Money-Saving Tips When You Have an Appliance on the Fritz

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Today we have Lisa Sanchez with Vacaville Appliance Repair Service. We'll be talking about appliances and how to repair and maintain them properly so you can avoid pouring money into them for repairs.

Lisa has done quite a bit of work on my own appliances, and I highly recommend her company for your repairs.

When moving into a house with older appliances, what can a new homeowner do in order to ensure that these appliances will keep working properly? Keeping appliances clean is important, especially if you have pets. Lisa recommends cleaning out dryer vents often, and hire a specialized contractor to clean your appliances if you cannot do so yourself. You may notice your dryer failing to operate as well as it used to, and this can indicate a blockage.

If you cannot repair an appliance on your own, you can call Lisa and her team will try to pre-screen your problem via a troubleshooting method to make sure that they actually need to come out and make repairs on your home. They don't want to waste your time if they don't really need to come out and service your home.

If you have any further questions about appliances, please don't hesitate to contact me or Lisa.

Also, if you have a question about real estate in Northern California and we answer it on this blog, then you will receive a $10 Starbucks gift card.

I look forward to hearing from you!

What You Need to Know About Pest Inspections

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A pest inspection is often referred to as a termite inspection, which leads people to think that the inspector is also on the lookout for ants and spiders. That is not the case. A termite inspection is really a WDO inspection, which means we look for wood destroying organisms. Those include different types of termites, beetles, or carpenter bees, as well as fungus and dry rot.

Different types of termites require different treatment. Subterranean termites live in the ground and come up into your home through the ground. Dry wood termites fly from trees or other houses and just live in your house.

Orange oil is a great new treatment for dry wood termites. It used to be that we had to fumigate the home, and the owners would have to relocate for awhile. With orange oil, you don't have to go through the hassle of finding another place to stay, and it smells great.

If termites are found, the typical eradication treatments range anywhere between $750 and $2,000, although the average is probably around $1,100. Dry rot treatment can be more expensive because you may need to hire a carpenter to replace the wood.

When you get your pest inspection report, it is broken into three sections. Section one lists active damage, which means termites are in the home. Section two lists anything that could lead to termites or dry rot, such as a termite colony nearby. Section three is simply a summary and a quote for any necessary treatments.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Why Do We Love Vacaville Fiesta Days?

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View the Schedule of Events for Fiesta Days

If you haven't heard already, Vacaville Fiesta Days is coming up! If you haven't been before, it's basically a week-long celebration of our western heritage with a lot of fun events, foods, and activities for everyone. Vacaville Fiesta Days officially started in 1957, but its history goes back much further than that.

In 1916, the first Vacaville Pageant Day was held and continued every year for a long time. However, for some reason, the Dixon May Fair would get a lot of press and so would the Solano County Fair, but nobody seemed to write about Vacaville except for The Vacaville Reporter.

We wanted our own fair, unique from the others. So in 1957, we started the Western Fiesta, which has turned into what is now Vacaville Fiesta Days. It has grown from a one-day celebration to a one-week celebration. There are so many different things going on in this year's festival, including a parade, pageant, diaper derby, carnival, jail contest, food eating contest, and more.

If you don't live here in Vacaville, I invite you to come check it out this year. If you want more detailed information about the festival and its history, just visit this website here.  

If you have any questions at all for us, just give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you!

What You Need to Be Asking Yourself as a First-time Home Buyer

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Today I'm going to be catering to all of the new home buyers in Northern California. Now is a fantastic time to purchase a home because affordability is very high, so I thought I'd take a moment to help any of you buyers out there who might be a little bewildered at what to do in the real estate market.

• Do you have outstanding debts? This involves both short term and long term. A lender wants to ensure that you can pay them back, so be sure that all of your debts are taken care of before applying for a home mortgage loan.
• Do you have funds for a down payment? There are some great programs that only require 3% down on a home, but you'll then have to pay private mortgage insurance to the bank. There are other programs that will give you grants for a down payment (money you don't need to pay back), and some programs like VA or USDA rural loans don't even require a down payment.
• Can you pay additional bills? When you buy a home, your monthly mortgage won't be your only expense. You have to remember to pay insurance, utilities, water, electricity, among many other things. There are a lot of different things to consider, but we can provide you with a lot of education when you purchase a home with us.

We want to find you a good home at a great price, and right now is a great time to buy if you're looking for both of those things. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with questions, we're sure if you're buying a home for the first time that you'll have quite a few things to ask us. We're here to help!

New Programs from Fannie and Freddie Open a lot of Doors

There are many great Northern California area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (707) 500-1787 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Recently, there have been some huge changes in the mortgage financing industry that will affect Northern California buyers and sellers in 2015. 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the largest mortgage agencies in the country, have decided to allow as little as 3% down on mortgages. This is a huge change, as Fannie and Freddie had previously stepped away from 97% financing options. Instead of having to put 5%, 10%, or 20% down, you now only need to bring in 3% for a down payment! This is a big deal for home buyers, especially because rates are expected to rise over the course of the year. 

Another great option that's currently available is the 5% CHF Platinum Program. This grant program allows our preferred lenders to get you 5% for your down payment or your closing costs. It's fantastic because it's a grant that you never have to pay back, and you can refinance in six months, get a lower interest rate, and still take advantage of that 5%.

If you have any questions about these great programs, and the many opportunities out there for buyers and sellers, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. 

We would love to help you take advantage of these wonderful conditions!