About Septic Systems A septic system is one way of dealing with wastewater after it is flushed down your toilets or washed down your drains. Septic systems, unlike sewer systems, are privately owned and maintained. They’re common in rural areas where municipal sewer systems do not exist. Septic systems consist… read more →
Once upon a time (i.e., 2006) in a magical place called the Bay Area, the real estate market got so heated that it became commonplace to hear coffee shop patrons trading stories about their little old million-dollar houses. It became equally commonplace for this excess of home equity to create… read more →
We get it. Refinancing can seem stressful—who wants to crunch numbers and talk with lenders when you already have your home? But there’s something more stressful than refinancing: leaving free money on the table. Rates are at historic lows, and many experts believe the only direction they can go is up in… read more →
Think of a contingency clause as insurance. Once you find a home and make an offer, you hope everything will go smoothly; but in case it doesn’t, you have a contingency clause in place that allows you to back out of the contract without losing money. Most agreements already have… read more →
A reverse mortgage is a loan for senior homeowners that uses the home’s equity as collateral. The loan generally does not have to be repaid until the last surviving homeowner permanently moves out of the property or passes away. At that time, the estate has approximately 6 months to repay… read more →
When you’re considering buying a house, there are two sides to the story: the seller’s asking price and the actual value of the property. This is where an appraiser steps in.
To transform your garden into an Edenic land of bounty, think of swapping your pretty-but-useless ornamental plants for edible ones. Instead of ornamental hedges around the sides, use apple or citrus trees. You can train them to grow against a wall by tying them to a frame—this is called espalier.… read more →
When it comes time to move from the old place to the new one, everyone could use a few handy moving tricks … even MacGyver. Sometimes, there are things about moving that we don’t consider until it’s too late: duct tape, bubble wrap, etc. We’ve got your back, so you’re ready… read more →