On June 6, 1978, nearly two-thirds of California’s voters voted yes and passed Proposition 13, reducing property tax rates on homes, businesses, and farms by about 57%. That was almost 38 years ago and California homeowners still benefit from it today, but I’ll bet only a handful of homeowners realize it and fewer Read More >
What is House Equity and How Does it Change?
Posted on: 03.17.15
Equity, which I refer to as wealth in the house, is the difference between the value of your house at any given time and the balance of any outstanding liabilities, such as a 1st mortgage, equity line of credit, etc… attached to the house at that same time. For example, if your house is worth $350,000 and the current Read More >
What Drives Real Estate Values?
Posted on: 03.10.15
Your house is part of a general housing market. If the market as a whole is rising or falling, it may influence the value of your house in ways over which you may have little control. However, ALL real estate is local. The value of a house in San Diego is not affected by the number of foreclosures in Florida or the Read More >
Is Your House a Good Place to Park Your Wealth? Is it Safe?
Posted on: 01.27.15
Is your wealth in the house (equity) safe? Is it at risk? To answer that question you must first understand what we mean by safe. Let’s define safety as minimizing or eliminating the potential loss of the investment. Will Rogers once said, “Return ‘of’ my money is more important than return ‘on’ my money.” Your Read More >