Beginning July 1, 2025, disclosures will be required concerning any low-cost retrofits that have been made on the property. As you probably know, a California law as of "January 1, 2021, sellers will be required to complete a new home hardening disclosure for properties that are:  • Within high or very high fire hazard zones • Built before 2010 • Residential one to four properties; condominiums or other common interest development units; or manufactured homes".Cal Fire has developed these (considered) low-cost retrofits, so even in Long Beach it may not be thought that fire-hardening is an issue, just consider these, please, because fires can and have happened in neighborhoods in this area:Class A fire-rated roof (when replaced). Spaces between the roof covering and sheathing blocked with noncombustible materials (bird stops). Installation of noncombustible gutter cover on gutters to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debr

How the MLS Serves the ClientThe multiple listing service (MLS) has been around for decades.  Up until sometime in the 1990s, at least in Southern California, publication of listings was available through printed books, or catalogs, of listings published periodically. Naturally, as the internet became more prevalent, REALTOR associations discontinued printed books. Online access was faster and more accessible, and subsequently, not only were listings available through individual members of the MLSs, but the MLSs licensed the brokers' listings out to internet sites, creating an even faster and wider access to the buying public. Currently, in the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), which is one of the largest in the country, there are 39 participating Realtor Associations and Boards, 8 reciprocal partners and 6 other service areas, which add up to about 148,000 users. In addition, brokers may use an additional service which syndicates their listings to more than 60

Condo complex LongBeachMore properties are coming on the market now, so checking selling prices might help you decide if you're going to make a move.Most properties list and sell on the MLS, although a search of the tax records will sometimes find a few more. The below sales are as reflected in a search on CRMLS. The condo market is almost one-third of the sales in the last 90 days in Long Beach, with 90 condos ranging in price from $210,000 to $2,075,000, with days on market ranging from 0-263.Condo Sales Mar-May 2025Single Family in Bixby VillageThe single family home market was 318 sales, ranging in price from $360,000 to $4,740,000, with days on market ranging from 0-347.SFR Sales Mar-May 2025 Mission style 4Plex (AI)Four plex sales came to 21 for the previous 90 days, ranging from $939,000 to $2,579,000, with days on market ranging from 3-394.Quadruplex Sales Mar-May 2025 Duplex in Spanish style (AI)Duplex sales totalled 26 for the last 90 days and ranged rom $662,500 to

Sometimes it's important to review basic aspects of financing a new purchase, or maybe you're a homeowner looking at refinancing. Understanding your monthly mortgage payment is crucial when buying and owning a home. A key concept in this process is PITI, an acronym that stands for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance. These four components make up your total monthly mortgage payment and are essential for budgeting and loan qualification. 🧮 What Does PITI Stand For? Principal: The amount you borrow from the lender to purchase your home. Over time, your payments reduce this balance, building equity in your property.​ Interest: The cost of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage rate. This is the lender's charge for the loan.​ Taxes: Property taxes levied by local governments, typically based on your home's assessed value. These funds support community services like schools and infrastructure.​ Insurance: Homeowners insurance protects against damages from events like fires or

Entryway to Condo BuildingAt one time, condo boards of directors and HOA members could put various restrictions in their rules and regulations, or CCRs, about restricting the number of rentals in an HOA, or even having no rentals at all.  The reasoning was understandable: no risk of having too many renters in the HOA which could prevent interested buyers from receiving approved loans, and no problems dealing with uncooperative tenants or any absentee landlord owners, or very few, to name a few issues. Another restriction was a qualification for a newer owner to be an HOA member of a certain length of time, such as 2-3 years, before being allowed to rent out a unit.  There were no local, county or state laws which prevented an HOA from putting such restrictions in place. But those restrictions are no longer allowed, even if the HOA documents still contain the language. Beginning January 1, 2021, a bill signed into California law an Assembly Bill which became Civil Code 4741, a