Home for the Holidays - December 2015

DECEMBER 2015

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Holidays A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers

A- Home for the Holidays • December 2015 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

A pocket full of Urban Updates… just a few of the exciting happenings in Downtown/Midtown Sacramento Great American City and the common Downtown Plaza? So yesground will be Downtown (DoCo) terday! Meet Downtown Commons (DoCo for short) Streetcars - by the numbers, that you may not have The Sacramento Kings and JMA Venthought about... tures LLC Are re-branding the former staid and uninspired Downtown Plaza as they build a new entertainment and retail center. The brand projects a new vitality and energy and gives us a glimpse of great new experiences soon to be found in Downtown.

[And while the current focus of “the Commons” is a 6 block Downtown district, local leaders expect the brand to eventually come to include Midtown too.]

Designed as a destination for locals and travelers alike, it will be where friends and families will hang out and visitors from around the world experience Sacramento at its best. They aim to make Sacramento the next

One: That’s the number of streetcars that travel at a time; not 2 or 3 cars strung together as you’ll often see with Light Rail.

One: That’s the number of dollars it will take to ride the Streetcar.

Two: Your ticket would be good for 2 hours Sixty: That’s the number of people that 1 street car can transport.

And Fifteen: That’s how often Streetcars will come by your stop, about once every 15 minutes.

MORE NUMBERS... 1.67 = 1 $1.67 a day: That ‘s about what it it will cost residential property

owners if an assessment district is approved. About 1% of the cost of the project.

So let me get this straight; up to 60 people per trip could be traveling throughout the Downtown/Midtown and West Sac communities. At a cost to residential homeowners of less than 1/2 the cost of a “designer” coffee!

How many passenger cars will that take off the Downtown/Midtown streets? And what will that cost?

Priceless!

What’s in a name? The Creamery… The Mill at Broadway… Township 9… and more These brand new residential “coming soon” communities are in various stages of construction and due to become available in the coming months and years: The Creamery, located at the site of the former Crystal Creamery Dairy foods plant, will have 122 detached homes.

The Mill at Broadway, located south of Broadway at the site of the old Setzer Box Company will start with

about 200 homes but eventually have almost a 1,000.

And Township 9, located between Richards Boulevard and the American River will eventually house more that 2,000 people..

Soccer, Anyone?

Can Sacramento support a Major League Soccer team and new stadium, financed with no public money?

Yes! According to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s recent exclusive unveiling of the “Critical Mass Report” – a privately paid for study. Guests were given financial projections of the economic impact of a new soccer stadium located at the railyards: And it shows significant potential…

In total, the report estimates that construction of a stadium will generate $200 million of gross economic activity during the construction phase. Local agencies will also benefit from the generation of property taxes directly and indirectly from the new stadium.

John Woodall, with Lyon Real Estate Downtown writes the SactownUrbanUpdate.blogspot.com

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • December 2015 • Home for the Holidays A-

A- Home for the Holidays • December 2015 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • December 2015 • Home for the Holidays A-

SOLD

SOLD

A- Home for the Holidays • December 2015 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Santa Barbara-Style Estate

Hale Ranch!

Gayla Mace

Great New Home

Great Starter Home

G

DIN

N PE

765-0210

gmace@GoLyon.com www.GaylaMace.com CalBRE#01432489 OR

Tobia Way $6,900,000

4310 Hale Ranch Ln. $749,000

1020 Morse Avenue $619,000

3156 65th Street $195,000

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • December 2015 • Home for the Holidays A-

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY...

A Joyous Wish of Fulfillment To You And You� Famil�.

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For over

WOW LOOK AT ALL THIS SQ FEET FOR THIS PRICE AND AN UPDATED KITCHEN!!!!WONDERFUL SOUTH LAND 40 y e aPARK rs RANCH STYLE HOME. UPDATED KITCHEN, NEW CARPET, FRONT ROOM WAS USED AS FORMAL DINING ROOM. SUN� ROOM OFF THE FAMILY ROOM AND ADDED ONTO RECRE� ATION ROOM W/PELLET STOVE NO HEAT OR AIR IN THIS LARGE ROOM BUT CALBRE# SELLER WILL LEAVE PERSONAL A/C. 00618471

4305 Freeport Boulevard, Sacramento

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www.cookrealty.net • (916) 451-6702

A- Home for the Holidays • December 2015 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • December 2015 • Home for the Holidays A-

Solar Systems and the sale of your home Solar panels are gaining more in popularity for those who are concerned with energy costs and efficiency and so are the challenges for those in the real estate industry. Although the premise may be appealing to a lot of homeowners, there are a few things both sellers and buyers should know before committing to such a large expense. Typically there are two ways to go; you can either ‘purchase’ the system or ‘lease’ it. In either case there can be challenges to both. This can affect the value sale of a home for sellers, and the purchase qualifications for buyers.

The important thing is for both parties to be diligent and do their ‘homework.’ As

a seller you would be well ahead of the game if you knew, before putting your home on the market, whether or not your financial agreement was transferable / assumable? Will there be an additional cost to transfer the contract? Will the financial terms, warranty or service plan be altered? In most cases the holder of the contract (financed or leased) has put a lien on your home; will it transfer over to the new property owner or do you have to pay it off with the proceeds from your sale? These are just some of the answers you should know ahead of time.

As a buyer considering purchasing a home with a solar system, you too would

benefit hugely from doing some research and getting your ducks in a row. Talk to your lender a head of time. Verify whether or not your ‘qualified’ loan amount will change if you assume the solar contract.

In some cases it can reduce the amount significantly, which in turn will change your house hunting criteria. A solar lease is a long-term commitment, their usually 10-20 years worth of payments so be sure to include that in the equation when talking to your lender. Some loan programs have specific guidelines when assuming a ‘leased’ solar system. Also research how the system will affect things like your ‘homeowners insurance,’ Home Warranty, Title Policies, etc… And don’t forget to ask yourself if you would financially commit to renting a home for 10-20 years?

Most people look at purchasing or owning a solar system as an ‘investment; however, sellers should keep in mind that with a solar ‘lease’ you do not have ownership of

the solar system itself and therefore it may not be considered an asset or included in an appraisal as having value.

Selling or buying a home with a solar system can be tricky and frustrating if you don’t have the necessary information or right representation. Be sure to contact an experienced real estate professional if your considering selling or purchasing a home with one. They can assist you with the elements of the transaction to make sure you are informed.

Terrie Hunt, Broker River Ridge Realty - BRE# 01213387 Office (916) 988-8880 Email: TerrieHunt@jps.net Director of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s District One “Toy Project” “Best in Client Satisfaction”- Awarded Five Star Realtor for 2012-15 Sacramento Magazine ‘Preferred Realtor’ with SAFE Credit Union

A-10 Home for the Holidays • December 2015 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Renovations That Can Reduce Your Home’s Value When it comes to selling a home, most people look for ways and ideas to increase the value of their home, but did you know there are improvements or renovations that can actually REDUCE the value? Here are just a few of them: Don’t expand your master bedroom if it eliminates another bedroom - Small master bedrooms are a common complaint by buyers, and in some cases, the

only way to expand a master bedroom is to lose other bedrooms. However, fewer bedrooms mean fewer potential buyers.

Most buyers have a specific number of bedrooms in mind and don’t ever look at homes that have less. Any buyers who are left will expect your home to be priced in line with the homes that share your now current lower bedroom count, which generally means a smaller home over all.

Don’t convert a garage into living space - Transforming your garage may seem like a better way to increase your living space, and certainly can be less costly than building an addition from the ground up; but there is a large popula-

tion of buyers that will not even look at properties that don’t have a garage. This change could mean a reduced value of your home by $10,000 or more.

Don’t paint interior walls dark colors - Although dark interior walls are the latest trend, there are many home buyers who may not ‘feel’ the room is cozy and elegant, but in fact ‘feel’ that the room is small and unwelcoming. For a lot of home buyers, the purchase of a home is about the ‘feel’ of a house and that can sway their decision about purchasing it.

Light-colored walls might not be trendy, but they make spaces feel larger and friendlier, which buyers value more than stylishness.

If you’re thinking of selling your home and want more information, contact an experienced real estate professional for advice before making any major repairs or renovations.

Terrie Hunt, Broker River Ridge Realty - BRE# 01213387 Office (916) 988-8880 Email: TerrieHunt@jps.net Director of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s District One “Toy Project” “Best in Client Satisfaction”- Awarded Five Star Realtor for 2012-15 Sacramento Magazine ‘Preferred Realtor’ with SAFE Credit Union

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • December 2015 • Home for the Holidays A-11