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Showing posts from May, 2014

The First Thing to Do Before Buying a Home

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Home prices in most parts of the country are just about as affordable as they are likely to get, and mortgage rates remain super low. Together, those factors mean that many people are thinking about buying a home. Some will be first-time homebuyers , while others will be “boomerang” buyers who lost their homes in the housing meltdown but are now hoping to get back in. Still others may see this as the best time to upgrade to a larger home, downsize to a smaller one, or to move to the retirement locale of their dreams. Whatever your motivation for buying a home, unless you are going to pay cash for the property, there’s one essential step you must take first: get your credit reports and credit scores. The reason? Your credit scores will help determine what type of home loan financing you can get, and the interest rate you’ll pay. You’ll want to have plenty of time to dispute credit report errors  if you find any, and get them fixed. The last thing you want is to find out at the last mi

10 Houses in Markets With the Biggest Median Home Price Increases

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When we checked a couple of months back, the city with the largest year-over-year median home price increase was the somewhat unlikely Stockton, CA. Best known for its embarrassing bankruptcy in 2012, the city in California’s Central Valley continued its housing resurgence in April. Realtor.com® data showed a massive 41.8% jump in median home prices in Stockton over the past year. All the cities in our top 10 are located throughout the nation and saw jumps of at least 17% in their median home prices. Three markets hit hard by the recession—Las Vegas, Sacramento , CA, and Riverside, CA—are rebounding in a big way. To learn what you could buy in each of these fast-moving markets, we found a home in each city with a listed price within at least $10,000 of the median. If you are interested in any of these homes, just click on its photo for more information. 1. Stockton, CA  (Median: $269,250) —  10448 Cherise Way , $275,000. 0 Share this image

Old Sacramento State Historic Park

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Old Sacramento State Historic Park is located within the Old Sacramento Historic District of Sacramento, California . It is generally referred to as Old Sacramento , or Old Sac, and since the 1960s has been restored and developed as a significant tourist attraction. The Old Sacramento Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District . http://www.historicoldsac.org/shm.asp

5008 Palm Ave Sacramento, CA 95841

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H a p p y   M e m o r i a l   D a y  W e e k e n d !  5008 Palm Ave Sacramento, CA 95841 Beds 4 Beds room and 2 Full. 1700SqFt .   Fabulous family home in a well established neighborhood with a park located at the end of the street and easy access to Hwy80.         Michelle Yu Mobile:  (916) 761-1981 Fax:  (916) 535-5172 Email:  MYu@GoLyon.com Website:  http://www.MichelleYu.GoLyon.com BRE #01433007

Breaking News in Sacramento

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Downtown arena plan gets final approval Downtown Sacramento is now all but certain to see its most radical change since the state capital was established, with the City Council approving a series of 7-2 votes for a new arena to be built on the eastern half of Downtown Plaza . Numerous council members and speakers described the vote as historic and laced with significance, not only for keeping the Sacramento Kings in the city for several more decades, but spurring sizable new development and redevelopment in the city core. “I've never been prouder of my colleagues, never been prouder of city staff, never been prouder of my community,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson , describing how so far, the discussion centered on keeping the Kings and not growing from it. “Tomorrow is the first day of a new journey.” Other council members had similar sentiments, from those who recalled attending events at the city's first Kings arena on Market Street in 1985 to others who said they eagerly a

10 Things to Know for Today

The Associated Press The Associated Press Last modified: 2014-05-20T13:23:12Z Published: Tuesday, May. 20, 2014 - 3:07 am Last Modified: Tuesday, May. 20, 2014 - 6:23 am Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. CALM IN BANGKOK AS MILITARY DECLARES MARTIAL LAW Thailand's armed forces, which staged 11 coups in 80 years, take charge of security after weeks of unrest. 2. WHO IS GETTING A DIPLOMATIC BOOST IN BEIJING Putin's state visit to China aims to bolster ties between the two countries at a time when Moscow is facing isolation in the West. 3. WHY CYBER SPYING IS CAUSING A RIFT BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING China responds to espionage charges the U.S. filed against five of its military officers by halting cybersecurit

Stir-Fried Chinese Greens 炒中國蔬菜

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Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens You could use almost any veggies with this same spice blend and method. Try kale, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli -- take your pick. We used classic bok choy. Phase 3 Serves 2 Prep time: 5 minutes Total time: 10 minutes 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil 1 pound baby bok choy 1 tablespoon tamari 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over high heat until very hot. Add the bok choy and stir-fry until they begin to soften slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil, and cook until just done, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY:

The weather is heating up and so is the real estate market.  In April, over 2,100 new listings came on the market in Sacramento County.  This was a welcome sight for the many buyers who are anxious to make a move.  Prices continue to gain momentum, as well; up 16% over this same time last year. The good news is that our region's affordability is still well within the reach of prospective buyers.  Because of this increased activity, homes are selling faster and sellers are realizing a higher percentage of their asking price, provided they're not priced out of the realm of their neighborhood's recent sales. In Sacramento County, 83% of the sales are under $400,000; although almost 30% of the inventory is over $400,000.  Why is this important??  It's a great time to be a move-up buyer!  The lower end price ranges are selling fast, giving those sellers the opportunity to move into a home more suitable for their current needs.  Is this you or someone you know?  Call me. 

Weekly Economic Summary from Bank of America

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Last week, mortgage bonds hit their highest levels in 2014, helping home loan rates reach some of their lowest levels this year. Read on for details. Table Source: Vantage Production, LLC One of the main reasons bonds and home loan rates have benefitted of late is due to safe haven trades, meaning that when there is uncertainty in the world, like the current situation in Ukraine, investors often move their money out of stocks and into less risky assets like bonds. This includes mortgage bonds, the type of bond on which home loan rates are based. As tensions have escalated overseas in recent weeks, our bond markets have improved—and as mortgage bonds improve, so do home loan rates. Another factor helping bonds right now is the old trading adage, “sell in May and go away.” Stock prices have been declining, helping mortgage bonds improve. For even more details on the dynamic between stocks and bonds, see   “Why Bad News Can Be Good for Home Loan Rates,”  below. In housing news, res