While in Newman, CA today on an appraisal inspection I snapped the following image of a vacant site that will someday be Hurd Barrington Elementary School. According to the Newman Crows Landing Unified School District (NCLUSD), ground for this school was broken in July 2009.
Vacant residential and commercial sites are fairly common in today’s market when considering developments that are newer in age (and ones that were not quite built out before the real estate bubble burst). Whenever I see an image as such, or even vacant residential lots, a “coming soon” sign for a neighborhood park or commercial area, I always think of the phrase “a sign of the times”.
www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com Vacant Site in Newman, CA: Photo from the Field
If you live in Placer County and would like to see what the Placer County Assessor says your house is worth, click 
What does HUD say about water heaters? First and foremost, the water heater must work and must be able to do its job. This is not a revolutionary concept, but if there is no hot water coming out the faucet when there should be, then clearly there is an issue to be solved. Testing the water temperature and water pressure is something that appraisers do during an FHA property inspection. Secondly, if local code states that the water heater must be strapped, then HUD requires a strap.