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Sacramento unveils 311 for expanded info by phone (and email)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Not sure where to go for specific services with the City of Sacramento? What used to be known as Sacramento City Operator is now Sacramento City 311 which means you can dial 311 from a land line or most cell phones within the limits of the city of Sacramento 24 hours a day, seven days a week—even on holidays— to get assistance from a live person (you can even email 311@cityofsacramento.org or use 311 online).
Get answers to questions, request City services, and get help on any municipal issue (besides police and fire) including: Code Enforcement (abandoned cars, graffiti, substandard housing, etc.); Animal Care (injured, stray, aggressive animals, etc.); Development Services Help Line (all calls for DSD are first routed to 311 for triage); Street Maintenance (potholes, cracked sidewalks, lighting problems, etc.); Facility Maintenance (work order requests related to repair/maintenance of City buildings); Citywide Directory Assistance and information about all things related to City services; Request a City crew for drains, water, solid waste, along with general inquiries; Making utility payments by credit card
Sac City 311 is a centralized call center for the City of Sacramento that is intended to make life a little easier for its residents, businesses and visitors. Sac City 311 call center works to answer questions as quickly as possible with minimal transfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 311?
Sac City 311 is an easy to remember phone number that residents, businesses and visitors can use to request service, report problems or get information from local government. Sac City 311 is your resource for connecting with the City of Sacramento. Sac City 311 handles requests for building permits, stray animals, utilities services, and much more—Sac City 311 is ready to help! The 311 customer service agents undergo extensive training to ensure each caller gets a courteous, quick and accurate response. 311 provides a single point of contact for City of Sacramento government services.
Why was 311 created?
The Sac City 311 service is part of an ongoing effort by the City of Sacramento to make access to City government easier and more responsive to the needs of residents, businesses and visitors. Now there is no need to search the phone directory for the right City department—let Sac City 311 take care of that for you.
How does 311 work?
A courteous Sac City 311 customer service agent will assist you in finding the appropriate government service you need. If you need information, agents will either provide it directly or connect you to the appropriate department for your answer. If you need a service, agents can automatically route a work request to the proper department for a City crew to respond.
Who can call 311?
Anyone within the Sacramento City limits can call 311 free of charge from a land-line telephone or cable line. 311 works on most cell phones as well. Cell coverage is determined by individual service providers.
What if I need to call 311 from outside city limits?
Callers outside the City limits can reach Sac City 311 by calling (916) 264-5011.
When do I use 311, and when do I use 911?
The 911 service is for emergencies, such as house fires and crimes in progress, that require an immediate response by police, fire crews or an ambulance. For all other City services, call 311.
Will a 311 agent be able to respond in multiple languages?
Yes, through the use of a third-party translation service, Sac City 311 agents can respond in over 150+ languages and dialects.
Will a 311 agent be able to respond to calls from hearing impaired individuals?
Yes, TDD/TTY callers can dial 311 and then press 3, or dial (916) 808-8563.
Labels: Central, Curtis Park, Del Paso Heights, Downtown, Elmhurst, Greenhaven, Land Park, Meadowview, Midtown, Natomas Park, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Pocket, Regency Park, River Park, Sacramento, South Land Park, South Natomas, South Sac, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, Woodlake
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 11:50 AM,
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Home-Buying 101: Short Sales explained
Friday, August 1, 2008
Searching the MLS for a home in the Woodlake area lately? If so, you've probably noticed a large number of homes listed as short sales (they may be referred to as active short sale or short sale contingency or even just "AS" or "ASC")—and they're often some of the lowest priced homes in any given neighborhood. Here are some of the most common questions I get:
Q. What is a short sale?
A. The term "short sale" is used to refer to a property being sold for which the seller owes more than it will sell for in the current market. This is more common in neighborhoods that have seen significant price declines since the peak of the market in 2005, but any seller can end up in a short sale situation if they've borrowed more money against the home than it's currently worth (such as when a home owner has borrowed money and "overimproved" a home for the neighborhood it's in).
Q. How do short sales work?
A. Short sales work like this: a seller has a financial hardship (death of a spouse, loss of a job, job transfer, hospitalization, or sudden change in monthly mortgage payment) and needs to sell a home. Because they owe more than the home is worth, the seller is requesting that the bank(s) that they have a mortgage through accept less than they're owed. Most banks won't even entertain the notion of a short sale if there aren't any buyers ready to purchase the home for the current market price so, as part of the process, the seller puts the home on the market and begins accepting offers. The seller will typically accept the best offer and submit it to the bank for approval.
Q. Are these deals too good to be true?
A. The short answer is: Yes, in many cases these deals are too good to be true. Many home sellers who are in a short sale situation are selling because they're falling behind on payments or are in preforeclosure. For this reason, they're feeling a lot of time pressure to get the home sold before a bank forecloses, so they price the home lower than anything else in a neighborhood to just try to get offers to submit to the bank(s). This leads to multiple offers but doesn't guarantee that the bank will accept whatever sales price the seller accepts. The seller doesn't usually care what the home sells for because he or she won't be making any money on the sale.
Q. Do banks really go for this?
A. Sometimes. No bank is ever eager to accept less than they're owed because they're losing money in the process, and banks aren't in the business of losing money. Of course in many cases the alternative is foreclosing on a home, and that can be a lengthy, expensive process that results in the bank owning a property—and banks are often even less eager to own the home so may be willing to negotiate if they see that it's in their best interest.
But there are some big challenges when buying a short sale. For instance, unlike a foreclosure where the bank owns the property free and clear and can sell it for whatever price they want, in a short sale situation there may be other parties with a financial interest in the property. If a seller has experienced a financial hardship, there may be unpaid taxes, utilities, or contractors who've done work and are seeking payment—and any of these can result in liens against the property. In a short sale, the seller MUST prove to the bank that there is a financial hardship that requires the home be sold and all parties must agree to accept little or no payment and sign off on the sale of the property. Add to this the fact that there may be a second mortgage that will likely be completely wiped out and it becomes challenging getting everyone with a financial interest to authorize the sale. This is often a grueling, months-long process that can ultimately be for nothing if one or more parties deny the short sale request, and this is a major reason why a lot of homes that are listed as short sales eventually come off the market and reappear later as bank-owned REO properties.
Q. What do the terms active short sale and short sale contingent etc. mean?
A. An active short sale is just another way of saying that the home is active on the market as a short sale. A home listed as short sale contingent means that the seller has accepted an offer and submitted it to the bank. Until the bank responds (and this can take months), the listing agent is obligated to continue to market the home as "for sale". Once the bank has accepted an offer, then the property will be marked as "pending" and the normal escrow period begins.
Q. I've called several times about a home that's for sale online and the agent keeps telling me it's already sold. Why is it still showing up online?
A. In the Sacramento area, if a property is being sold as a short sale, until the bank accepts one of the offers that has been submitted the listing agent is required (by the rules of the local MLS) to identify it as short sale cont and it will continue to appear online on searches because the home isn't yet technically in escrow. While this may seem confusing, your Woodlake REALTOR® can help you figure out the status of properties you're interested in.
To summarize, when you see a property for sale that's listed as a short sale this means you should expect a much longer than average escrow period (so don't plan on buying a short sale if you're on a tight timeline), a counter offer on price from the bank (even if the seller has accepted your price), and the possibility that the bank will reject the short sale entirely. If you can find a great home that's either a traditional sale or a foreclosure (also called an REO), consider going with these options first. Good luck and happy house-hunting!
More questions about short sales or other homes? Give us a call at (916) 444-7577 today!
Labels: Anatolia, Antelope, Arden, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Curtis Park, Del Paso Heights, Downtown, East Sac, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Gold River, Granite Bay, Greenhaven, Home-Buying 101, Laguna, Land Park, Lincoln, Meadowview, Midtown, Natomas Park, North Highlands, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Orangevale, Pocket, Rancho Cordova, Regency Park, Rio Linda, River Park, Rocklin, Rosemont, Roseville, Sacramento, South Land Park, South Natomas, South Sac, Southport, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, West Sac, Woodlake, Woodland
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 1:50 PM,
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I want you to use this website...
Monday, July 21, 2008
...even if you don't use my services!
I've designed these websites to be useful and usable—and I really want you to find the information (or property) you're looking for. To that end, I'd love to hear what you think. I'm constantly adding and updating the website, including new relevant info and resources. Even if I haven't blogged in a few days, I'm usually adding a new feature here and there (thanks for the feedback on the ZIP Code search tool at the left of each page, Margaret!)... But is it the type of info you want? And what else would be helpful?
Please let me know what you think. I'm listening and working to build the best, most easy-to-use Sacramento area real estate website I can. Judging by the great phonecalls and emails I'm getting it's working. But I'm not here to rest on my laurels!
Fifteen seconds of (real estate) fame
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to meet with the fine folks at Trulia (a real estate industry website used by a lot of consumers to find properties for sale—though it's not nearly as good as my websites! ;-D)to shoot a video with Brett Crosby at Google Analytics for other real estate industry professionals. It probably won't be of interest to you (it's a bit nerdy, I confess I'm a "real estate nerd"), but you can check out the video below. It was even picked up by ActiveRain (another industry website that many consumers use)
Oh, and if you decide you'd like some help with your Sacramento real estate needs, my team and I are absolutely here to serve you—just ask! -Rob McQuade -- (916) 444-7577.
Labels: Anatolia, Antelope, Arden, Carmichael, Central, Citrus Heights, Curtis Park, Del Paso Heights, Downtown, East Sac, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Gold River, Granite Bay, Greenhaven, Laguna, Land Park, Meadowview, Midtown, Natomas Park, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova, Regency Park, River Park, Rosemont, Roseville, Sacramento, South Land Park, South Natomas, South Sac, Southport, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, West Sac, Woodlake
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 7:17 PM,
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New! Search homes and condos quickly by ZIP Code
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Now you can quickly and easily search by ZIP Code with just a click! It's easier than ever to pull up homes and condos in your preferred ZIP Code by simply clicking the » By ZIP Code NEW! link under Quick Property Searches from the menu at the left. You can scroll through the list of available ZIP Codes in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and El Dorado Counties to bring up a convenient list of the first 200 homes and condos for each ZIP. And, as always, you can get news listings matching ALL your search criteria sent to your email inbox daily by clicking on the link under Resources for Buyers.
Labels: Anatolia, Antelope, Arden, Auburn, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Curtis Park, Davis, Del Paso Heights, Downtown, East Sac, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Elmhurst, Fair Oaks, Galt, Gold River, Granite Bay, Greenhaven, Laguna, Land Park, Lincoln, Meadowview, Midtown, Natomas Park, North Highlands, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Orangevale, Pocket, Regency Park, Rio Linda, River Park, Rocklin, Rosemont, Roseville, Sacramento, South Land Park, South Natomas, South Sac, Southport, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, West Sac, Woodlake, Woodland
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 10:42 PM,
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May 8th: Sacramento Green Home Expo (and a friendly mention)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Green Home Expo opens in Sacramento May 8th
Okay, so maybe you don't think of the North State Building Industry Association as a bunch of party people (and you obviously don't know them very well if that's the case), but they know how to put on a good (trade) show. This Thursday, May 8th, is the Green Home Expo at the Sacramento Convention Center. It's an all-day event with free trade show admission, and you can expect to see some of the latest green home tech. If you're thinking about starting a remodel or you just want to know more about the latest energy efficient, eco-friendly products for the home then check out the expo (and there are some really cool workshops being offered for a very reasonable price). You can find out more by clicking on the banner below.
PS - The convention center is an awfully big place to heat and cool. Maybe they'll open the windows. ;-) PPS - While you'll find a lot of groovy home products at the expo, you probably won't find an actual home. If you're looking for an eco-friendly home in the Woodlake area, please get in touch with me!Being a Green Nugget
Oh, and while I'm not in it for the glory, it's always nice to get a friendly mention from people who always have their "green" thinking caps on (made from organic cotton, of course)—and Levi Benkert and the awesome eco-urbanists at LJUrban are among the greenthinkiest (consider the term officially coined) people I know of locally. What's not to love about people whose aspirations are to dream big, live small, and do good?
Labels: Auburn, Central, Curtis Park, Davis, Downtown, East Sac, green, Land Park, Lodi, Midtown, Roseville, Sacramento, South Natomas, Woodlake
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:15 PM,
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Sacramento's bungalow heritage & "Bungalow Row"
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Arts & Crafts Movement in architectural design came to Downtown and Midtown Sacramento at the turn of the 20th century. The period between 1900 and 1920 welcomed a new housing type in central city homes: the bungalow. Characterized by their porches and open floorplans, bungalow styles include the Craftsman, California Bungalow, and Praire, the bungalow marked a more casual and open style in homes after the Victorian era rigid formality.
Some of these bungalows are still scattered throughout the central city, but Midtown has a wonderful concentration of them. Drive down Q Street and as you reach the 2500 block you'll see to the left what's affectionately referred to locally as "bungalow row"—an entire block of beautifully maintained bungalows.
These California Bungalows pop up in surrounding areas, and a few are currently for sale within a couple blocks of "bungalow row". Take a look at Coldwell Banker-Dunnigan's listing at 1615 26th St, which just came on the market. Both it and it's neighbor across the street, 1616 26th St listed by Lyon, were built in 1910, as was the Prairie Bungalow at 1514 23rd St that was just recently listed for sale by Keller Williams.
At the opposite end of Midtown in Boulevard Park, Lyon has 427 21st St and 328 22nd St for sale, which were built in 1908 and 1920 respectively.
For more information about Sacramento bungalows, check out an introduction Sacramento Bungalow Heritage Association founding member Kerry Phillips' has written, "What is a Bungalow?"
While these aren't the only bungalow homes for sale in Downtown and Midtown, they give you a good idea of the variety of homes you can find in the bungalow style in these neighborhoods. Looking for a bungalow to call your own? Give me a call at (916) 444-7577.
"A bungalow nourishes the needs of our souls."
-Ted Wells, John T. Greene House
-Ted Wells, John T. Greene House
Labels: bungalows, Central, Craftsman, Curtis Park, Downtown, East Sac, Fair Oaks, Land Park, listings, Midtown, North Sac, Oak Park, real estate, Sacramento Bungalow Heritage Association, UCD Med Center, Woodlake
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 1:02 PM,
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The Rule of 72 and Getting Rich in Real Estate!
Friday, March 28, 2008
I came across this article and the author gave me permission to share it with you. It's a great real estate investment primer now that we're in a real estate market that's ideal for investing given the number of Sacramento homes priced under $100,000. And when you're ready to start planning your Woodlake purchase, give me a call at (916) 444-7577. -Rob
The Rule of 72 and Getting Rich in Real Estate!
By Ed Lathrop
At the current time, it's no secret the price of real estate has stopped increasing and has started to fall in most parts of the country. Though this may be bad news for people who were planning on their homes going up in price quickly, a dip in price is good news for those looking to invest in real estate.
In the coming years, many people will be making money because they bought into this real estate market downturn. Making a lot of money in real estate is of course, easier said than done, but it is certainly not unprecedented.
The first step on the road to riches is to gain the understanding of the tried-and-true theory of making money in real estate. The first step in gaining this knowledge is an understanding of the rule of 72.
The Rule of 72
The rule of 72 helps us understand the effects of compounding interest over longer periods of time. It states, compounding interest will double the price of a commodity in the number of years of 72 divided by the yearly interest rate. For instance, if you had $10,000 in the bank and it was earning six percent per year, you would divide 72 by 6 to find out how long it would take the $10,000 to double into $20,000.
The answer is, of course, 12. So, if you were to invest for a very long period of time, for instance, 36 years; your $10,000 investment would turn into $20,000 in 12 years, $40,000 in 24 years, and $80,000 in 36 years.
It is common for real estate to increase 6 percent in a year. In fact, this would be a relatively slow market. The price of realty doesn't always go up, but when there is a hot market, it is not uncommon to see real estate increase by 20 to 30 percent in one year.
Since the market is not always hot, it doesn't make sense to use the rule of 72 to calculate for enormous gains like 30 percent. Those types of gains are an aberration. However, since the '50s real estate has increased, in some areas, by an average of 8 percent. For simplicity reasons however, lets use the figure of 7.2 percent.
If a commodity increases by 7.2 percent per year, the rule of 72 tells us that its price will double every 10 years. 72 divided by 7.2 is 10. So, you can see that over the long haul it is smart to be invested in real estate all the time.
Leverage
Simply doubling your money every 10 years will not put you on the fast track to wealth. To get on the fast track to wealth, you must incorporate leverage. With leverage you control a large amount of worth, while only having invested a small amount of money.
Here's how leverage works in real estate. If you are able to put down 20 percent on a $200,000 property, you will have invested $40,000. If the price of that property doubles in the next 10 years, which the rule of 72 tells us it will at a yearly interest rate of 7.2 percent, the price of the property will be worth $400,000 after the 10 year period. If you had been able to rent out the property with your tenants making the monthly mortgage payments, as well as paying your taxes and insurance, you will have made $200,000 with your $40,000 investment.
This is leverage at work because the rule of 72 should have doubled your $40,000, but you actually made $200,000 because of the leverage your mortgage, combined with renting gave you.
If your mortgage happened to have been an interest only mortgage, the property would never be paid off, but your monthly payment would have been low enough to have your tenants paying the mortgage payments each month without you suffering a negative cash flow.
At this point, you could sell the property and receive $200,000 minus probably, $5,000 to $6,000 for expenses, at closing. Plus you will also get back your original $40,000 down payment. Of course, as a real estate investor, your next move would be to use your $235,000 to make down payments on other properties.
You can see how a person could use the rule of 72 and leverage over and over again to become very wealthy. This is not a far-fetched hypothesis. It is a proven theory that has worked countless times.
For many people, the trick is to find the original down payment he/she will need to get started. Aside from the rule of 72 and a thorough understanding of how leverage works, knowing how to get started with little or no money is the next biggest key to success in real estate investing. However, it will be the topic for another discussion.
Ed Lathrop is a successful Real Estate investor. He has developed EzCalculator, a Mortgage Calculator that calculates anything to do with mortgages, shows you how to pay off credit card debt and now includes a free student loan calculator. This Free Mortgage Calculator, is home to the famous "How to Make $100,000 on Your Mortgage" calculator. Come visit this free site at Mortgage Calculator!
Labels: Anatolia, Citrus Heights, finance, Galt, investing, Lodi, Modesto, North Highlands, North Sac, Oak Park, Sacramento, South Natomas, South Sac, Stockton, West Sac, Woodlake
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posted by Rob McQuade @ 9:29 AM,
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