Home Seller: Friday, October 21, 2022

ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE

Talk to estate planning lawyer about trust to keep property out of probate

Q: Thank you for your column, I enjoy reading it every week. I’m 82 years old and live in my home by myself. My house is paid for and it’s about the only thing of value that I own. A friend told me I should put it into the name of my daughter so that when I pass away I won’t need to have a probate. Is that generally a good idea? Thanks.

A: First, let me once again get it on the record that I’m not an estate planning guy. There are several local attorneys who are excellent at the complexities of estate planning and anything I say here should be understood as coming from an attorney who specializes in real estate and sees things that way.

When you go to do your estate planning, you should seek the advice of an attorney who spe cializes in that area of the law.

But to your question; no, it’s not a good idea. But there are some variations of the idea that might work for you.

There are a number of ways in which you can hold title to property with someone else. The legal form that your co-own ership takes can affect what happens to the property when you die, among other things.

If you look at a deed in which two unmarried people share ownership of a property, it will probably have language that gives the property to the new owners like, “To Bob Brown and Sally Smith as Tenants in Common.”

For Bob and Sally, the law views them as holding title under the specific laws that affect a tenant in common ownership.

If you own a home as a “tenant in common” with someone else and you die, your heirs will inherit whatever inter est you had in the property. In

other words, they’ll step into your shoes and co-own the prop erty with the other person.

If your co-owner dies, their heirs will inherit the co-owner’s ownership interest.

Holding a property as a “joint tenant” gives the surviv ing owner your interest in the property at the moment of your death. If there are more than two joint tenants, when one dies the remainder automatically receive a pro rata share of the deceased’s total share.

That type of a transfer takes place without any type of probate.

In years gone by, putting the family farm in the name of the parents and the oldest child, as joint tenants, was a common estate planning vehicle. That way, as soon as mom and dad die, the property automatically vested in the oldest child.

Nowadays, however, tax issues are much more com plicated. So, too, it seems, are interpersonal relationships between parents, children and siblings.

If you give your daugh ter a joint tenant interest in the house so she’ll get it when you die, you are actually giving her a gift of 50% of the value of the house since she isn’t buying it from you. This can have tax con sequences depending upon a number of variables, which are way too complicated to get into here.

The other, and often much larger, problem is that once you record a deed transferring half

the property to your daugh ter, you can’t take it back if you change your mind. It’s hers to do with as she will. If later the house becomes a financial burden, you can’t sell it without your daughter’s permission. This is equally true if you someday have a falling out with your daughter and no longer wish to leave her the property.

Regular readers of this column know what a partition lawsuit is.

One of the things children do with amazing frequency is to get ownership and then file a parti tion lawsuit to force the parent into selling the house and split ting the proceeds.

I’m not kidding; this really happens a lot.

What started out as an attempt by a parent to allevi ate the surviving child from the hassle and expense of a probate becomes a nightmare when the parent finds themselves forced from the house.

Now maybe there’s no way your daughter would do that to you. Fine. But even if you’re so sure you’re willing to gamble your future, you will want to talk to a good estate planning attor ney before you sign the deed.

Estate planning law is a mixture of trying to design a plan that gets your stuff to the people who you want it to go to, while at the same time keeping as much of it out of the hands of the tax collector as is legal. I suspect a simple trust will do exactly what you want it to do without the risk and tax consequences.

Tim Jones is a real estate attor ney in Fairfield. If you have any real estate questions you would like to have answered in this column, you can send an email to AllThingsRealEstate@ TJones-Law.com.

Mortgage rates in U.S. extend climb to 6.94%

BLOOMBERG

U.S. mortgage rates con tinued to climb last week, advancing to a two-decade high and escalating the downturn in the housing market.

The contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage jumped another 13 basis points to 6.94% in the week ended Oct. 14, marking the ninthstraight increase, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.

That pushed down the group’s gauge of applications

to purchase or refinance a home by 4.5%, the ninth drop in 10 weeks, to remain at the lowest level since 1997.

Mortgage News Daily, which updates more frequently, put the 30-year rate at 7.15% on Tuesday.

The data represent another point in the continued slide of the housing market, where the effects of the Federal Reserve’s policies have been most evident so far. Separate data Tuesday showed a measure of

Tim Jones

BROKER

How to decorate for Halloween

ACCORDING TO SPOOKY SEASON DIEHARDS

THE WASHINGTON POST

Before you haul the same fake cobwebs and skel etons out of storage for another spooky season of perfectly-acceptable-but-noth ing-special Halloween decor, allow us to nudge you toward some self-reflection: What if this year you went all in?

What if this year your house became “the crazy Hal loween house?”

Pandora Rose’s home in Aurora, Colo., has carried that honorific since 2009, when she first transformed the modest 1980s residence into Darkrose Manor, festooned, depending on the year, with the trappings of a haunted forest or a dark carnivale. Always a lover of Hal loween, she and her husband married on the holiday. One year, after a costume contest fell through, she decided to surprise him with “super cheesy” deco rations. “We didn’t have a single trick-or-treater but boy, we had so much fun just sitting there and enjoying the atmosphere.” The couple has since built a business out of spooky production and art design.

Attracting trick-or-treaters is no longer a problem. Rose says her ghoulish adornments have given neighbors something to bond over: “We are very much a tightknit community that now comes together simply because of Halloween.” Indeed, the social benefits of all this All Hallows’ fun are surely one reason Ameri cans are projected to spend more than $3 billion decorating this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

If you’re ready to freak out (but also delight) your neighbors, heed this haunted advice from Halloween super fans.

Commit to a theme

Professional haunted attrac tions often lead you through a series of vignettes – for instance, an alien encounter followed by an eerie circus, which leads to an undead Viking feast. While you can certainly take a similar approach at home, many aficio nados recommend picking one theme to guide you.

Colleen Delawder, who has lived in and decorated the His toric Herndon Halloween House in Herndon, Va., since 2005, says themes make decorating both easier and more fun. Getting her own house ready for the big day typically begins on Labor Day.

This year, she’s basing her motif on the movie “The Night mare Before Christmas,” which means she’ll get to use her Christmas decorations, too. Pre

vious Halloweens have featured clowns and haunted pirates (which is why she still includes a pirate ship: “We have it, so why not use it?”).

Delawder also suggests incor porating your hobbies, which can save money. If you’re into kayaking, for instance, put out your kayak and throw some skel etons in it.

Rose changes her theme annually, too, generally taking anywhere from 1 to 3 months to put it all together (though her longest setup took more than a year). This year, she drew inspi ration from the late Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński, whose sur realist work often depicted his nightmares (who says Halloween can’t be high brow?). “We want [people] to feel like they have either entered into another world

or they are viewing the portal to another world,” says Rose.

Paul Brubacher, director of operations at Markoff’s Haunted Forest, an annual attraction in Dickerson, Md., says his team’s ideas tend to come from “our own things that creep us out and what we get the shivers about.” Inspiration also often strikes unexpectedly, for example, while shopping at Home Depot: “I’ll just see something in the plumb ing aisle and go, ‘Oh wow, that right there looks like an interest ing fitting. I could probably use a little paint . . . maybe put a little latex on it, and I could make that into an alien feeding tube.’ “

Don’t traumatize the neighbors

While commercial attractions

like Markoff’s are designed to scare you silly, you should proba bly avoid serious horror at home, especially if you have younger kids around.

To delight rather than trau matize, Brubacher suggests focusing on atmosphere over blood and guts. “There’s scary, and then there’s just gross, right? If I’m looking at a pile of dismembered bodies, I’m not scared, I’m disgusted.” He recommends fog machines and eerie lighting for building mystery, no gore required.

Still, if you had your heart set on dismembered body parts, there are ways to be playful about including them, says Delawder. A recurring feature at her Historic Herndon Halloween House is a haunted grill, which has faux parts over the flame. “But it’s not disgusting in any way. It just kind of looks fun and whimsical,” she says.

Indeed, across-the-board, realistic blood and guts were seen as a no-no. So, too, were realistic references: The expert decorators we talked to cautioned against featuring anything too topical. “We’re not touching on subjects that could be touchy for other people or potentially disrespectful of someone’s belief systems,” says Rose.

Get scary-good deals on supplies

As with most holiday goodies, the least-expensive time to shop for Halloween decorations is right after the unholy day, when you’ll find items on clearance. But that’s not the only strategy for scoring bargains.

Nature can be a great (and free) source: “The more organic elements you can bring in, the

CHARLES PARKER/PEXELS

Don’t traumatize the neighbors. Focus on atmosphere over blood and guts.

Real estate transactions

BENICIA

TOTAL SALES: 5

LOWEST AMOUNT: $450,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,205,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $805,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $796,400

483 Arguello Drive - $1,205,000

09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 3508 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-26-06, $812,654

112 Carlisle Way - $805,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2236 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt]

565 Lori Drive #40 - $450,000

09-15-22 [2 Bdrms - 939 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-22-98, $82,500

1229 Monte Vista Court - $850,000

09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 2038 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-29-18, $665,000

524 Raymond Drive - $672,000

09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1063 SqFt - 1956 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-18-19, $509,000

DIXON

TOTAL SALES: 5

LOWEST AMOUNT: $415,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $825,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $500,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $562,000

550 West H Street - $485,000

09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1164 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-06-13, $185,000

1350 Hazelwood Court - $500,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1537 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-09-04, $370,000

970 Mayfair Drive - $825,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 2532 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt]

730 Park Drive - $415,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1063 SqFt - 1972 YrBlt]

1415 Valley Glen Drive - $585,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1606 SqFt - 2004 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 09-09-13, $295,000

FAIRFIELD

TOTAL SALES: 12

LOWEST AMOUNT: $430,000

Spooky

From

more convincing your atmo sphere becomes,” says Rose, who collects tree limbs, sticks and leaves for her graveyard setup and other macabre dis plays. “There is nothing more fall and Halloween than the sound of crunching leaves under your feet.”

Halloween is also a recycling opportunity. Francisco Santos,

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,450,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $559,500

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $626,958

2530 Alford Court - $460,000

09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1233 SqFt - 1968 YrBlt]

2089 Allston Court - $544,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1438 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-16-98, $122,000

2523 Beaufort Court - $430,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1256 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt]

1331 Cleveland Street - $475,000

09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1000 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-20-16, $280,000

243 Dahlia Street - $469,500

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1403 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-16-22, $459,000

1051 Evergreen Court - $575,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1548 SqFt - 1985 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-30-04, $420,000

787 Fairfax Court - $580,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1140 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-03-22, $570,000

918 Hickory Court - $596,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1418 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-20-17, $415,000

3440 Hidden Valley Lane - $1,450,000 09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 5248 SqFt - 1991 YrBlt]

1169 Ironwood Court - $695,000 09-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 2261 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 00/1992, $227,000

2020 San Gabriel Street - $490,000 09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1865 SqFt - 1963 YrBlt]

2411 Shawnee Court - $759,000 09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2294 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-29-20, $562,500

RIO VISTA

TOTAL SALES: 2

LOWEST AMOUNT: $485,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $494,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $489,500

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $489,500

759 Elm Way - $485,000

09-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 2441 SqFt - 1970 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-24-14, $250,000

751 Kelly Way - $494,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1346 SqFt - 1999 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-05-20, $400,000

SUISUN CITY

TOTAL SALES: 5

LOWEST AMOUNT: $490,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $740,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $559,500

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $596,500

1066 Fennie Court - $740,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2746 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 00/1991, $25,000

1219 Humphrey Drive - $525,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1334 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-14-01, $160,000

1202 Pintail Drive - $490,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1308 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt]

1745 Stoneman Drive - $668,000

09-12-22 [5 Bdrms - 2303 SqFt - 2017 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-28-17, $458,500

1734 Ventura Way - $559,500

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1734 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-16-02, $265,000

VACAVILLE

TOTAL SALES: 17

LOWEST AMOUNT: $300,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $715,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $629,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $594,500

700 Bluebird Drive - $630,000 09-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1478 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-26-15, $352,000

881 Christine Drive - $661,000 09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1827 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-04-07, $395,000

1156 Cinnabar Way - $560,000 09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1586 SqFt - 1994 YrBlt]

243 Citrus Avenue - $449,500

09-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 1436 SqFt - 1956 YrBlt]

462 Danbury Circle - $580,000

09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1767 SqFt - 1987 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-13-20, $475,000

518 Davis Street - $300,000

operations director at The Hor rorland, a haunted attraction in Miami, finds props at flea markets and scours curbs on evenings when residents put out unwanted furniture and other items for city pickup. “We found a really nice old vintage table that we transformed into a rotting table where somebody’s eating somebody else,” he says.

When renovating his bathroom, Thomas Hall of Rich mond – who’s been creating intricate Jack-o-lantern displays for 16 years – saved the old toilet.

He kept it for the following Hal loween, when he staged one of his pumpkins throwing up into it.

3 easy Halloween hacks

Maybe you’re not ready to become the hardest core Hallow een house on the block (there’s always next year). But there are baby steps you can take to give your usual decor extra oomph.

1. Start with those storebought skeletons – don’t they look a bit sterile for replica human remains? Brubacher rec

These are the local homes sold recently, provided by California Resource of Lodi. The company can be reached at 209.365.6663 or CalResource@aol.com.

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1580 SqFt - 1910 YrBlt]

408 Evergreen Drive - $675,000

09-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 2048 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-17-97, $165,000

124 Main Street - $555,000

09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1996 SqFt - 1952 YrBlt]

224 Meade Court - $715,000

09-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 2282 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 00/1991, $207,000

808 Notre Dame Drive - $629,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1807 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-18-16, $430,000

801 South Orchard Avenue - $580,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1230 SqFt - 1958 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-15-17, $396,000

779 Raven Drive - $637,000

09-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 1860 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt]

379 Timber Drive - $630,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2048 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt]

800 Tramore Way - $690,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 2299 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-02-20, $560,000

459 Valencia Lane - $545,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 1497 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-16-04, $425,000

491 Valencia Lane - $675,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1760 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-25-11, $200,000

6099 Vanden Road - $595,000

09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1943 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-07-99, $189,000

VALLEJO

TOTAL SALES: 20

LOWEST AMOUNT: $233,500

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $817,500

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $525,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $524,025

8412 Bennington Court - $700,000

09-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 2051 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-08-21, $630,000

125 Candy Drive - $515,000

09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1170 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt]

444 Corcoran Avenue #3 - $233,500

09-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 880 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-15-21, $209,000

ommends coating them in liquid latex for texture, followed by a layer of wood stain to age them. (Or, you know, you could just roll them around in dirt.)

2. Resist carving your pump kins until a few days before Halloween to avoid rot. Then consider swapping that orange plastic carving knife for a drywall knife instead. Lou Can tolupo, a large-scale pumpkin sculptor in Washington, D.C., says drywall knives are sharper and lead to more precise designs. He enlists a number of power

269 Cortland Circle - $400,000

09-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1536 SqFt - 1965 YrBlt]

602 Curtola Parkway - $325,000

09-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 794 SqFt - 1912 YrBlt]

7 Frey Place - $430,000

09-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 1012 SqFt - 1941 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-27-19, $310,000

1201 Glen Cove Parkway #115$385,000

09-15-22 [2 Bdrms - 976 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-16-17, $280,000

16 Howard Avenue - $550,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1069 SqFt - 1939 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-21-08, $200,000

501 Klein Avenue - $765,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2496 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-29-11, $255,000

1615 Magazine Street - $817,500

09-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 968 SqFt - 1928 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-10-22, $817,500

405 Mcgrue Circle - $600,000

09-14-22 [5 Bdrms - 1947 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt]

404 Nevada Street - $567,500

09-13-22 [2 Bdrms - 1292 SqFt - 1948 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-11-19, $445,000

448 Newport Way - $549,000

09-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 1616 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-08-19, $246,000

128 Pueblo Way - $465,000

09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1156 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-27-12, $114,000

464 Reis Avenue - $455,000

09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1287 SqFt - 1991 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-10-01, $215,500

1141 Sonata Drive #36 - $571,000 09-15-22 [2 Bdrms - 1586 SqFt - 2007 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-11-19, $429,000

165 Teri Court - $350,000 09-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1088 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt]

729 Tobin Drive - $535,000 09-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1362 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt]

542 Tregaskis Avenue - $485,000 09-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1245 SqFt - 1962 YrBlt]

307 Turnberry Way - $782,000 09-15-22 [5 Bdrms - 2538 SqFt - 1987 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-30-20, $700,000

tools, too, but those might be a little advanced for an amateur.

3. Think about other senses. Finally, think of your dec orations as more than just something to look at. “What do you smell? What do you taste?” says Rose. “If you think about those things in your mind as you’re creating your haunt, it’s going to make for an amazing experience.” She adds a seasonal scent – such as a campfire smell – to her fog machine: “We just really want it to be some thing of a sensory overload.”

Consumer trust, confidence are low

Consumer sentiment and confidence are low. Fear and anxiety are high. I was watching the show “American Greed” the other night on CNBC. As I was watch ing the episode about Nikola Motors and the habitual liar founder and former CEO Trevor Milton, who was ousted after attracting $34 billion from mom-and-pop investors based on a fake hydrogen powered semi-truck, I realized why it is hard to trust that our markets will recover.

There is historical evidence to support a lack of trust.

Gordon Gecko, played by Michael Douglas, said “greed is good” in the 1987 movie “Wall Street,” which was based on true stories about insider trading. Since this movie, we witnessed the savings and loan scandal that cost taxpayers $3.4 billion, Enron, World Com, the Lehman

See Porter, Page 9

Green Valley 4574 McCready

Welcome to Nido de Condores, an architectural vision from the award-winning and internationally acclaimed firm, Form 4, whose “Giving Art Form’’ philosophy is truly realized in this stunning property. Nestled among old-growth oaks and overlooking the highly desirable Green Valley area. This estate provides seclusion and open skies with its 8.17-acre hilltop site, while offering refined, yet casual, living inside 5302+/-SF that includes 4BD, 3.75BA., 600sf art studio, Bold and dynamic, formal, and intimate, the genius of synchronous architecture is defined in this residence. A must see in person, call for an appointment and be prepared to be amazed.

Offered at $3,300,000

Jim Porter

OPEN HOUSE

Open House Sat 12-3PM & Sun 1-3PM

857 Monaghan Circle, Vacaville

3BR 2BA Browns Valley. Formal entr y, living & dining rooms, FR w/gas fp. Kitchen w/breakfast bar. Primary bed & bath w/double sinks, sep tub & shower. $619,000

ON THE M ARKET

FOR THIS WEEKEND October 22nd & 23rd

OPEN HOUSE

Open House Sat 1-3, Sun 1:30-3:30PM

342 S. Orchard Avenue, Vacaville

WOW this home has it all! From the newer roof to the lovely updated kitchen & baths, newer windows, newer HVAC, recently painted in & out, & great yards! $567,500

Sandy Stewart & Patty Ash

REALTORS® DRE#01038978 & 01992355

(707) 696-7063 or 410-9353

OPEN HOUSE

Open House Sunday 1-3PM 2737 Almondwood Way, Fairfield

Lovely 4BR 2.5BA

Open House Sunday 1-3PM

101 Isle Royale Circle, Vacaville

2bd/2ba Leisure Town

Senior Community - Age restriction. Corner lot with private backyard. Kitchen updated with granite counters & newer applncs. Open floor plan. $434,000

Simpson

Bridget

OPEN HOUSE

Wo loft! 3.0 sized corner lot. Bedroom & Full Bath on main level. Travis schools! $759,000

Watson & Bobby Schultze

OPEN HOUSE

Open House Sat & Sun 1-3PM

4831 Silver Creek Road, Fairfield

3 bedroom, 2 bath. Simulated wood, tile & carpet. Kitchen with granite counters, SS appliances. Newer dual pane windows. Private 8,071 oversized lot. Outdoor BBQ+. Price Reduced! $569,950

Renee Neuman & Sylvia Cole

REALTOR® DRE#01231287 & 01386900

(707) 249-2702 or 330-8923

ON THE M ARKET

THIS

22nd & 23rd

OPEN HOUSE

Har vest Hills Lane, Rio Vista

Entering you see tile floors, large windows framing the spectacular view of the backyard & lake. Chef’s kitchen w/soft closing cabinets/doors, stainless appliances, 5 burner gas stove top. Extended patio/all weather cover & fenced. $599,000

Ralene Nelson

BRE#01503588

334-0699

Don’t Miss This One!

1536 Michigan Street, Fairfield

Updated 3 bd 2 ba with new interior paint, carpets & laminate flooring, new stainless appliances, painted cabinets & resurfaced counter tops. Home also has dual pane windows, tankless water heater, newer roof and new air condenser. Reduced to $485,000

Open House Sunday 11-1PM

842 Elderberry Loop, Vacaville

New price for this great property! 4BR plus office, 3.5BA main home with huge kitchen & 1BR 1BA apartment over the detached 3 car garage. $1 ,199,000

Cindy Black & Associate

REALTOR® DRE#01774288

365-7868

OPEN HOUSE

Ralene Nelson

BRE#01503588

334-0699

Open House Sat 12pm-3pm & Sun 1:30pm-3:30pm

295 Sage Meadows Dr. Rio Vista

Calistoga model, with private courtyard, located on a corner lot. New interior paint (including garage) & tile/grout cleaned, gives this home a fresh look. Island kitchen w/granite tile, blk appliances, w/5 burner gas stove top. $559,000

Ralene Nelson

BRE#01503588

334-0699

Chenille, taffeta and velvet may sound like the hottest designer fabrics for 2023, but they are the newest Upscale Monarda, or bee balm, coming out this spring. The Upscale Monarda series from Proven Winners packs native DNA from

23 states and Canada that will allow you to create the pollinator habitat of your dreams. As you probably have guessed, three colors will be available: Upscale Pink Chenille,

Davis Broker/Owner

Mortgage

From Page 2

homebuilder sentiment has fallen every month this year, and existing-home sales are projected to drop in Septem ber for an eighth month in data to be released Thursday.

The MBA’s effective 30-year fixed rate, which includes the effects of compounding, rose to 7.21% in the period, also the highest since 2002. The rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage climbed 9 basis points to 5.98%.

The steady jump in fixed mortgage rates is encouraging more homebuyers to seek out cheaper financing options such as adjustable-rate loans. Fiveyear adjustable mortgages represented 12.8% of loan application volume last week, the most since March 2008.

MBA’s index of applications to purchase a home fell 3.7% to 164.2, the weakest reading since 2015, while the gauge of refinancing decreased nearly 7% to a fresh 22-year low.

The MBA survey, which has been conducted weekly since 1990, uses responses from mortgage bankers, com mercial banks and thrifts. The data cover more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the U.S.

Upscale Red Velvet bee balm makes its debut in 2023. Here it is in early May with Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine agastache.

Winter

From

Upscale Lavender Taffeta and Upscale Red Velvet. Their sizes go up in that order too, with Pink Chenille at 20-22 inches, Laven der Taffeta at 22-26 inches and Red Velvet up to 32 inches with new growth foliage sporting a bronzy cast.

Botanically speaking, bee balm is in the Lamiaceae, or mint, family. Don’t let this put fear in you, because this just means it has some family members you already love, like salvia, coleus, oregano and thyme. Believe it or not, Amer ican beautyberry is also in the family.

The first time I looked at a scarlet or red bee balm through a telephoto lens I thought, “If nature ever had a flower that really looked like an explod ing firework, it is this flower.” It is a ready-made July 4 event in the garden. I loved my combi nations this year, and they have me already dreaming about next year’s garden. But let’s go over the basics first.

The first is acquisition. Despite being native, this is not just a trip to the garden center to pick out a few varieties. Proven Winners now has 14 variet ies including the three Upscale

selections. Other well-known companies have also debuted dozens of new selections. Oddly, The Garden Guy has only been seen it at the rarest, specializa tion-type nursery. Hopefully that is about to quickly change, but make your purchase the day you see it, or start making your online search.

If you have ever dreamed of a garden reminiscent of the moun tain meadow, make this your first plant. They are recommended for zones 4-8, but I can tell you

ours at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden in Savannah, Georgia, were fabulous. They received a little more shade pro tection from the hot afternoon sun in our cottage garden.

Mountain meadows, cottage gardens, backyard wildlife habitats or modern perennial gardens are all ideal locations for the Upscale Monarda group. They prefer fertile well-drained soil with plenty of sun.

From Page 5

Brother’s bankruptcy, the Great Recession caused by the Wall Street investment bankers and good old Bernie Madoff.

These stories along with others are why we have trust issues with our stock and real estate markets. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are even scared of T-bills, which are considered among the safest investments since they are backed by the full faith and credit of the United

PorterStates government.

I mean, come on folks, we all trust the government, right?

It is a good idea to be careful and conservative when spend ing $650,000 and signing up as a first-time homebuyer with a 3% to 5% down payment and a $4,800 house payment including taxes and insurance, but if the buyer makes $12,000 per month or more and can be approved for a fixed-rate mortgage in a buyer’s market like this, I think it is safe to trust that rates will return to 5% at some point for a refinance.

I also think it is safe to assume the value of the house

in 30 years will be a lot more than $650,000 and the rents on homes like this will be a lot more than $4,800. You gotta have faith because like Mark Twain is reported to have said, “Buy land; they aren’t making it anymore.”

Jim Porter, NMLS No. 276412, is the branch manager of Solano Mortgage, NMLS No. 1515497, a division of American Pacific Mortgage Corporation, NMLS No. 1850, licensed in California by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the CRMLA / Equal Housing Opportunity. Jim can be reached at 707-449-4777.

NORMAN WINTER/TNS

Solano County Listings: Homes for sale

PRICE A

C

EDS BA (F/H) SQ.

#

$465,000 4 33 W H St Dixon 3 2 /0 1043 322064761

$472,000 1340 Blackberry Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 1969 0.07 322073001

$484,900 1320 Blackberry Ct Dixon 3 2 /0 1487 0.073 322062507

$519,700 710 Priddy Dr Dixon 3 1/1 1036 6969sf 322080176

$530,000 1000 West F Street Dixon 4 2 /0 1771 0.15 322071225

$565,000 160 Victoria Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 1688 0.132 322082941

$595,000 1410 Cornell Dr Dixon 3 3/0 1,917 0.07 322085404

$635,000 1405 Bello Dr Dixon 4 2 /0 2,036 0.19 322084561

$679,000 1950 Dailey Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 2021 0.248 322084370

$749,000 705 Wiegand Way Dixon 4 2 /0 1850 0.23 322055685

$785,000 515 West Cherry St Dixon 4 3/0 2755 0.124 322083817

$4,500,000 6156 Clark Rd Dixon 4 4 /0 5906 78.98 322047718

$367,000 225 Pennsylvania Ave #42 Fairfield 3 2 /0 1084 0.026 322065570

$469,287 3031 Roadrunner Dr Fairfield 3 2 /1 1717 0.058 322073804

$479,000 888 Inverness Court Fairfield 4 1/1 1248 0.15 322093465

$480,000 1655 Hemlock St Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,274 0.16 322082879

$499,000 2373 Cabrillo Dr Fairfield 4 2 /0 1704 0.13 322086472

$499,900 231 E Utah St Fairfield 3 2 /0 1517 0.12 322083815

$499,900 2330 Baldwin Ct Fairfield 3 2 /0 1204 0.18 322087210

$519,000 175 Santa Barbara Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,213 0.14 322079516

$533,000 178 Santa Barbara Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,335 0.14 322079600

$549,000 1180 Dana Dr Fairfield 5 2 /0 1,650 0.16 322070975

$565,000 8 32 Tulare Circle Fairfield 4 2 /1 1934 6006 322080552

$569,950 4 831 Silver Creek Rd Fairfield 3 2 /0 1082 0.185 322077342

$575,000 2737 Almondwood Wy Fairfield 4 2 /1 1512 0.08 322080695

$585,000 2523 Freitas Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,665 0.11 322086195

$589,000 2836 Candleberry Way Fairfield 3 2 /1 1666 0.16 322090618

$595,000 782 Ash Ct Fairfield 4 2 /0 1773 0.13 322090911

$599,000 4 825 Stoneridge Ct Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,108 0.14 322092327

$650,000 4756 Canyon Hills Dr Fairfield 4 3/0 1,816 0.12 322076136

$660,000 4756 Canyon Hills Dr Fairfield 4 3/0 1,816 0.12 322076136

$695,000 4 480 Rolling Meadows Ln Fairfield 4 2 /1 2210 0.169 322086454

$725,000 3422 Glen Ellen Dr Fairfield 4 3/0 3287 0.229 322029030

$824,999 3032 Muse Wy Fairfield 4 3/0 2841 0.135 322078149

$859,000 5080 Pyramid Way Fairfield 4 3/0 2,912 0.13 322087738

$869,999 2385 Palmer Cir Fairfield 5 3/0 3,022 0.27 322092186

$960,000 5181 Palace Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3007 0.168 322082111

$1,425,000 3279 Congressional Cir Fairfield 5 5/0 3948 0.292 322086975

$1,495,000 1106 Skywest Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3414 0.804 322068078

$1,599,000 5270 Oakridge Drive Fairfield 4 3/0 4,034 0.3 332069250

$2,300,000 853 Bridle Ridge Dr Fairfield 4 6/0 3,937 0.97 322075479

$2,350,000 1604 Amaral Ct Fairfield 3 2 /0 2,319 2.5 322074329

$430,000 101 Cedar Ridge Dr Rio Vista 2 2 /0 1671 0.129 322064595

$499,000 635 Klamath Wy Suisun City 3 2 /0 1492 0.14 322079444

$525,500 601 Whipporwill Way Suisun City 3 2 /0 1,480 0.18 322072584

$550,000 411 Avalon Wy Suisun City 3 2 /0 2152 0.23 322067943

$639,997 429 Dobbins Ct Suisun City 5 3/0 2,338 0.14 322079187

$660,000 330 Engell Ct Suisun City 3 2 /1 2206 0.160 322070250

$418,950 167 Mckinley Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,043 0.13 322089026

$420,000 116 Mckinley Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,043 0.13 322086513

$434,000 101 Isle Royale Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1152 0.15 322080839

$457,000 105 Rainier Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1152 0.13 322078018

$460,000 125 Christine Dr Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,062 0.11 322080818

$479,500 173 Cambridge Dr Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,212 0.05 322087011

$519,000 407 Deodara St Vacaville 3 2 /0 1168 0.13 322059937

$545,000 462 Buckeye ST Vacaville 3 2 /0 1168 0.13 322090616

$549,000 686 Mashall Rd Vacaville 3 2 /0 1402 0.18 322059279

$550,000 4 84 Manchester Wy Vacaville 3 2 /0 1602 0.13 322083162

$567,500 801 S Orchard Ave Vacaville 3 2 /0 1230 0.12 322073187

$588,888 107 Colony Way Vacaville 4 3/0 1,887 0.07 322068608

PRICE A DDRESS C

BEDS BA (F/H)

Q. FT.

$589,000 231 Bighorn Court Vacaville 3 2 /0 1910 0.19 322093374

$589,950 4 31 Carema Ct Vacaville 4 2 /1 2197 0.068 322088672 $595,000 454 Royal Oaks Ct Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,544 0.20 322082581 $599,000 243 Loch Lomond Dr Vacaville 4 3/0 2308 6251sf 322088592 $599,000 312 Woodhaven Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 1840 0.14 322088768 $599,999 296 Plantation Way Vacaville 4 2 /1 1840 0.13 322062209 $610,000 148 Shefield Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 1799 0.14 322089957 $610,000 512 Florence Dr Vacaville 4 2 /0 1785 0.21 322090024 $619,000 857 Monaghan Cir Vacaville 3 2 /0 1708 0.201 322093123 $625,000 667 Laurelwood Cir Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,750 0.14 322080908 $639,000 519 Parkridge Ct Vacaville 4 2 /1 1950 0.16 322088423 $640,000 231 Kildare Ln Vacaville 3 2 /1 1988 0.209 322091198 $648,000 636 Silver Star Ct Vacaville 4 2 /0 1661 0.134 322071775 $649,000 107 Diablo Creek Way Vacaville 3 2 /0 1728 0.15 322092111 $675,000 263 Bantry Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 2143 0.184 322086137 $689,900 596 Dunsmuir St Vacaville 3 3/0 1,950 0.18 322053861 $759,000 901 Cedarcrest Dr Vacaville 5 3/0 3014 0.207 322061115 $775,000 754 Arabian Cir Vacaville 3 2 /0 2,066 0.26 322067856 $780,000 8024 Claret Court Vacaville 4 3/1 2941 0.16 322074811 $839,000 606 Hillcrest Cir Vacaville 4 2 /0 2202 0.233 322054244 $899,000 1000 Brighton Ct Vacaville 5 3/0 3,431 0.21 322090634 $899,500 155 Foothill Dr Vacaville 3 3/0 1,919 0.60 322068886 $1,199,000 8 42 Elderberry Loop Vacaville 5 4 /1 4058 0.295 322043728 $1,999,000 4150 Shelly Ln Vacaville 6 4 /0 4,800 20.00 322060664 $300,000 150 Calhoun St Vallejo 3 1/0 988 0.010 322079969 $460,000 2940 Georgia St Vallejo 3 2 /0 876 0.13 322087029 $570,000 815 Valle Vista Ave Vallejo 3 2 /0 1,829 0.13 322068195 $575,000 184 Smokey Hills Dr Vallejo 3 2 /0 1532 10890sf 322084742 $595,000 118 Fairmont Ave Vallejo 4 3/0 2,107 0.16 322069781 $650,000 701 Keats Dr Vallejo 4 2 /0 10500 10018sf 322091636 $1,100,000 3024 Overlook Dr Vallejo 4 3/0 3,368 0.25 322071681 $659,900 3931 Central Ln Winters 3 2 /0 1782 5.52 322032322 $875,000 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 2 1/0 22.16 321006700

LOTS & LAND

PRICE A DDRESS CITY LOT/AC SUB TYPE MLS#

$4,500,000 6156 Clark Rd Dixon 78.98 AGRI 322049465 $550,000 Liberty Ln Vacaville 25.01 AGRI 322061524 $699,000 Liberty Ln Vacaville 29.9 AGRI 322061700 $850,000 Gaddini Road Vacaville 14.89 AGRI 322085720 $1,250,000 8 362 Auction Ln Dixon 2.16 COMM 322014651 $1,870,000 2300-11 E Monte Vista Ave Vacaville 3.66 COMM 321102156 $500,000 360 Butcher Rd Vacaville 1.10 COMM 321098151

$875,000 Oakridge and Lopes Rd Benicia 20 RESA 322061922 $15,000,000 Mankas Fairfield RESA 21825708

$265,000 2060 Pinecrest Ct Vacaville 1.15 RESA 322048328 $359,950 Gibson Canyon Vacaville 1.55 RESA 22029146 $399,500 3757 Wild Oak Trl Vacaville 4.96 RESA 322061715

$549,000 3745 Wild Oak Trl Vacaville 5 RESA 322061705

$875,000 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 22.16 RESA 321000406

MOBILE/FLOATING

PRICE ADDRESS CITY BEDS BA(F/H) SQ. FT. MLS #

$187,000 10 Del Rey Ct Vacaville 2 1 1000 322065331 $198,000 140 Calle Chapultepec Vacaville 3 2 /0 1300 322072141 $75,000 2500 Springs Rd #252 Vallejo 1 1/0 360 322065332

MULTI UNIT 2-4

PRICE ADDRESS CITY UNITS BLDGS SQ. FT. MLS $735,900 549-551 Pacific Avenue Fairfield 2 1 2479 321043438

Upscale Lavender

Taffeta bee balm, also making its debut in 2023, is a little shorter in height. Here it is partnered with Evergold Carex for a fine textured grassy element.

NORMAN WINTER/TNS

Winter

on giving them good spacing for air circulation and to minimize any disease threats. Upscale Red Velvet, for instance, is recommended at a 36-inch spacing. The Garden Guy hasn’t even seen a hint of powdery mildew. They attract bees, butter flies and hummingbirds, and they are not high on the Bambi menu. I got to try the Red Velvet and the Lavender Taffeta and was beyond thrilled. In one section

of the garden, I partnered the Upscale Red Velvet bee balm with Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine Agastache and Meant to Bee Royal Raspberry Agastache, both new plants in 2023. Next year, I hope to add some rudbeckia and blue agastache like Blue Boa and make it look a little more accidental.

In another area I grew Upscale Lavender Taffeta bee balm with Evergold Carex. Evergold is really a sedge but gives and idyllic grassy texture. My goal next year is to incorporate some of the Lumi nary Ultraviolet and Luminary Sunset Coral phlox.

This year was a challenge

with a late freeze, extreme heat and 30 days straight of no rain. But no matter what occurred, the presence of butterflies and hum mingbirds brought pure joy. New plants like the Upscale series of bee balm are sure to bring them in.

Norman Winter is a horticultur ist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Com binations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy. He receives complimentary plants to review from the compa nies he covers.

RELIABLE. DEPENDABLE. KNOWLEDGEABLE.

JIM AND DARLA STEVER

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