Marin County Real Estate Blog

The Best in New Building Technology

How New Building Technology Can Lower the Cost of a HomeNew building technology is not only speeding up the pace of construction, it's also making homes safer and less expensive to purchase. Home building is somewhat late to the table when it comes to getting a high-tech upgrade, but there's still been plenty of progress in the field. While certain neighborhoods (and buyers) will adopt the new breakthroughs faster than others, all home buyers should be aware of emerging methodologies so they can make an informed decision before moving forward when building a new construction home.

Drones

One of the most common technologies in building today, drones have the ability to scout out the best locations when it comes to where to build. They can also be used to monitor the construction process as a whole. This not only cuts down on time, it also provides an opportunity for investors and construction leaders alike to get an accurate overview of exactly what's being done as it's being done. The enhanced visibility gives leaders a chance to spot inefficiencies wherever they happen to be so they can be corrected immediately.

3D Lasers

A 3D laser scanner can be used in conjunction with a drone to give information about each building site. A drone will show if a stockpile is present on the property or site, but a 3D scanner can give precise measurements (within 2 millimeters) of the height and width of each object. So if there was a row of bushes or trees that...

Are You Aware of How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? You May Be Surprised!

Are You Aware of How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? You May Be Surprised! | MyKCM

CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 675,000 US homeowners regained positive equity in their homes in 2017. This is great news for the country, as 95.1% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation.

U.S homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all the properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of $908.4 billion since the fourth quarter 2016, an increase of 12.2%, year over year.”

Price Appreciation = Good News for Homeowners

Frank Nothaft, CoreLogic’s Chief Economist, explains:

Home-price growth has been the primary driver of home-equity wealth creation. The CoreLogic Home Price Index grew...

4 Major Types of Real Estate Investment

What You Need to Know About Different Types of Real Estate InvestmentDespite ups and downs in the real estate market over the past decade, as well as recent changes to tax laws, real estate investments can still be every bit as profitable as promised for the right investor. Even as megacorporations and billionaire investors snatch up skyscrapers and vacant beach plots, there are still ways for an investor to get their start even without the luxury of endless capital. Before beginning negotiations, though, it helps to learn more about each type of real estate along before determining which property makes the most sense for an investor's budget and lifestyle.

Basic Definitions

The lingo for real estate can be somewhat confusing, with certain terms being swapped out for others depending on the circumstances. For a general overview though, here are a few basic definitions:

  • Residential real estate: single-family homes duplexes, condos, and townhomes (regardless of when they happened to be built.)
  • Co-ops: a type of real estate investment where a corporation buys a multi-unit building or development. Instead of having buyers flat-out buy their unit, they instead invest in shares in the corporation equivalent to what their unit costs.
  • Commercial real estate: buildings used for business purposes, whether it's an office, storefront, or apartment building.
  • Vacant land: refers to buying a plot of land that has not yet been developed in any way.

Rental Properties

With...

Lighting Tips for Different Parts of the House

Tips to Pick the Right Type of Lighting For Your HomeWhether a homeowner is trying to sell a home or simply trying to create a more pleasant environment to live, updating the lighting can have a very big impact on the appearance and functionality of the interior space. These lighting suggestions can help a homeowner who is trying to improve the appearance of their home.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a part of the home where people need a variety of lighting conditions. For example, someone preparing food at the counter can benefit from task lighting, whereas someone cutting vegetables at the table might prefer lighting from all angles to prevent shadows. Providing a variety of light sources including overhead lighting, task lighting and pendant lighting can help prevent accidents like burns, cuts, slips and falls.

Bathroom

Like the kitchen, the bathroom should come with a variety of different lighting types in order to reduce the chance of accidents. The bathroom is a place where people commonly slip and fall. Lighting can help people see the hazards in the bathroom to prevent these slips and falls from taking place.

Recessed lighting over the shower and toilet is especially important because these are two areas where accidents commonly occur. In addition, pendant lighting over the vanity and mirror make it easier for the bathroom user to arrange hair, put on makeup and examine themselves in the mirror.

Dining Room

...

A New Housing Bubble Forming...Not Before 2024!

A New Housing Bubble Forming…Not Before 2024! | MyKCM

A recent report by CoreLogic revealed that U.S. home values appreciated by more than 37% over the last five years. Some are concerned that this is evidence we may be on the verge of another housing “boom & bust” like the one we experienced from 2006-2008.

Recently, several housing experts weighed in on the subject to alleviate these fears.

Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac Chief Economist

“The evidence indicates there currently is no house price bubble in the U.S., despite the rapid increase of house prices over the last five years.”

Edward Golding, a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center

...

Competition is Coming, Are You Thinking of Selling Your Home?

Competition is Coming, Are You Thinking of Selling Your Home? | MyKCM

The number of building permits issued for single-family homes is the best indicator of how many newly built homes will rise over the next few months. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Residential Sales Report, the number of these permits were up 7.4% over last year.

How will this impact buyers?

More inventory means more options. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist, explained this is good news for the housing market – especially for those looking to buy:

“This rise in single-family housing construction will help tame...

5 Things You Need to Know About Home Insurance

A Short Guide to Home InsuranceHome insurance tends to be just one more box to check off on an extremely long to-do list when buying a home. After being bombarded with down payments, closing costs, and fees when buying a home, new homeowners have a tendency to opt for the lowest possible premium. But there are a few things to know about homeowner's insurance before going this route, and thankfully they don't have anything to do with that 100-page policy full of technical jargon and subclauses.

Homeowners May Cover Certain Repairs

Expenses for homeowners may go far beyond the standard $1,000 deductible. There are certain major catastrophes where homeowners are expected to pay a certain percentage of the fees before their insurance will step in. The more dangerous of an area the homeowner lives in, the higher the percentage will be. For example, hurricane-prone Florida insurance companies expect homeowners to pay up to 10% of the home's total insured value first. So if the home is insured for $100,000 and the damage is $20,000, a homeowner will need to pay half of the total damages or $10,000.

The Claims Process Matters

Some insurance companies are known to have very stringent requirements in terms of when they will pay out on damage, whether that means they will delay the process or deny claims that don't meet their criteria. It's extremely important to sign up with a company who has...

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