Category — Photos from the Field

I came across the property below the other day while on an inspection. Granted there are probably some more grandiose examples of festive lights to share, but let’s pause for a moment to recognize the brilliance of using foil on trees for Christmas decor. After passing by this house I’ll be honest to say I’m feeling a bit inspired to find a way to use foil in my front yard. For me foil is one of those amazing products (like duct tape) because there is so much you can do with it.

It really adds to a sense of festivity and even neighborhood pride when residents decorate during the holidays. Do you agree? On the contrast, when streets are pitch black and there are no lights in sight, how does that feel? If you’re planning a trip to enjoy Christmas lights, Realtor Gena Riede has a very detailed list of Christmas Lights in the Sacramento Area on her blog. Check it out and maybe try driving by a few new addresses this year. My family definitely enjoys lights in the Fab 40s, Arden Park, T Street and Dovewood Court in Orangevale.

Where do you recommend going to see lights in the Sacramento area? What do you think of the foil trees below? Points for creativity? Tacky?

If you have any questions or Sacramento area real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs, contact me by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

While inspecting a house in North Sacramento yesterday I saw this fence. How does this image strike you? What does a fence like this tell you about the neighborhood?

Some might say graffiti has artistic value, while others say it clearly does not. Stepping aside from that discussion, from a real estate perspective, I’ve never seen evidence to suggest graffiti like this helps boost property values. All things considered, graffiti ultimately harms a neighborhood because it contributes to a negative perception of the community. Do others get the sense that residents care about a neighborhood if graffiti runs rampant? No.

Just like I mentioned in my “blight week” series a while back, it’s often the “small things” in a neighborhood like graffiti, debris and unkempt lawns that create a less than positive view of the community and impact the way others feel about the neighborhood too. So focusing on getting to know neighbors and taking care of some of the small signs of decay is often a relevant place to begin to bring change.

Tips for dealing with a neighborhood graffiti problem:

1. Choose: Decide to be a part of the solution. Others may not step up, but you can be a game-changer for your street. Why not you?
2. Local Police: Talk with local law enforcement. What is the nature of the graffiti? Know what you are dealing with in the community and ask for advice from police officers.
3. Band of Neighbors: Get a few neighbors on board to deal with the issue by asking a couple of people to be on a rotating schedule for covering tags. Maybe you can switch on a weekly or monthly basis.
4. Be Quick: Cover graffiti within 24 hours and keep doing that until the problem stops. The issue is likely to lessen or stop over time if it is covered immediately because why would a tagger waste his time if his tags are not seen by others?
5. One Color: Use the same paint color if possible because it’ll look better and less blotchy. The residents in the picture above deserve applause because they are dealing with the issue. My hat goes off to them. Ultimately if they used one color though, it would look better, don’t you think?
6. Ask for Paint: Ask code enforcement, city council members or a local hardware store for free or discounted paint and any resources they might have to assist you. You may not even have to spend your own money because there is bound to be someone out there who wants to get behind your cause.
7. Keep a positive attitude: It’s easy to become discouraged when problems persist, but try not to take the graffiti personally. Try to get to the point where you find joy in getting to take care of your community on a more daily basis. You are doing something that needs to be done. You may never get recognition, but you are helping the community grow in the right direction, so practice thankfulness while you are painting and when you notice new tags too. I know that sounds like an odd concept, but just go with it.
8. Celebrate your successes: Have a casual BBQ with neighbors in your front yard and invite code enforcement and a city council member to eat with you. This could even help spur on more discussion about solving issues.
9. Any other suggestions?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and your story. Feel free to comment below. Thanks for keeping it civil and constructive.

If you have any questions or Sacramento area real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs, contact me by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

I’ve been seeing more new construction lately in the Sacramento area, particularly in Elk Grove. Have you seen the same thing? Where? I’ve noticed pockets of subdivision building on Bradshaw Road as well as near Bruceville Road & Elk Grove Blvd. Additionally, there are also occasional custom homes built on vacant lots like the one pictured below in the Camden Passage neighborhood. I snapped a “before” and “after” picture of this site while doing appraisal work in the neighborhood over the past six or so months. For the record, I’m a huge fan of “before and after” shots. See “No longer half-built in Oak Park“, “Flat vs. Hipped Roof” and “Heavenly Stairway” for a few examples. I love to see change over time.

It’s great to see some positive signs in the real estate market, don’t you think?

By the way, this property shown above is located on Allister Way in Elk Grove and is currently listed for sale by real estate agent Jacque McBurney 916-417-3344. It’s 2701 square feet & 4 beds and 3 baths (front and rear landscaping w/ a patio too).

If you have any questions or Sacramento area real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs, contact me by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

What’s wrong with this picture? Yes, that’s a telephone pole blocking access to a driveway. I did not take this photo at a funky angle or play around in photoshop. I’m not sure which came first, the house or the pole, but I have seen more efficient neighborhood planning. I snapped this photo in the Strawberry Manor neighborhood in North Sacramento. What do you think?

NOTE: In my excitement to get this post up, I mislabeled the pole as a “telephone” pole. It’s actually a street light with a sign attached to the light. I don’t want to change the title though because it’s already out there on Facebook and Twitter. That’s how it goes. No big deal. My bad.

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

Is doubling the size of a house a good idea? Probably not because it will most likely be larger than anything in the neighborhood, which leads to superadequacy (being overbuilt for the neighborhood). I ran across this property the other day in Yolo County, and this house is definitely going to be oversized for the local market. Doesn’t it look like an entire 2-story house is being added to the back of the original house? What do you think this will do to property value?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

I came across a “bubble car” in Yolo County this week. I’ve never seen such a thing and I’m still not too sure what the real purpose of this bubble is either. Do you have any ideas? No matter what the reason, I do wonder how neighbors feel about the bubble. Many times when a home owner steps outside the lines of neighborhood conformity, it can bother residents and sometimes even impact property value depending on what is done. An effect on value would likely involve a permanent change rather than something like the bubble. But still, this scenario brings up an important conversation about conformity.

Would it bother you if your neighbors had a “bubble” in their driveway? Where do you draw the line for what is acceptable and not in a neighborhood?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

Have you seen soiled carpet from pets before? Let me share my personal winner from an inspection a long while ago. Carpet like this certainly lowers property value, but it’s also indicative that the pets surely rule the roost. The stains from urine and feces were dramatic throughout the house. The smell surprisingly was not all that bad, but I did feel nauseous afterward and took a shower when I got home. An investor purchased this ten-year old 3000 square foot home, cleaned things up, patched landscaping and installed some minor upgrades to re-list it nearly 20% above its previous selling price as a short sale in need of some love.

What do you think when  you see images like this?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.

I ran across this house last week while enjoying some time off in Huntington Beach. Can you see any evidence of settling? Might the crooked door, window and roofline be an indicator that something is not right here? How have you seen foundation issues impact real estate deals?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.

We love our fences in California, but the wrong type of fence can really leave a bad impression. When a fence is too tall, resembles prison bars, obstructs the view of the house, is plain ugly or screams “leave me alone”, it’s probably not enchancing the image of the neighborhood. There are many reasons why fences exist, but regardless of the reasons, when a community grows to have numerous fences like this, it promotes a blighted feel.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m NOT saying you are causing blight in your community if you have a certain type of fence. I’m only saying the way houses look communicate something to the rest of the neighborhood, make a reflection upon the entire community and ultimately impact property value. As much as we like to think we live on parcel islands, the truth is what we do (or don’t do) to the front of our parcels impacts how others view the neighborhood. If you don’t believe neighborhood presentation can influence the way others feel about the community, read a case study of Diggs Town Public Housing.

Removing or changing the type of fence may not erase the blight label from a neighborhood, but it is often one cog in the system. Blight is a complex multi-faceted reality that occurs over time, so beginning to breathe life back into a community involves removing characteristics that send a negative message and adding features that are more welcoming. I know design is a very subjective thing, but people’s feelings are too. If we want to see property values increase, people need to feel good about the neighborhood.

How do you think fences can help shape the image of a community? What factors would you say contribute to a blighted feel for a neighborhood? Which fences below seem welcoming and evoke friendliness? Which designs may give off a negative vibe? 

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This is post # 2 in the “Blight Week” series on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog.

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

Can a cracked or raised driveway be an issue for an FHA loan? If the damage is deemed a safety issue for whatever reason, then it is something that will require correction. However, if the damage is minimal and hardly noticeable, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Let’s look at a real life example.  

The tree roots in this front yard in Sacramento have made a very obvious impact to the driveway. It’s not hard to miss damage like this, right? The photo above does give the illusion that the raised driveway is truck-sized, but my shoe below helps show more clearly that one slab has been pushed 3-4 inches higher than the other slab. It’s always important to bring in an object to the photo to help give perspective (maybe a ruler, quarter, dollar, etc… or shoe).

A trip hazard is a subjective call to make by the appraiser and not necessarily an automatic repair, but in this case above my sense is that this is a legitimate safety issue. There is confusion over trip hazards due to HUD Mortgagee Letter 2005- ML-48 (pdf) which indicates that trip hazards are no longer an automatic repair. Sometimes this is interpreted to mean that trip hazards are no longer an issue to be called out, but that’s not really the intent of FHA because guidelines require a property to be free of all known hazards and adverse conditions that might affect the health and safety of occupants.

Do you think a driveway as such might be a safety hazard? Have you encountered difficulties funding a loan due to a driveway like this?

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

An empty pool might seem like no big deal, but it doesn’t do much to propel a loan forward because of the challenges it presents. What are the risks?

1. Someone can fall in and break a [fill in the blank].
2. Standing water is an invitation for mosquitos, which then increases the risk for mosquito-transmitted diseases such as West Nile Virus. 
3. The swimming pool could sustain damage from not being filled over time. 
4. Lastly, how can you really know if a pool is working properly if it’s empty?  

I recommend talking with a trusted loan professional to understand specific lending guidelines, but I will say in light of the risks above, most lenders will want to see pools filled and functioning properly because of the health and safety risks associated with an empty pool. I’ve had a couple of instances lately for both FHA and conventional loans where my client wanted me to head back out to verify repairs were made to a pool (after I noted green water and/or missing pool equipment). I am not a pool specialist of course, so I am very careful about what I can and cannot verify as a real estate appraiser.

I’d be curious to hear your experience with pools and real estate, and also if you have any other risks to add to the list above. 

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

Privacy is priceless, right? How would you feel about living in a second-story bedroom that is directly in line with a hallway to the house next door (about 10 ft away)? I suppose it would make borrowing sugar or butter from neighbors a bit easier if you installed some sort of dumbwaiter, but my suspicion is that the occupant of the bedroom would do very little with the blinds open (especially at night).

I snapped this photo recently while on an appraisal inspection. My inner-designer always cringes when seeing flaws like this that dampen privacy. It’s almost as if you would have to avert your eyes to avoid looking in the neighbor’s house, right? I’ve never personally had a window with this set-up, but I know friends who have seen far more than they bargained for due to windows as such. 

Would this be a deal-killer or no big deal for you when purchasing a house? Have you ever lived in a house where your privacy felt cramped for some reason?

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook.