Did you wake up this morning with condominiums on your mind? Probably not, but I wanted to highlight a crash course video on some of the nuts and bolts of condo real estate transactions. This is really good stuff and I hope you find it helpful.

The video below highlights Realtor Bruce Slaton and it deals with some of the most common financing challenges and HOA issues that condominiums tend to face. It’s really an excellent quick intro to condominiums. The presentation was geared toward Realtors at the Sacramento Association of Realtors, but the information is still solid and relevant for others too. Bruce shares some interesting condo nuggets too that many may not be aware of. His presentation is about twenty minutes and begins at 5:07 and ends at 26:18. If you are pressed for time, just listen to the video in the background while you work. Watch below or here (video starts right at 5:07).

For more information you may wish to check out two previous articles I wrote entitled ”5 Potential Deal Killers for Condo Loans” and “What’s the difference between a condominium and townhome” (there is so much confusion about this).

What do you think of the video? Anything stand out to you?

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

I’ll be sitting on a panel at an upcoming event called “Social Media and the Future of Real Estate”. I’d love for you to come check it out on May 8 at SAR HQ at 6:30pm. If you cannot make it in person, the event will stream live on Ustream or you can follow it on Twitter with the hashtag #SMCSAC. But let’s face it, it would be nice to meet up in person. The Sacramento Social Media Club describes the event as follows:

Social Media is a Real Estate Game Changer– How do you create a meaningful social media balance?

Social media and the internet have transformed the way real estate professionals connect with their community. Many have embraced it and some are struggling or resisting the inevitable. Throw in facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and a vast amount of growing networks and it can be downright overwhelming!

Presented by Social Media Club Sacramento, a panel of Real Estate professionals who have had success with social media will discuss social media best practices, how to balance your professional with your personal brand and how social media impacts real estate today.

Panelists include: 

Heather Ostrom, Realtor®, Coldwell Banker Sun Ridge, @RosevilleRockLn
Ryan Lundquist, Appraiser, Lundquist Appraisal Company, @SacAppraiser
Tamara Dorris, Realtor®, Davis & Davis, @tamaradorris
Laura Monroe, Virtual Assistant, Creative Agent Solutions, @LauraMonroe

Moderator: Chris Little, Real Estate Broker and President Elect of Sacramento Association of Realtors, Little Real Estate Services, @Chris_Little

For more information check out the Eventbrite page and the Facebook event page. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see you there.

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

Anytime I hear hyper-positive news about the national housing market, I wonder if it’s spin I always sift the details through the local economy in Sacramento and the need to see the unemployment rate continue to drop to see improvement in our market. It’s been somewhat encouraging to see the unemployment rate decline from the high of 13.2% in July 2010 to 11.2% in February 2012, but I’ll feel even better once we see unemployment down a few more percentage points. I’ve been posting unemployment trends and graphs for quite some time, but the graph below stands out in my mind since I added an additional eight years (1990-1998) from my previous graphs. It’s amazing to consider what a wild ride it’s been over the course of two decades. The economy and unemployment have been up and down to say the least (sort of like a roller coaster), and hopefully we’ll have a downhill ride in coming years to get that rate down a bit.

Feel free to use this image on your blog, website or in a presentation. I do have a larger size available too, so email me if that’s relevant for you. Please just keep the image intact and feel free to link back.

What stands out to you about the graph? What time period do you remember most?

Property Tax Class This Week: By the way, on an unrelated note, on Thursday I am teaching a class at the Sacramento Association of Realtors YPC forum called “How to Appeal Your Property Taxes.” The class is open to SAR members and affiliates, but even if you are not a part of the association, you can come as my guest. Just let me know beforehand if you’re interested (send me an email, call or comment below). I’ll be talking about the nuts and bolts of property tax appeals, FAQs and advice for consumers from my experience consulting with home owners.

YPC Forum: “How to Appeal Your Property Taxes” – April 19, 2012 9am Sacramento Association of Realtors 2003 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825

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 have some interviews and speaking engagements this month that I wanted to invite you to be a part of. Feel free to listen to interviews online or come to one of the events listed below:

January 11:  Interview with Sacramento Realtor Tamara Dorris on her internet radio station on 1/11/12 at 10am. I’ll be talking about FHA appraisals for 10 minutes at the beginning of her show. Check out Tamara’s website here for details.

January 19:  Effective Blogging for Real Estate: I’m teaching a class at the Sacramento Association of Realtors YPC forum from 9-10am at 2003 Howe Avenue in Sacramento on Thursday January 19. Here is the promo: “Blogging is an opportunity to share knowledge, build relationships and connect with existing and potential customers. If done right, a blog can help build credibility and expertise for your real estate business as well as serve as a place where potential clients can feel you out before deciding to do give you a call. This class is full of tips, how-tos and gives a very practical framework for how to create original content and plan posts. Ryan Lundquist runs the Sacramento Appraisal Blog, which is one of the top appraisal blogs in the State of California. Ryan consistently earns new business from his blog and he is considered a leader in his industry when it comes to building a strong online presence.”

January 19: Incorporating Video into your Content: I was invited by the Sacramento Social Media Club to share my experience with video as a local business. In case you didn’t know, I’ve uploaded over 200 videos over the past few years to YouTube and I also created a real estate video library called “Sacramento Real Estate Tube” that hosts nearly 400 videos thus far from local real estate professionals. Video has been something I’ve used to build trust online, be resourceful for clients, and earn business (there are of course quite a few random videos that have nothing at all to do with business, but everything to do with who I am). My plan is to talk about how I got started using video, why I do it, mistakes I’ve made, what specific tools I use and how I incorporate video into my business plan online. This should be an interesting evening because there will be a professional video specialist speaking first (Kerry Shearer) and then I’ll share as a local video practitioner. This will be an informative presentation, so come expecting to learn and have conversation too. I’m really looking forward to meeting people, sharing what I’ve done and learning from everyone. The event will be from 6-8:30pm at The Art Institute. There is a $15 charge. Reserve a ticket HERE.

January 26: Interview with Sacramento Area Loan Officer Sheri Schmitz on her internet radio station on January 26 (time and topic TBA – I’ll share details as I get them). Check out Sheri’s website here.

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 don’t make predictions about the real estate market, but I’m glad to report unemployment has been trending downward lately – and that’s a good thing!! It’s nice to see that arch on the right side of the graph getting a bit more defined as unemployment is currently at 2009 levels. If we see jobs increase in the Sacramento area, that can only be positive for the housing market, don’t you think?

How far have property values declined? Generally speaking, property values in Sacramento are at a level near 2001 right now. Some areas like Pocket / Greenhaven show a trend in 2002, whereas other zip codes in East Sacramento are closer to 2003, while still other zip codes or property types are definitely before 2001. Generally, the areas with higher values tend to sell near 2002 or maybe 2003 levels when considering the overall market median sales price by zip code. At the same time, many areas that we’d think of as “challenged” due to crime or other issues are definitely before 2001 in many cases. Keep in mind the median sales price by zip code encompasses an entire geographical area and may or may not represent a certain niche or neighborhood within that zip code (that’s the problem when looking at data for an entire area).

DOWNLOAD HERE: Sacramento Area Median Price Graphs for sales between 1997-2011 (PDF) from the Sacramento Association of Realtors. This may be helpful to glean some context into some of the aforementioned bits I mentioned above.

Any thoughts about unemployment or how the real estate market is doing?

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’m helping to put together a charity bowling event at Land Park Lanes in Sacramento, and I’d love for you to join us. The SAR YPC event theme this year is “Hollywood”, so come dressed as your favorite star or starlet (or however you’d like) and raise some money for the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund. We’ll be bowling on Saturday, September 17 from 5:00 – 8:00pm. Tickets are only $25 per person, and include two full bowling games, a catered dinner and a whole lot of mingling. See the video below (or here) with yours truly and a few friends.

I hope to see you there. Any good ideas for a “Hollywood” costume?

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 read a short article last week entitled “City Trees and Property Values” (pdf) by Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf after hearing a representative from the SacTree Foundation speak at a Realtor event. Dr. Wolf’s research shows that trees generally increase property value. Her study indicated a 2% price increase for a property with a mature tree (greater than 9 inches thick), 3-5% increase for trees in the front yard, and 10-15% increase for mature trees in high-income neighborhoods.

While initially some of her stats seem startling, I do think she is right that trees add to the overall value of a property. This doesn’t mean a house is automatically worth 2 or 9% more due to having the tree set-up she mentioned, but trees generally do yield a value contribution. In an objective sense, trees add worth due to boosting energy efficiency due to shade, while there is also a subjective element where they tend to increase curb appeal among buyers. It’s hard to ignore that some of the most highly priced and sought-after streets in the Sacramento area are lined with enormous trees. Think the Fabulous 40s, Curtis Park, Land Park or Arden Park to name just a few. Granted, these streets typically have very large and well-maintained houses too, but there is no mistaking that a canopy of mature trees stretching along a particular street tends to give a very positive impression to buyers in the market for that street in comparison to others. Agree? Disagree?  

Here is a video of Jacobe Caditz with the Sacramento Tree Foundation speaking about the benefit of trees last week at the Sacramento Association of Realtors.

What do you think? How have you seen trees or a lack of trees impact real estate value? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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.

If you didn’t know, there are actually quite a few “green” resources available to home owners in the Sacramento area. These assets can help home owners conserve energy and water and save a few bucks too.

1. Sacramento Tree Foundation: Get up to 10 free shade trees for your property from SMUD. Watch a video here. I actually have four trees on my property from the shade tree program.
2. Energy Upgrade California: This website is a great resource for energy and water efficiency programs and is geared toward both consumers and trade professionals. 
3. Realtor’s Energy Audit Program: The California REALTOR®’S Energy Audit Program provides up to a $250 rebate on a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) home energy audit conducted by a certified HERS rater (from CAR website). Watch a video on REAP here. This is good for finding out what areas of your home might need some efficiency TLC. Water Rebates for Residents: Find water rebates offered by a handful of local water suppliers in the Sacramento area. This can come in especially handy when purchasing a toilet or clothes washer.
4. Check Before You Burn in Sacramento: As we all know, residents and businesses are prohibited from using indoor and outdoor fireplaces and such on certain days. This website lets you know which days are “burn days”.
5. Energy Efficient Mortgage: The EEM Program was created by HUD to allow home buyers the opportunity to upgrade the energy efficiency of the home they are purchasing during the escrow period (from website).
6. Energy Improvement Grant: The energy improvement grant is designed to promote the HUD Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) Program. The SAR program provides a grant of $2000 to buyers who take advantage of the Energy Efficient Mortgage in the purchase of their home. The grant is applied to energy upgrades and limited qualified closing costs (from website). 
7. SMUD’s Home Performance Program: SMUD has various programs and financing options to help home owners increase energy efficiency in their homes.
8. Turf Replacement Program: The Placer County Water Authority has a pilot program for replacing lawns. There may be some in Sacramento too. Know of any? Per the PCWA website, the program offers a $300 rebate for lawns replaced with non-water consuming material and a $150 rebate for lawns replaced with low to moderate water-use plants.
9. Free Water Audits: California American Water provides free water audits where a conservation specialist will visit your home, identify ways to help you save water, and even provide free low flow fixtures for your kitchen and bathroom (from website).
10. Green Marketing Tools: The Sacramento Association of Realtors has a compilation of flyers available for local consumers and Realtors to help home owners take advantage of available resources.

The bulk of resources listed above came from a recent meeting at the Sacramento Association of Realtors. What other “green” resources exist for home owners in the Sacramento area? What have you done to promote conversation in your home?

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.

What are you doing on July 22nd? I wanted to invite you to 3rd Annual YPC River Cats game on July 22nd at 5pm to benefit Courageous Connection, a local charity focused on improving the lives of youth at risk (particularly in the foster care system). Enjoy a BBQ and tailgate party with a great number of local real estate professionals and others. Tickets are $25 each for adults and $10 for kids.

I sat down last week with Realtor Allison Couchman & Alyssa Lozano of Placer Title Company to shoot a quick promo video. Let me know if you have any questions.

I spent the bulk of today at the YPC Vendor BBQ at the Sacramento Association of Realtors. It was a very successful event that raised over $5,100 for the scholarship fund. Nice job everyone!! I paid for a vendor booth too, so it was fun to represent, mingle with friends and meet some new faces too. There were quite a number of Realtors wondering why I had a booth since appraisers can no longer be hand-picked for loans. But the truth is there are thankfully so many other avenues of business where appraisers and agents can still connect. Here’s a one-minute video I did while at the Vendor BBQ. 

Thank you again everyone for making this day a great one. A special thank you to Michelle Kaspari of Essential Home Staging for doing an excellent job chairing this event.

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.

I went to the NorCal Real Estate Expo yesterday. It was a fantastic event attended by well over 700 local real estate professionals (mostly Realtors). Here are ten highlights from my day at the Expo: 

1.  The best part of the NorCal Expo was running into so many familiar faces. It was great to mingle with Realtors, loan officers and title reps I know. I probably had 100 little conversations and 20 or more in-depth connections.

2.  It was so nice to meet others in person like Meghan Wood & Jennifer Klein, who I had only previously connected with on both Facebook and Twitter.

3.  Jim Pelley gave an outstanding talk. He really connected well with the audience and catered his stories to the real estate world. I wish he would have spoken twice actually.  

4.  I met Frank & Brian from Think Big Work Small and sat in on their talk. I honestly thought they would discuss video marketing, which I was excited about, but their presentation was still very good as they shared about B2B marketing. I also met Mike Mueller who taught a great class on advanced blogging (though 45 minutes is really short to cover a good amount of material).

5.  I received two appraisal orders during the day.

6.  I had an investor in the Bay Area give me a call while at the Expo after he found me online. He wanted to discuss duplexes in the local market, zip codes to avoid, rent, etc… After talking for 10 minutes or so, I was able to refer him to a trustworthy broker to help him find the right property. Hopefully this will turn into business for both parties.

7.  Alyssa Lozano did a wonderful job with the fashion show. I am by no means an authority on fashion by any mild stretch of the imagination, but it was so fun to see Realtors Heather Pearce and Chris Little among others strut their stuff on the runway. Rob McQuade did a fantastic job as the emcee too. Alyssa and her real estate models worked very hard on this production.

8.  The Twitter hashtag for the conference was #norcalexpo. Following conversations on Twitter during a convention is a really great techie way to connect with others. I found some new people to follow, gained new followers and had fun and helpful interactions too. If you go to a conference, find out what the hashtag is so you can be a part of the conversation. Have you done this before?

9.  I saw two other appraisers at the Expo, which was really great. It’s surprising though to not see many appraisers take advantage of networking with hundreds upon hundreds of local real estate agents.

10.  On a superficial note, I brought home some girly pens from vendor booths for my wife (an author). She always likes when I do things like that when I go to conferences. It’s the small things, right?

If you were at the Expo, I’d love to hear about what you thought of the day.

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.

Are you going to the NorCal Real Estate EXPO? It’s on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 from 8:30am-4:00pm at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Expo is going to be packed with numerous real estate classes, 50+ vendors, 500+ people, networking, cocktails and even a fashion show. I’m looking forward to meeting Frank & Brian from Think Big Work Small, hearing Jim Pelley as one of the key note speakers (I follow him on Twitter, but haven’t met him in person yet) and of course gleaning some tech tips from Chris Tellez & Mike Mueller.

I met up with Realtor Jeff Jurach this afternoon to shoot a promo video for this year’s Expo as shown below. Check out the video and let me know if you plan to be there. It would be great to meet up.

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 company website or via Facebook.