Condo kitchenOn March 18, 2026, Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association), which backs the conventional loans most frequently obtained for condo financing throughout the country, announced numerous changes to its guidelines.  Some may be a relief, such as the removal of the 50% investor cap (how many investors can own in an HOA), but others are more restrictive. One of the major changes is the increase from 10% to 15% reserve fund allocation in the HOA budget, effective January 4, 2027. Ten percent allocation has been a standard for many many years, but the increase to 15% means a possible increase in dues assessments. To avoid that situation as much as possible, Boards need to start planning now for next year's budget process.What boards and property managers should do right away*Below is a practical checklist to assist you in developing your strategy for the next few weeks:Calculate your current reserve allocation percentage from your annual budgetDetermine when your l

Vehicles on the freewayDon't let a situation race by you unnoticed. Attempts at fraudulent transfer of title or other acts against your property may be more common than you think.  One of the real estate scams concerns dealing with vacant land where the property you were shown is not what's on the deed, others are deceiving elderly owners, owners facing foreclosure, or forged signatures.  Missing property tax bills or denial of building permits are other signs of fraud.The County Assessor's office now has an alert program, which I strongly encourage people to look into so that you do not suffer from anyone attempting to take what is yours.  You can sign up for the Homeowner Alert Service  at the link.  The website contains other information about how to recognize fraud.  Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996

 Average selling prices in this set range from over $2 million to the lower $900,000 range. Average selling prices can differ from median prices, and of course each of these areas has a low end and a high end, plus condos which usually sell at a lower average price which can make a market more affordable for some buyers.Figures are for the last 6 months for an average home sold (click to enlarge):        In comparison, Long Beach, a larger city, had 637 SFRs sold at an average price of $1,145,503, in the same time period.Want to know more about a particular area? Let me put my knowledge to work for you!Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker | http://www.abodes.realestate | 562-896-2609 | California Lic. #01188996

Remodeled HomeThe house in this article is located in Boise, Idaho. It wasn't just ugly, it needed a lot of work, and the type of home even some investors would not want to work on.  The article shows several before and after photos (this image is after the work) which are worth examining well, because they show not only a major cleanup, but how living spaces can be reimagined. The owners invested $100,000 in the overhaul of this property.  They not only improved the property, but they helped to improve the neighborhood in the style that was already there. The work was accomplished in 6 weeks, and was a full scale overhaul with new plumbing, flooring, HVAC, paint, and new driveway, for this 4-bedroom home on a 9,000 sq.ft. lot.The purchase price is not mentioned, but after work was done, it relisted for $624,000 and sold shortly thereafter. One thing for investors to know is that in California, disclosures to the buyer must include the work done to the property, reg