Blog Posts in Category: Safety
As retirement approaches, many people are concerned about ensuring their financial stability. One way to achieve this goal is by investing in real estate. Purchasing a rental home can provide a stable source of income during retirement, but there are several things to consider before making such a significant investment.
According to Investopedia, investing in income-generating property can be a smart financial move. A rental property can provide a steady stream of passive income that can supplement other retirement savings. In addition, owning a property provides a tangible asset that can appreciate over time, increasing its overall value. However, this is not for the faint of heart, investing in rental properties requires careful consideration, education, research and planning. more...
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Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
Rental Property Owners face many risks and exposures, and some are not aware of what their insurance covers specifically. Many Rental Property Owners do not have coverage for what they should, which accounts for millions of dollars in uninsured claims each year. more...
03/10/2021
Everyday Tips to Curb "Zoom Gloom"
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
As people spend more time on their computers and mobile devices than ever before, many have experience tech fatigue. The concept has been around long before the pandemic outbreak, but it has become mainstream. more...
Photo by Alex Mecl on Unsplash
When COVID-19 first hit, all plans inevitably were put on hold. As experts announced that it was safest to stay still, stay home. But months later, we’ve had to figure out how to move forward — safely. For some, that means physically moving. more...
Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash
Smoking in multi-unit housing and apartments may become prohibited in San Francisco soon. The City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors are considering an ordinance that would change the health code to “prohibit smoking inside all private dwelling units in multi-unit housing complexes containing three or more units.”
Introduced on November 3rd, this ordinance will face a vote before the full Board of Supervisors on December 1st. If the board votes for the change, San Francisco would be among 63 cities and counties in California to have smoke-free multi-unit housing. Crowning San Francisco as the largest city in the country to adopt a smoke-free policy. This new ordinance will also extend those rules to smoking or vaping in rented units. Almost half of San Francisco residents live in multi-unit housing and would be affected by this change. more...
The COVID-19 pandemic and recent wildfires remind us of the importance of safe and permanent housing for protecting one’s health. In response to COVID-19, the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) and Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless (ACHCH) partnered with Abode Services and the State of California to implement Project Roomkey. Project Roomkey provides our unsheltered neighbors with isolation housing to recover from COVID-19 and safe housing for high-risk populations to help prevent them from contracting the virus.
These partners have now taken on Governor Newsom’s 100 Day Challenge Initiative to address homelessness and are looking for property owners and landlords to help residents leaving Project Roomkey find permanent housing. The Alameda County 100 Day Challenge Initiative aims to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by placing our unsheltered neighbors exiting Project Roomkey into permanent housing. more...
Climate change continues to impact our community dramatically, with California’s annual fire season lasting longer and setting new records nearly every year. Wildfire smoke poses a number of public health concerns, especially for children, seniors, and individuals with underlying heart and lung illnesses.
Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke:
As the wildfires continue to affect the air quality in Alameda County, the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) reminds residents of the following guidelines to help protect their health from wildfire smoke: more...
The global pandemic known as COVID-19 has dramatically disrupted the ways we handle business, interact with others, and who we allow in our homes. With that said, it is easily understood why many homeowners and homebuyers believe that this is not the most suitable time for selling or purchasing a new property. However, home sellers sitting on the sidelines might be passing up the opportunity to make large amounts of profits on their property. While homebuyers who assume they can't schedule home tours right now might be forfeiting their chance to snag their dreams.
To help you separate the truths from the half-truths from the utter falsehoods that might be filling your social media feeds, here are five common myths about real estate during the Coronavirus pandemic—debunked: more...
07/02/2020
The 7-Day Declutter Challenge
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Spring and summer cleaning do not need to be an unwanted series of tasks. If you’ve added decluttering to your list of spring cleaning tasks, this seven-day challenge will get your home tidy and organized in no time—and with little to no added stress. These manageable steps should not take up too much of your day and will assist you with bringing a feeling of tranquillity and harmony into your home.
Monday: Living and Dining Rooms
Start by cleaning drawers and cabinets.
Remove any trash or unused items.
Repurpose or donate any items that are not being used.
Tuesday: Kitchen
Donate or sell any appliances you barely use.
Trash expired items from the refrigerator, pantry, and cabinets.
Donate unopened food.
Wednesday: Bedrooms and Closets
Donate any items that no longer fit.
Donate items you haven’t worn in the past year.
Organize toys and books, and then donate any that are rarely used.
Thursday: Bathrooms
Dispose of any expired makeup or toiletries.
Reduce any beauty items to only those used regularly.
Friday: Office/desk space
Organize and sort any papers you need to keep.
Shred and recycle any papers you do not need.
Donate old books you have already read to the local library or school.
Saturday: Storage Areas
Donate or sell any furniture or household items you are not using.
Store all seasonal items and holiday decorations in clearly labeled bins out of the way.
Sunday: Garage and Car
Dispose of broken items or items that no longer work.
Donate any items you don’t use.
Clean out the car, removing any items that do not belong there.
more...
As Bay Area residents do their part by turning their residences into virtual places of business and e-learning hubs, they must think about energy use. Whether using energy to power appliances and technology or light, heat or cool their homes, this increase in residential energy use could result in higher costs.
Since California's shelter in place rule went into place in March, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has seen residential electric usage already increase by 15-20% compared to the same time last year. Two programs currently exist which may help residents who are feeling the energy burden, including: more...
05/29/2020
10 Very Common Rental Property Repairs
As a Property Owner, one of your most significant responsibilities is to keep up the property and repair things when they break. Although this can be high-priced and stressful if you budget and successfully plan for maintenance, you will have funds saved to handle these issues. Repairs tend to scare new landlords, but most maintenance issues are typically simple to repair. Even though you will rarely foresee when these issues happen, you can predict that they certainly will.
1. Appliances Not Working
Appliances have a lot of moving parts, and as such, tend to break down fairly often. Although the landlord can fix some issues, many problems will require a professional appliance repair representative. Unless a new appliance is needed, the typical cost to fix is between $50 and $100 per hour, and most repairs take about an hour. Used appliance stores exist in almost every town, and especially in the case of stoves, can be just as good as new. more...
While risk is an individual choice, the real estate industry is adjusting to give access to home buying securely during the coronavirus pandemic. You would now be able to do numerous things at a safe social distance, or even remotely with regards to purchasing a home that you might not have considered doing previously.
Here are on the whole the courses face to face checkpoints to purchasing a home have changed to guard you during the coronavirus pandemic: more...
Dear Friends & Fellow Citizens:
We are a group of individuals with resources and connections in Asia for Mask and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) supplies. This campaign is to help fund the purchase of these vital supplies and deliver to those service providers in the most urgent need during this pandemic outbreak. We are ordering masks and PPE as we speak, and fundraising on the backend to help multiply our purchases by way of large quantity discounts.
We are contacting all hospitals and clinics in the hot spots initially to understand their situation for supplies and will prioritize based on the needs accordingly. more...
This week, several cities, the County of Alameda, and the State of California enacted moratoria on evictions for nonpayment of rent. Below you will find summaries of each ordinance relevant to your location:
State of California:
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters affected by COVID-19 through May 31, 2020. The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent and prohibits enforcement of evictions by law enforcement or courts. It also requires tenants to declare in writing, no more than seven days after the rent comes due, that the tenant cannot pay all or part of their rent due to COVID-19. more...
As the coronavirus pandemic effects hit financial markets, U.S. bond yields are falling, driving mortgage rates that freely follow the 10-year Treasury yield toward an eight-year low. With no end in sight, they could sink even lower. The normal rate on a common 30-year fixed home loan hit 3.34% on Monday, as indicated by Mortgage News Daily. That is for borrowers with solid financials and FICO credit scores.
“Aggressive lenders will be at 3.25% today, and 3.375% will be the new going rate for the average lender,” said Matthew Graham, chief operating officer at Mortgage News Daily. That rate hit 3.34% for one day in the summer of 2016, preceding spiking a lot higher than fall the same year. Before that, rates were this low in 2012. While rates, for the most part, follow the 10-year yield, there are sure market factors that keep rates over a specific level. more...
