Green Real Estate Appraiser

Prepare Your House and Finances for Natural Disaster

Posted on July 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

When a storm is bearing down or a wildfire or tornado is approaching, you don’t want to be thinking about all the things you should have done to protect your family, house and finances.

So with wildfires raging in parts of the West, and hurricane season in full swing, taking some crucial steps in advance—especially if you live in a region prone to natural disasters—can help you minimize any damage.

Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions, some of their appraisers are also certified FEMA inspectors and can answer your questions about the inspection process.

“It’s imperative to make sure you are prepared,” says Thomas Kirsch, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and co-director of the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response at Johns Hopkins University. “Get things ready to go,” he says, with a disaster kit “and the appropriate financial stuff available to you.”

1. Make a Plan

Create an emergency plan, detailing where you and family members would meet up after a disaster and how you’d stay in touch. Also designate an out-of-state contact whom people can call if they’re unable to get to the meeting spot.

Next, put together a disaster kit and store it in a place all family members can easily access. The disaster kit should include nonperishable food items and water for your family to last 72 hours, a first-aid kit, a flashlight and batteries. Also be sure to keep some cash on hand in case you can’t access a bank or ATM.

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Minimal Down Payments Available Under New Rules

Posted on July 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

It’s a crucial question for many first-time and moderate-income buyers in rebounding markets across the country: Where do we find the lowest down payment, lowest monthly cost loans? The answers are changing.

What if the home you fell in love with won’t appraise? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your appraisal questions.

True zero-down alternatives are rare and tend to be tightly restricted. If you’re a veteran or active military, a VA-guaranteed home loan might be ideal because it requires no down payment. The same is true for certain rural housing loans administered by the Department of Agriculture, but purchases must be in designated areas outside large population centers. Members of the Navy Federal and NASA federal credit unions can qualify for zero down financing, but those programs are closed to everybody else. Some state housing finance agency programs may also be helpful, but they often come with income limits and other requirements.

For most shoppers looking for mini-down payments, there are much larger, less restrictive sources. The Federal Housing Administration is probably the traditional favorite because it requires just 3.5 percent down. But beware: In the wake of a series of insurance premium increases and a highly controversial move to make premiums noncancelable for the life of the loan for most new borrowers, FHA no longer rules the low-cost roost.

Fannie Mae, the giant federal mortgage investor, may now do better. And for some applicants, so might Freddie Mac, Fannie’s smaller competitor. Consider this scenario prepared by George Souto, a loan officer with McCue Mortgage in New Britain, Conn., who has long specialized in putting first-time buyers into houses using FHA loans. But lately, says Souto, “the numbers just don’t work as well.” He’s directing clients instead into Fannie Mae’s 3 percent minimum down payment “My Community Mortgage” program.

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Want to Sell Fast? Green Your Home

Posted on July 20, 2013 | 1 comment

Linda Lee, president of the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors, is the author of this guest post.

Home energy costs can skyrocket during San Diego’s lengthy summer and an 80 degree Thanksgiving is not unheard of. As a result, many local home buyers are looking for energy efficient or “green” homes.

Will “greening” your home add value to it? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com they are the green property specialist in Southern California.

Here are some simple steps you can take to make your home green:

In San Diego, making your home green can have a lot to do with conserving water. Believe it or not, putting an aerator on all the faucets in your home can cut your annual water usage in half. This simple attachment is easy to install and minimally affects the faucets performance.

Installing a programmable thermostat is beneficial, too. The numbers don’t lie — 50 percent of a home’s energy costs typically come from heating and cooling. Each degree over 78 that you set your thermostat during the summer months will save you between 3 percent and 5 percent on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat allows you to closely manage your home’s temperature. While you’re at it, consider buying a new air conditioning unit. Today’s units are as much as 25 percent more efficient than those installed 20 years ago.

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Tagged home energy costs, saving money, utility bills