You would think that most cities have recovered from the 2008 downturn but apparently, there are still towns across the U.S. that are struggling with the effects of the crash. I worked for a bank in the REO/Foreclosure division and at the height of the crash, I would drive through neighborhoods with "for sale" signs lined up all in a row. Every other house was vacant and of course, the homes and gardens were neglected and in disarray! It was a very sad situation and neighbors

What is the gig-economy? It refers to hundreds of income-earning activities that allow workers to set their own hours, work for as long or as little as they choose, and function as independent contractors or freelancers as opposed to salaried employees. Prominent examples include people who work as drivers for Uber or Lyft, assemble Ikea furniture through TaskRabbit and offer rooms in their homes on Airbnb. But when buying a home, the challenge for these workers is to make th

California will become the first state to require all new homes to have solar power. The new requirement will take effect in two years. By 2020, builders will be required to make individual homes available with solar panels or build a shared solar-power system that could serve a group of homes. The rooftop panels can either be owned by the homeowner and rolled into the cost of the home or leased on a monthly basis. The mandate could add up to $16,000 more to the cost of a

Short term rentals continue to be controversial in Pacific Grove and on May 11, a judge ruled in favor of the City and against a group of STR owners (STRONGPG) who objected to the lottery system that has been put in place. The judge said that cities have the right to make decisions for the good of the community and therefore the rights of landowners become secondary considerations. She also said that because an annual license expires, rights expires on the date and become inv

#california #population #cities

California continues to attract new residence everyyear and our populations are growing despite expensive housing and extensive legislation. TEN LARGEST CITIES (Population estimates for January 1, 2018 with percent change from the previous year) CITY POPULATION PERCENT INCREASE 1 Los Angeles 4,054,400 0.8% 2 San Diego 1,419,845 1.4% 3 San Jose 1,051,316 0.8% 4

Inventory continues to remain tight in California and it sounds like buyers are bringing more money to the table make their deal happen. Competition is strong and sellers are at an advantage. Multiple offers, prices above asking and no contingency requirements are fairly common now a days. It makes it difficult for those that don't have a lot of room to negotiate. Check out the following down payment levels: Among 143 metro areas analyzed, the top five cities where residents

The happiest city in America is......Fremont, Calif., according to a new analysis of more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities. There are a total of four cities in California on the top ten list. WalletHub measured cities using 28 “happiness indicators,” including low divorce rates, amount of leisure time, income growth, low depression rates, and more. So why are residents so happy in Fremont? Nearness to San Francisco and Silicon Valley Job opportunities abound Real estate pr