After having built 4 houses and working with PG&E on the fifth one, I must say that working with PG&E is the most difficult and frustrating part of any project if you care about finishing on time. Depending on the extent of your project, you may have to rely heavily on PG&E and time is not […]
Planning for PG&E With Your Project Read More »
Building a new home (or significant remodel) is usually the dream around the Bay Area, where most homes were built between the 1920’s and 1950’s. When people have saved enough money to get going, they typically engage an architect to do the design, get the engineering work done, and start working on the permit. It is difficult
Building Your House as Owner-Builder on the Peninsula Read More »
Today, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal and it mentioned house prices in the City of Santa Clara (specifically) were going crazy because of NVIDIA’s (HQ in Santa Clara) stock skyrocketing. At first, I didn’t quite believe it as I figured it would have a similar effect Bay Area-wide as its employees are
The NVIDIA Stock Effect on Santa Clara Real Estate Read More »
If you are a homeowner in the Bay Area (or other high-priced areas), your house is likely your most valuable asset, and I’m sure you’re curious about what will happen to home prices in the next two years, given the market uncertainty. My crystal ball, unfortunately, is limited to historical data and what I think will
In the highly competitive real estate market of 2021/2022, anyone wanting to buy a house has most likely been very frustrated by home prices getting away from them or constantly losing out on a house by not bidding $500,000 over list price. Anyone in the market to buy a house would be ecstatic to find an
How To Buy an Off-Market Property Read More »
It’s been a few years since I built my last house and having to now navigate the new California Energy Codes is causing some anxiety. Any new construction in California since 2020 is being required to install a certain amount of solar on their house. It seems like a good first step to eventually making all new
New Home Electric Only, No Gas? Read More »
Around the Bay Area, a significant remodel typically means leaving a few key walls up and demolishing the rest, keeping your existing foundation, expanding your foundation, and likely adding a second story. Having built a house as a significant remodel and having built a few houses from scratch, I can tell you that there are benefits
Remodel vs New Construction Read More »
Most of you reading this have probably not previously heard about Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones are areas designated by each state that are “distressed” areas, although many happen to be in downtown areas. As a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the federal government offered tax breaks to investors who invested in specific
Opportunity Zones Tax Savings Read More »
A 1031 is a great way to defer any gains on the sale of an income-producing property by purchasing another income-producing property. In order to fully defer the capital gain on the sale, the purchase price of all properties being purchased must be: a) greater than the sale price of the property (less sale costs), and
Why 1031 and What Are My Options Read More »
California has one of the strictest requirements for water conservation plumbing fixtures, but it doesn’t prevent you from taking 10-hour showers (especially if you have a tankless water heater) except by penalizing you on your water bill. In one of the houses that I built, there were a few water “conservation” features that I included. The first
Water Conservation Features for Your Garden Read More »
