall season when there’s a low chance of rain. In most cases, however, you won’t have to find a hotel while they’re working; they work in sections so your entire home won’t be under quarantine all at once, and they’ll take care of you every step of the way. “Our main objective is not to displace the customer,” Laugen said. “It’s their home!”
Stop on by the Benicia Home Improvement Center at 736 First Street in Benicia. Showroom hours are Monday from 9-3, Tuesday through Friday from 9-5, and Saturday from 10-4. Call them at (707) 745-8337 and check out some examples of their work at beniciahomeimp.com. Happy renovating!
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.
Are They Worth It?
Living today, in the 21st century, many of us think about the future and how we can better conserve the energy that we use, whether for financial or environmental reasons (or both). Prime examples that are buzzing around home and building design are zero-energy buildings (ZEBs), also known as net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs) or zero-energy homes. A zero-energy building or home is just as it sounds—a place that has zero net-energy consumption. Although the ZEB concept is fairly new, it is clearly defined by energy.gov as “an energy-efficient building where, on a source-energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy.” In other words, the goal is to use renewable energy (from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power) to offset energy consumption.
It sounds great, to conserve energy while also conserving funds, because the building makes renewable energy—however, if you are like most of us (who use electricity for just about everything), the idea may seem next to impossible, at first…
Most would agree that the average person uses a lot of energy, especially in how most technology relies on it. According to zeroenergyproject.org, “Buildings alone are responsible for 40% of the total energy used in the United States.” In terms of energy, most homes and buildings use electricity, heating energy, cooling energy, and fuels—that is, most standard homes and buildings require heating, cooling, ventilation, domestic hot water, lighting, and plug loads.
ZEBs are great because they not only help the environment (e.g. fossil-fuel free), but they also help homeowners and businesses save money. The electrical grid provides most ZEBs for about half or more of their energy while later returning the same amount (and sometimes more).
Of course, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up needing the A/C, heater, and the water heater. However, ZEBs often use air-source heat pumps on their water heaters (it takes hot air from the room to heat water). During the summer, it helps cool the house. In the winter, the heat pump can be turned off to run full electric—even though it’s more expensive and uses more energy (the electricity cost is offset by the savings made in the summer).
If you’re like me, you don’t look forward to utility costs such as the PG&E and water bills—which are not going down—especially after the San Bernardino fire incident and California drought. For those who don’t remember, last winter was super cold, and with the summer heat already here, I’m using my classroom’s A/C almost every day.
As such, finding ways to conserve energy in order to save money and time (spent to re-heat or re-cool an area) seems like common sense to me. Some simple ways include keeping windows and doors closed, especially when running the A/C or heater.
However, learning to master energy conservation and renewability through proper home and building design is what is key to ZEBs. Of course, ZEBs take keeping windows and doors closed to the next level by using highly insulated windows and doors in their design. Zeroenergyproject.org states, “Windows and doors are like big energy holes in a well-insulated, airtight building envelope, and are the third most cost-effective strategy for making a home energy efficient. Control window-and-door heat loss and gain by selecting appropriate window and door products, carefully locating them, and optimizing their size and orientation.”
Another critical component to ZEB design is exploiting solar energy. Zeroenergyproject.org elaborates: “Using the sun for heating through south-facing windows during the winter lowers heating costs. Shading those same windows in summer lowers cooling costs.” Solar energy is free energy that we should take better advantage of. The best part of ZEB design is that it does not require expensive solar paneling like some people may initially think, though they can be added as an additional investment.
ZEBs are also known for being extremely airtight. Walking into a well-designed ZEB, you would feel no air (unless the building’s air is on, of course). To accomplish this goal, ZEB builders and designers pay a lot of attention to a building’s envelope (an envelope refers to the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building), specifically its thermal envelope. Builders often install foam in the center of the foundation, and concrete on the building’s interior and exterior. Robert (Bob) Dykins—a ZEB builder who constructed the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-certified home in Connecticut in 2007—explains: “In doing that, it’s like putting wool socks onto your house. It keeps the cold out from the ground up. There’s a lot of insulation underneath the slab [concrete] with a lot of attention to moisture migration in the foundation, which, in the long run, will keep the house healthier by not introducing unneeded moisture.”
Because designing or moving toward a ZEB has gone from a concept to a reality, it has gained national attention for sound reasons—namely in that ZEBs are wise investments that will help homeowners and businesses save money and the environment in the long run.
To learn additional information, I encourage you to go to zeroenergyproject.org, energy.gov, and www.wbdg.org.
James Quinn lives in Benicia and teaches at Elmer Cave Language Academy in Vallejo. A UC Davis alumnus in English, he now studies education as part of Touro University’s Master’s in Education program. Along with teaching, he tutors and writes often. He is working on a novel that takes place in Benicia. See his website at mrquinnj.weebly.com.
For as long as California has existed, people have been flocking here to settle down. And for incoming Californians, the appeal of the Bay Area has created a constant demand for housing. The evidence of this is everywhere; pick any city in the East Bay, and chances are the housing landscape is a lot more condensed than it was 20 years ago. But as the cost of living in this area goes up, many are wondering if it’s still possible to enjoy the Bay Area’s many attractions while still keeping up with month-to-month bills.
Well, one way to do this is by settling in the North Bay, which continues to offer relatively cheap land with easy access to the rest of the Bay Area. Local real estate agent ReneeMarie Jordan of Jordan Real Estate Group-RE/MAX Gold ranked Vallejo, Fairfield, and Vacaville as three of the best Bay Area cities for homebuyers.
“Benicia also receives multiple offers but that’s because there are less than 20 properties for sale,” she added. “We are still experiencing multiple offers on most properties in Solano County.”
Jordan’s last point touches on another interesting happening in the real estate market, which is that if you’ve got a home you’re looking to get rid of, you’re in luck! This is a seller’s market, and has been for some time, Jordan says.
“It continues to be a seller’s market and prices continue to be strong,” she said. “This doesn’t mean that prices are moving up daily or weekly, it means that prices are holding and moving up at a comfortable rate.”
Recently, local media have reported on the recovery. The Martinez Tribune, for instance, recently noted that 95 percent of parcels there have bounced back to pre-recession values, a fact that was underscored by Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer. Last year, Kramer reported to residents that the total property tax assessment for Contra Costa County was more than $1.7 billion, which Kramer said is the highest in recorded history. But while California has moved on from the days when a person could drive or take the train through certain towns and see entire blocks of houses with foreclosure notices posted to them, the so-called “foreclosure” era has left its mark on the state. According to Jordan, many folks still report having trouble getting loans these days, and attribute that to banks being more cautious in light of the housing crisis. But that’s not quite true, Jordan said.
“You can get a loan just as easily as you always could, nothing has changed,” she explains. “Except giving loans to people who say they make X amount of money and have no proof. Those buyers should have never been allowed to buy in the first place … I’m the HUD listing agent for Solano County, therefore I have a pulse on the foreclosure market. It has slowed, slowed, slowed down.”
When buying a house in a climate where most local properties are getting multiple offers, it’s worth it to confer with your real estate agent about a strategy. Of course, most important is how much money you’re planning to pony up for the home, but there are ways to make any offer seem more appealing. For that reason, Jordan said, choosing the right real estate agent is often just as important as choosing the right home.
“It’s all in the strategy, next to the money the buyer has of course,” Jordan said. “How seasoned the agent is, does the agent have an established career, etc.”
For folks who are a little short, or want to buy a home with little down, Jordan said there are loan programs available to help. Anyone who wants to find out more should probably contact Jordan; her information is at the bottom of this article.
For sellers, life is a little easier. Most houses that go on the market have a strong chance of getting offers, and folks who have extra desirable properties can sit back, watch the offers pile up, and pick their favorite one.
“The longer the house is on the market, the less value is perceived by the buyer,” Jordan said. “Buyers are savvy. They are educated on the buying process and most have done their homework even before talking to an agent.”
For folks who want to improve the value of their homes prior to selling (or after buying), there are some simple things they can do, according to Jordan, who says appearances—like nice landscapes, gardens, or indoor amenities—are a “must” for sellers, and “is key for interest of a buyer.”
“It always works to clean, have fresh paint, new carpet,” she said. “You can get away with not having recently remodeled baths and kitchen if you do the other items. So many times now this is the difference between multiple offers versus one offer, and longer time on the market,” which, as previously noted, can lower the perceived value of a home.
That’s where folks like Jodi McGuire come in. She’s in charge of the locally based Total Home & Garden show, which are held in Solano County and designed to cater to homeowners’ every need. Her shows have items that can help with landscaping, furnishing, painting, and they even hold pet adoption events—you can literally go there, buy a puppy, and also purchase all the stuff you need to clean up the messes it will inevitably make.
“There is something for everyone, whether you are in search of some ‘do it yourself’ projects or to spruce up your home for resale,” McGuire said. “Our show offers homeowners a convenient destination to gain expert advice for any project they may be working on. Exhibiting companies have the opportunity to meet homeowners face to face, who are investing money in various home improvement projects.”
McGuire holds two shows a year, usually in spring and fall. The spring show is coming up—it will be held April 15-17, at the Specialty Event Center, which is located at 300 Chadbourne Road in Fairfield. McGuire says she expects the next show to be held sometime in October, so if you miss the one in April, it’s going to be a long wait.
“The Total Home & Garden show is not your ‘typical’ home show,” McGuire said. “We have everything, from a tribute to Elvis with his pink caddy on opening day (which is our senior day) as well as arts and crafts, jewelry, a petting zoo, bounce house, and lots of interactive children’s activities.”
The garden aspect of the spring show will feature products and techniques for residents who are looking to save water (and, by extension, money) in drought-ridden California. Luckily, we’ve had a fairly wet winter, at least compared to recent years, but that doesn’t mean another long, hot summer isn’t right around the corner.
For those into home cooking, there’s another bonus: The spring show—on both Saturday and Sunday—will feature 12-year-old champion of the Food Network’s Chopped Junior Mason Partak, who will do cooking demos for attendees, McGuire said. And for any adults who might be jealous of the kids’ amenities, like the bouncy house, don’t worry—grown ups will be able to have their fun too.
“Adults can enjoy cold beverages at our beer garden and margarita lounge, equipped with two flat screen TV’s to enjoy any of the weekend games, plus the whole family can grab a bite to eat at our food court,” McGuire said.
So, in other words, if you enjoy shopping but your spouse or romantic partner doesn’t, drop him or her off at the margarita lounge and take your time!
The Total Home & Garden Show will cost $8 for adults, $6 for seniors or members of the military, and $3 for kids up to age 12. For more information, visit www.totalhomeandgardenshow.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/totalhomeandgardenshow.
ReneeMarie Jordan of Jordan Real Estate can be contacted at 707-746-4864 or by visiting www.jordanrealestate.com.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
Midway down Benicia’s First Street, within two historical buildings, lies a business that folks from even the farthest reaches of the Bay Area travel to seeking advice and tips about decorating their dwellings: Romancing the Home. Like its name suggests, Romancing the Home aims to help its customers find ways to make life around the house a little more colorful and interesting, in an all-encompassing sort of way. The store caters to all of the senses; its got food and candies, all kinds of sweet scented items, as well as art and furniture, and the owners are always looking for ways to grow.
“We offer a little something for everybody,” said owner Rob Machado, who took over the business with his wife, Debbie, in 2003. “We go to several shows a year and we search out the best products.”
When Machado first took over the business it was simply a furniture store; and before that, ye olde Benicia Creamery. Since then, he and his wife have expanded the business out to include every aspect of the home, from decorations to cooking ingredients. They’ve expanded so much that the store now takes up two adjacent 200-year-old buildings, though you’d never know it from walking around the inside.
Nowadays, Romancing the Home has a baby section, as well as kitchen and bathroom sections that feature jams, soaps, scented candles, and decorations to go with them. Oddly enough, Machado says he and Debbie tend to sell the bulk of the baby products during spring, and they have alternating periods of time where they have high demand almost exclusively on boy clothes, followed by a spell where they’ll have high demand on girl clothes. Hard to tell what to make of that trend, but it appears to warrant further study.
On top of that, this year will mark a full decade since they opened their garden section, which is tucked away outdoors in the back area where customers are welcome to walk through.
“We put the garden in the back because it used to just be a dirt lot,” Machado said. “We just started out with a little bit of garden stuff and now we’ve got statues, decorative items, outdoor furniture, wall art, all kinds of stuff. And we’ve still more to come!”
The couple designed the backyard specifically so folks could walk through to get a visual sense of what their garden decorations look like in their natural setting, as opposed to inside on a wall. Luckily, their store resembles a lot of Benicia and Vallejo dwellings. You’ll see they’ve outfitted a deck with backyard furniture, cement figurines and other decorations, with items ranging from the practical to the downright artistic to both.
“We designed it and had it put in to have multiple levels; customers can walk through and get a feel of what it’d look like in their home,” Machado said. “The glass feeders and hangers have been doing great lately. Glass seems to be big this year.”
In addition to their glass hummingbird feeders, Romancing the Home offers birdbaths, fountains, and other interactive features. Machado used to keep those fully stocked with water in previous years too, but lately, weather conditions have put a stop to that.
“Years before, I’ve had the bird baths full of water, but I’ve kind of cut back on the water because of the drought,” Machado said.
But, as it has done in the past, Romancing the Home has found ways to evolve with changing times. One thing the owners have found is that drought-resistant plants, like succulents and cacti, are making a comeback. So they’ve formed a partnership with a local gardener who specializes in those types of plants, and is helping them by supplying a few for the outdoor section of the store.
“She grows them all at her house and arranges them all—we’ve done pretty well with them,” Machado said. “We also had a local lady who does jewelry, and a few other local partnerships.”
Machado said that the bulk of the customers who aren’t homeowners tend to come looking for gifts for their friends and family, especially during the holidays. In that spirit, if you have the opportunity to check out Romancing the Home, the holiday season might be a good time to do it. They put in a little extra effort to give the store a Christmas theme. A few years ago they’d have a tree or two, but in keeping with their theme each year they find a way to make it bigger and better than the last.
“We convert into a Christmas store during the holidays—we get about 20 trees in here and we turn the store around,” Machado said. “Christmas is huge for us, and that sort of evolved on its own.”
Machado also said that he’s willing to travel to local customers’ homes to get a better sense of their needs and to help them find the best possible fit for whatever they have planned. He said homeowners looking to remodel make up a good portion of the store’s clientele, so if you’re curious about something, here’s a guy with more than a decade in the business.
“Benicia’s a good little town,” Machado said. “We’re happy to be here. It’s a nice little tourist town.”
Romancing the Home is located at 617 First Street, in Benicia. For more information, call (707) 747-1717, or visit www.benicia-rth.com.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
The media has been giving a lot of attention to a real estate market that is changing, but there’s a lot of misinformation floating around in the media about the current situation. Some reports lack detail, while others take either too narrow or too broad a focus, so it’s hard to get a true picture of what the market is truly doing. I’ve even heard some people say that the market is “really hot” right now. But, is it?
Home sales prices have been rising in most areas and in most price points, but this is due to a real lack of inventory of homes on the market, while other factors—such as rising incomes and plentiful jobs—that would indicate a truly healthy housing market, do not seem to be contributing to this rise in home sales prices. There are fewer buyers looking for homes than a year ago and there are fewer houses for sale than a year ago. Across the entire Bay Area, the number of homes for sale is down from 40,906 in July, 2013, to 38,102 in July, 2014, a decrease of 6%. Also, the number of homes that have sold has also decreased from year to year: The yearly sales from July 2012-July 2013 was 32,444 homes sold. From July 2013-July 2014, total homes sold is 27,878; a decrease of 14%.
The good news (for sellers, anyway) is that the average price of homes that have sold in the past year has increased by 20% and the median sales price has risen 23%. This is an average, taken across all price points, property types (detached homes, condos and townhouses) and all Bay Area counties. This is good news for sellers who have been underwater for many years, allowing some people to be able to sell without doing a “short sale”, or without getting a “notice of default” from their bank, and having to deal with derogatory credit report information, or worse, being foreclosed upon.
More good news for sellers is that the average amount of days a home sits on the market prior to selling has been dropping steadily since January of this year, going from an average of 42 days on market down to 22 days. This has been giving seller’s more confidence to push their prices up, and many have been able to get their asking price, or even above it, with many homes receiving multiple offers.
However many buyers who are watching this scenario are opting out of buying right now due to a perception that there is another bubble forming, and they believe prices will deflate again. Another factor in the smaller number of buyers shopping is due to strict lending standards by mortgage providers, making it still very difficult for many buyers to acquire a home loan.
What’s coming in the years ahead? According to mortgage industry reporting agencies we are still not out of the storm. There are still a lot of homeowners underwater and a lot of foreclosure properties to work through the system. And there is another, more ominous, cloud forming: The interest rates on Home Equity lines of credit, taken out during the housing bubble (2003-2007) and usually written for a 10-year term, are about to be reset at higher interest rates. Borrowers who chose to make interest-only payments on those home equity lines will have to start paying on the principle balance as well, which could double the amount some borrowers will have to pay monthly on these loans. There is some nervousness in the banking industry that this could cause another avalanche of foreclosures.
Will prices remain strong and continue to rise, or will a new wave of foreclosures and defaults begin to erode the gains experienced over the past year? The market may be hot right now, but it seems that there is a long way to go before a “balanced” real estate market is achieved and the home loan industry shakes off the “illness” caused by the excesses of the past to find true health and equilibrium. But, the real estate market and industry does seem to be heading in that direction.
Tomaj Trenda, Broker/Owner of Better Homes Realty is a real estate educator, author and Top Producer in Contra Costa & Alameda counties. Feel free to contact him at 415-505-3536 or at homes@tomajtrenda.com.
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
