Things Not to Do Before Purchasing a Home No Major Purchase of Any Kind Do not make any major purchase that would create debt of any kind. This includes furniture, appliances, electronic equipment, jewelry, vacations, expensive weddings… …and automobiles, of course. Don’t Move Money Around When a lender reviews your loan package for approval, one of the things they are concerned about is the source of funds for your down payment and closing costs. Most likely, you will be asked to provide statements for the last two or three months on any of your liquid assets. This includes checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit, stock statements, mutual funds, and even your company 401K and retirement accounts. If you have been moving money between accounts... 10/08/2008

  Buying a Home With Resale Value There are many things that should be considered when buying a home. Since most homebuyers expect to buy a bigger and better home someday in the future, resale value is an important factor in decision-making. You use the proceeds from selling one home to buy the next one. While no one can guarantee that your home will grow in value, there are steps you can take that maximize your potential gain. "Location, Location, Location" "Location, location, location," is a common and almost hackneyed phrase in real estate literature. Your agent may even throw it at you when you ask for advice about buying a home. However, what does "location, location, location," actually mean? Why repeat it three times? Mostly, "location" is repeated to emphasize that it is extre... 10/08/2008

  Shopping for an Agent Your first step should be to shop for a Realtor, not to shop for property. Shop for a Realtor the way you would shop for a good attorney, accountant, mechanic, plumber, doctor, financial advisor or other professional. Now that we have the Internet, you have more information at your fingertips than buyers from the past. The web is a good place to start. There are lots of directories that list agents, plus search engines, too. Peruse the sites. If an agent has lots of information on their site and seems genuinely concerned about informing homebuyers, that's probably a better choice than someone whose web site only talks about how good they are. The client should be the focus, not the agent. At the same time, agents have to market themselves aggressively -- or else... 10/04/2008

  Finding and Using Your Own Realtor Actually, the best thing for you to do when you see an advertisement in the paper is to call your own Realtor and tell them about the ad. Since addresses usually do not appear in advertisements, your Realtor will call the listing agent and find out the MLS number for the property. If the listing is on the internet, it probably already provides the MLS number. The MLS number allows the agent to access the listing directly on the Multiple Listing Service computer. That reveals a lot more information than what is available to you on the web. The house may turn out to be a great home for you, but it may also be a property the Realtor has already disregarded because it backed up to a busy, noisy street and you have told your Realtor you wanted a quiet ne... 10/04/2008

  How to start a Neighborhood Watch Crime is a major concern for communities across the United States. Through a well organized Neighborhood Watch program, you can dramatically reduce crime in your neighborhood. Statistics show that most burglaries occur in neighborhoods without an organized Neighborhood Watch group. In order to start a Neighborhood Watch, you must establish a partnership with a local law enforcement agency. To get started: Recruit as many neighbors as possible to discuss the needs of your community. Decide on a date and place for an initial Neighborhood Watch meeting. Contact your local police department or sheriff’s office and invite them to your initial meeting. You will be assigned a prevention officer who will attend your first meeting and help you develop an acti... 10/04/2008

  5 Reasons to BUY Real Estate NOW! It’s time to start considering a re-entry into the real estate market. After all, simple supply and demand dictates it is a buyer’s — and investor’s — market. Many savvy real estate investors have made excellent returns by moving against the trend with careful market timing. The thought process is simple: When everybody is buying, it’s time to sell. And, when everyone is selling, it’s time to consider buying. Here are five market conditions that have investors thinking today just might be the perfect time to buy real estate. No. 1 – Low prices Prices are down in most real estate markets across the country. In fact, the national median existing home price for all housing types was down 7.7 percent from a year ago, to $200,700 in March from $217,400 du... 10/04/2008

  Trends 2009 - Visual Power - Personalize Your Home! The trend in all areas of life is personalization. Technology has permitted us to order custom sized jeans, custom car interiors even custom showers made to perfectly fit our bodies. Your home is your most personal possession! How can you personalize your space and put your individual imprint on it? Personalizing your space is the only way to really feel at home in your home! Giving a home authenticity is the most important ingredient. There is only one YOU and your home needs to reflect who you are. What are your interests? Do you travel? Gather your favorite travel photos and create a gallery wall. Printing your photos in black and white or sepia tones unites the wall and makes the subject matter more important and artistic. Do yo... 09/12/2008

  Granite Countertops - Increasing Your Home's Resale Value Very few things impress potential home buyers than a kitchen with granite countertops. There may be sleeker kitchens such as those with a stainless steel motif, but not everyone takes warmly to these ultra-modern kitchens. They feel that stainless steel kitchens are too cold and impersonal. Granite, on the other hand, evokes a feeling of elegance without looking too 'industrial.' Thus, having a granite countertop installed in your home can instantly raise your home's value. This material is highly valued because of its toughness. Granite has been formed from magma underneath the earth's surface and its particles are densely packed, making it one of the toughest materials ever to be used for countertops. They are sourced from m... 09/08/2008

A much needed traffic signal will begin testing Wednesday morning August 6, 2008, the testing sequence will begin for the traffic signal controller and components. Upon completion of all functional testing, the traffic signal will be activated.  While minor traffic delay are expected, local business will be open and motorist should be ready to stop if the lights are flashing.  For further information regarding this project please visit www.townofparadise.com for more information.  If you are looking for local information regarding Paradise Real Estate, Call Suzi at (530) 873-6146 or visit ParadiseRealEstate.us.  08/06/2008

Moving from one house to another is always a challenge, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare.  Here are some simple tips on how to get it done with minimal stress and strain. •·        Look at all the alternatives: hiring a moving company, for example, versus renting a truck and doing it yourself.  Whichever alternative makes most sense for you, get bids from more than one vendor. •·        A few days before the moving company is scheduled to arrive or you're supposed to pick up your rental truck, call to confirm that everything is on track to happen when it's supposed to . •·        Prepare your change of address cards in advance and send them out as soon as it's appropriate to do so.  The post office, utilities, companies and people you do business with, city hall, friends, relatives... 08/06/2008

  What home improvements really pay off when the time comes to sell your house?That's an important question for any homeowner contemplating moving or remodeling.   And the only possible answer is a somewhat complicated one.           That answer starts with the fact that really major improvements - room additions, total replacements of kitchens and baths, etc., -- rarely pay off fully in the near term.  It ends with the fact that small and relatively inexpensive changes can pay off in a big way in making your home attractive to buyers if your decision is to move now. It's a simple fact, consistently confirmed across America over a very long period of time, that even the most appropriate major improvements are unlikely to return their full cost if a house is sold within two or three year... 08/06/2008

Are you ready when wildfires strikes.  You too can make a difference for your family, home and community.  Attend a meeting to learn how to be ready.  During the seminar a photo presentation and video will be presented.  Hosted by the Paradise and Butte County Fire Safe Council and the Town and Paradise.Come learn the recipe for successfully living with wildfires from the local experts in this community wide event to be held August 7th from 6:30- 9:00 PM.  Location:    CMA Church, 6491 Clark Road, ParadiseGet information about: *Family and personal preparedness tips*Animal wildfire preparedness*Ordering reflective address signs*Find out how to keep brush from growing back*Community wildfire safety projects*Removal of invasive Scotch Broom and*Forest Stewardship                        08/05/2008

Turn that dated home for sale into the object of their desire. Sellers of less-desirable homes need to go the extra mile to update the property and highlight its best features.  In fact, you'll probably need to do more updating to those homes than a fixer-upper. The desirability factor goes up if you update the homes with features like granite or tiled countertops, hardwood floors and new carpeting.   A listing with hot amenities like all-new appliances will still draw buyers in.  Square footage also works in the split-entry home's favor. Most split-entry, split-foyer and split-level homes are relatively large.  The various types of less desirable houses aren't the only type of home that can be considered challenging to sell in today's market. Homes on busy streets can be a challenge to... 08/01/2008

The homebuying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!  Nine steps to buying a home   1.  Figure out how much you can afford   2.  Know your rights   3.  Shop for a loan   4.  Learn about homebuying programs   5.  Shop for a home   6.  Make an offer   7.  Get a home inspection   8.  Shop for homeowners insurance   9.  You're finally ready to go to "settlement" or "closing." Be sure to read everything before you sign!  Now if these nine steps seem overwhelming, Call a professional Paradise Realtor, Suzi Enders to assist you when your ready to start your Paradise home buying search.  Reach me at 530-873-6146 or 530-228-1688. P. S.  You can sign up to receive a list of foreclosures in our area at:Paradise Califo... 08/01/2008

It's the season for wildland fires.  We, residents in Butte county, Paradise especially know all too well that fireland season is well underway, there are important steps we can take to protect our homes from the tragedies which occured with the humbolt and butte county complex fires.   My genie in the bottle is busy today and can't predict when fires will occur, however, with a little planning and some precautionary measures, we can perhaps limit the impact of a wildland fire in our own backyard.  Since we live with many forces that contribute to the existance of fires, like high temperatures, warm winds, steep hillsides, overgrown vegetation and dry grass.  Now anyone who lives in Butte county knows we have each of these conditions in which we can not control.  What we can do is: a.  ... 07/30/2008

As we all struggle with the clean up from the Paradise wildfires and work to putting our homes back together, one of the most important things we have to remember is that the ash leftover from the fires can be extremely dangerous. Though the ash from the fires is relatively nontoxic and similar to the ash you can find in your fireplace, any ash will contain small amounts of cancer-causing chemicals. Fire ash can also be extremely irritating to sensitive skin, noses, and throats. So I wanted to send a few tips over that may help get your Paradise home back in order, but PLEASE BE CAREFUL.  Here is a list of recommendations that we should all follow to ensure that the ash is cleaned up and disposed of safely & efficiently: 1) DO NOT use leaf blowers to blow the ash out. 2) DO NOT hose the... 07/29/2008

There is no question, we have been through quite a rough patch here in Paradise.  If you were fortunate enough to stay in your home, it is unlikley that your piece of real estate in Paradise was  left unaffected by the fires.  Therefore, over the next few weeks, I am going to dedicate my blog to sharing what I believe may be some helpful hints that you can use as idea generators or resources as you attempt to bring a little life back into your property.  I can't offer any quick fixes, but a few decorating tips, gardening tips and home improvement ideas may be just the inspiration we all need!  Lord knows I have my moments where I could use some! So for my first tip...use some bamboo.  In my opinion bamboo has this wonderful way of making people feel like I they are on vacation, it has a... 07/27/2008

We'll, by now, if you live anywhere in the North Valley or foothill region and if you are at all like me, you are probably pretty tired of the relentless smoke that seems to stubbornly hang in the air. Although, that inconvenience pales in comparison to the difficulties faced by the dozens of fire victims who lost their homes to the recent fires. It is certainly a tough time for many people in our area. The good news, however, is that the smoke seems to be lifting with most of the evacuation orders in the fire affected areas of places like Paradise and Concow. Let's hope that the worst is behind us.   One home that was spared from the fire, was the spec house we had in escrow located just below Paradise on Tuscan Dr. The day after my first fire blog post of June 11th, I found a window o... 07/15/2008

Thank firefighters for 'doing their job' One of the most stressful fires in our region in recent memory is fast becoming a part of history. Fortunately we did not lose a large number of homes, but a lot of them were in peril. Were it not for modern fire fighting equipment and a lot of well-trained fire personnel that manned the front lines, it would have been a lot worse. The signs in our town praising the fire fighters were numerous, and I suspect represented the praise and thoughts of all of us. Firemen, as a group, are seen as the pinnacle of public service by a large majority of the population, even ahead of police officers, according to national polls. Their actions in Paradise and its environs showed us why they are number one. Trucks from just about every part of this state were ... 07/12/2008

ABOUT THE TOWN OF PARADISE The Town of Paradise, incorporated in 1979, is a beautiful community with a population of nearly 27,000 and another 20,000 people living in the adjacent unincorporated area of Magalia.  It is located 97 miles North of Sacramento and 12 miles Northeast of Chico and situated in the Western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  The community forms a sanctuary for wild game since there is no hunting allowed within the perimeter. Paradise offers its residents a rare combination of advantages.  With its great natural beauty and charm, it offers excellent home sites, a wide choice of recreational pursuits, cultural activities and facilities for shopping and personal services. Recreational pursuits are plentiful as this beautiful countryside offers activities for... 07/12/2008