Guidant Realty

04/14/2023

When Governor Newsom originally came into office, one of his big promises was “As Governor, I will lead the effort to develop the 3.5 million new housing units we need by 2025 because our solutions must be as bold as the problem is big". We are less than 2 years from that date with no material increase in the historical statewide build rate of 80,000 - 100,000 unit per year. Today, less than 20% of the 3.5 million units have been built.

In his recent State of the State address, housing was conspicuously absent. Ranking 49th of 50 states in units per capita, it is easy to see how this issue has spiraled into every area of affordability in California. Solving this will not be easy, but no matter who is at the helm, housing should be a "Top 3" issue in this state until it is resolved.

This is not a personal attack on Governor Newsom, but an educational notice to our residents. Achieving that goal was never realistic under the current legislative environment, but the focus to regroup and correct was paramount and we have now lost that. Every legislator needs to be pressured to make real housing solutions a priority. Partisan politics continue to erode the foundations of housing, from abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to over-empowering bad tenants, and creating expensive forced retrofit and new-build requirements.

Here is a link to the California Association of Realtors response to the housing omission this year...

Homeownership remains the best way for working people to attain economic and housing security, and generational wealth.

03/17/2023

If you are considering rooftop solar, pricing is about to drastically change, read our Guidant article below to find out more...

Pricing for rooftop solar energy placed on the grid by California homeowners is about to change, requiring a significantly larger up-front investment for systems to pencil out. Homeowners have until April 13 to retain rights to pricing under the current Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0 program. This ar...

05/21/2020

https://www.guidantrealty.com/Article/Coronavirus-and-the-Housing-Market-Part-I-122

Sensationalized uncertainty is driving many away from the housing market this season, but the numbers have their own story and this environment is providing a unique opportunity in California's traditionally tight market...

05/08/2020

It is a tough environment with quickly changing dynamics. If you have any question, we are following the COVID-19 impacts closely at the state, regional, and county levels. It doesn't have to be about real estate. Just call and we are happy to help however we can!

03/18/2020

REAL ESTATE & COVID-19: With our company's involvement at so many levels within the real estate industry, we are getting questions from both clients and peers on "how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will affect our industry. First, things are changing rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, calling us is best. In the meantime, here are the most notable items:

First, several counties (mostly in the Northern California Bay Area) have issued “Shelter in Place” notifications. In real estate, we are told this likely bans showings and open houses. While the only local county to issue the same is Yolo (covering Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, etc.), a notice can come from any county at any moment. Yesterday, Governor Newsom indicated that he might like to see a statewide notice.

Second, just this morning the California Association of Realtors has released a new form to deal with uncertainty in this environment. Unlike most commercial contracts, our Residential Purchase Agreement does not address Force Majeure (disaster, war, etc). This form attempts to close part of that gap and most notably has the ability to delay the close of escrow if services become unavailable or to return a Buyer’s deposit if they no longer qualify for a loan due to the financial impacts of the Coronavirus.

Uncertainty creates opportunity. Savvy Buyers are still on the hunt and there are still Sellers that must sell. Just make sure you are anticipating and planning for possible events along with properly protecting yourself in a transaction. Done right, deals that benefit both Sellers and Buyers will continue during the outbreak. Make sure you have an agent that knows what to even consider!

03/12/2020

MORTGAGE RATE ALERT! Economic uncertainty often improves mortgage rates for homes, increasing buying power or the opportunity to reduce monthly housing costs allowing the average American to cash in as effectively as anyone in the "Top 1%" - here is what you need to know...

MORTGAGE RATE ALERT! Economic uncertainty often improves mortgage rates for homes, increasing buying power or the opportunity to reduce monthly housing costs allowing the average American to cash in as effectively as anyone in the "Top 1%" - here is what you need to know...

03/06/2020

For those that might have missed it, Placer County has expanded its capabilities as a major destination for sports tournaments which is a huge driver in the local economy...

The doors open Thursday on the brand-new Placer Valley Event Center at Grounds in Roseville, and they already have 30 events on the calendar. The 160,000-square-foot space was built to host a variety of events, specifically youth sports. Sign up for our Newsletters In the main space, there is a...

03/02/2020

In preparation for the March 3 ballot decisions, here is some helpful info on 2020 Prop 13...

Realtors nationwide promote and protect the American Dream of home ownership through extensive advocacy and lobbying. This year's California ballot propositions and their marketing will be confusing and misleading, especially "Proposition 13". This will help you become more reliably informed...

09/30/2019

Roseville's new Events/Sports Center is almost ready!

It’s not even built yet, but several sports tournaments and one major event are already booked to be held in Roseville’s new event center next year.

08/12/2019

As an assigned "Key Contact" on behalf of the California Association of Realtors, I (John Hughes) get the opportunity to promote housing policy to one of our state legislator's offices (Senator Brian Dahle). Our "Realtor Party" mission is to improve housing in California regardless of political party. It was encouraging when Governor Newsom took office and declared housing a critical agenda item. Ranking 49th out of 50 states for housing per capita, it is estimated that 3.5 million new units are needed in California by 2025 to meet current and future housing requirements. The state's build rate under the current legal and political environment is about 80,000 per year.

Unfortunately, SB 50 failed earlier this year which would have reduced parking requirements and allowed higher density around transit-rich neighborhoods, thereby facilitating more housing in urban areas where cars were less necessary. That was the only real bill being considered in California that would have had a direct and immediate effect on build. It was a perfect example of talking-the-talk, but defeating the solution when legislators realized their district would have to be part of the solution.

Conversely, 2 bills are on the immediate horizon that while aimed with good intent at renters, will actually stifle supply and increase costs. Today, I will mention SB 329, which is already out of the Senate and could be voted in the Assembly any day. It redefines "source of income" protections to include Section 8. These families have difficulty finding landlords to accept the program. While forcing large-volume landlords like apartments to accept the program makes sense, the bill proponents have ignored exceptions loudly lobbied by the California Association of Realtors for small-volume owners who will otherwise be forced to unacceptable risk levels on a previous primary home or who invested in a limited few rentals for retirement. It will force everyone to accept the Section 8 program, enter a government contract, and be subject to program inspections, increased ADA compliance, and program extended timeframes. Even Governor Brown, when presented with a similar measure during his term vetoed the bill saying "Most small landlords have no desire to be in business with the government, let alone be subject to the costs of units sitting vacant while waiting for government inspections that will delay rental turn-over."

If this bill passes in its current form, the consequence will be off-loading of units by small owners and a reduction in the overall rental pool. That will only increase cost and make obtaining a rental even more of a lottery than it already is. The winners will be the trial attorneys that will be chasing every landlord that received an application and did not select that application regardless of how reasonable their decision was. Even if Section 8 applicants win more often, the overall reduction in rental supply makes it worse for tenants as a complete group as landlords move to "less risky" investments in other areas.

Compare the solution presented in SB 329 to that of SB 521 which uses the carrot instead of the stick. SB 521 would offer tax credits as a lure for landlords to voluntarily enter the Section 8 program. The better the program becomes, the less of a carrot will need to be offered. Consider the trial being conducted in the State of Washington where there is an additional insurance risk pool at no cost to the landlord that will repair a property for any abuse beyond normal wear and tear. These are solutions that will encourage landlords to accept and take a chance on tenants with no assets to chase if their property is destroyed. It will also force the program to monetize its actual risk and bureaucratic costs as the tax credits and insurance costs necessary to attract more landlord participants will be measurable rather than simply telling the market to deal with it. The reality is that the market will respond to unacceptable risk and that response will hurt the rental space.

The bottom line is that there are really great consequences to Section 8. Landlords receive part of the rent on a guaranteed monthly check and the participant families can improve their environment which creates the "upward spiral" necessary to spark real change, especially for the children. There are ways to meet the end goal of increasing landlord participation in the program. However, as long as our current legislature keeps promoting these simplistic and poorly-thought bills, this situation will get much worse. We can fix this together, but your legislators in the California Assembly and Senate need to hear directly from you. Never underestimate the power of a single call!

NO ON 329!

The portal site for the California State Legislature--State Senate and Assembly. Look up your state representative and search our legislation database.

01/25/2019

Repost from NextDoor by Public Affairs Manager/PIO Ada Barros, Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District

Increased mosquito activity in areas of western Placer:

We have been receiving a few reports of increased mosquito activity in western areas of Placer County. Below is a status update, which we hope answers some questions folks may have about the current mosquito situation:

What is the current situation?
Western Placer is seeing a lot of mosquitoes out lately. These mosquitoes are locally known as "rice field mosquitoes", which are also known as Anopheles mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are special because they overwinter as adult mosquitoes, which is a kind of hibernation.
These mosquitoes are an issue for any agricultural or ag-adjacent areas in the region.
These mosquitoes are coming out of their shelter because of the recent warmer daytime temperatures (65+ degrees) and are NOT emerging from standing water sources. They are coming out of bushes, trees, under decks, or other areas that provide shelter from the winter cold. Since the warm weather has "tricked" them into coming out of hibernation early, they will be hungry and aggressive.
These mosquitoes will try to enter your garage or home when the temperatures drop in the evening.

What is the good news?
These mosquitoes are NOT competent vectors for West Nile virus or other common human diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
The winter emergence of these mosquitoes is usually a short period of time (3-4 weeks) and is cut short when daytime temperatures get colder again or with rain.
What does the District do to manage Anopheles mosquitoes?
The District monitors Anopheles mosquito activity year-round. At this time of year, and with this particular type of mosquito, environmental conditions are not favorable for wide-area adulticide treatments. The bulk of Anopheles mosquito management happens in the spring and summer, when we treat surrounding rice fields for mosquito larvae, and in the summer and early fall, when we treat the adult Anopheles mosquitoes in the rice fields and surrounding areas, before they find their winter shelters.
Since these mosquitoes are also capable of traveling up to 15 miles, localized treatments would only provide a 1-2 days of relief.

What does the District do to help prevent West Nile virus?
For West Nile virus prevention, the District monitors standing water sources year-round. When environmental conditions are suitable, we start placing mosquitofish in standing water sources. This typically happens around March, depending on the year.
Once we identify mosquito larvae for Culex species mosquitoes in water sources, we begin to treat those areas with mosquito larvicides. This typically begins in the late spring, depending on temperatures. Culex species mosquitoes are the ones that transmit West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses.
In the spring, the District also starts setting over 50 adult mosquito traps throughout the county to monitor adult mosquito numbers and to see if any mosquitoes are testing positive for West Nile virus infection.
The District also begins to test dead birds for West Nile virus infection.
When we start to see increased numbers of West Nile virus vector mosquitoes, or West Nile positive dead birds or mosquitoes, this is usually the indication when we need to do wide-area adulticide treatments.

What can residents do?
Dumping or draining standing water is always a good idea, even if mosquitoes are not quite laying eggs or emerging from water sources right now. It will get you in the habit of doing it all the time, especially when the risk for West Nile virus is high (summer and early fall).
Make sure your doors, windows, and garage doors remain closed and window screens are in good condition. When temperatures drop in the evening, Anopheles mosquitoes will aggressively try to seek warm shelter either in your garage or your home.
If you will be outside, wear thick long sleeves and long pants, and apply a CDC-recommended repellent to any exposed skin.