Realty World Tri-Shasta

The following efforts will only help our real estate home values to improve, and all of Shasta County should take the same steps to help their areas clean-up.

Valley Post, March 17. Front page article written by Michael Woodward.

Anderson Sets April 12 – 17 as Clean-Up Week

Six Anderson neighborhoods will be subject to some serious elbow grease April 12 – 17, and anyone interested in beautifying his or her corner of the city is welcome to join in.

With help from several volunteering agencies as well as area residents, the community effort aims to pick up litter and scour away graffiti.

The clean-up effort will concentrate its efforts in the following areas, with and eight-hour work day dedicated to each:

• Bruce, Manter, Alamo and Albert streets
• East Center, Freeman and East streets
• Daisy and Stingy streets
• Pinto, Palomino and Roan streets
• Alexander Avenue from Interstate 5 to Highway 273
• Anderson Creek

Police officers as well as personnel from the Anderson Fire Protection District plan to volunteer for the clean-up effort.

On Saturday April 17, the city and Waste Management will accept selected large items for disposal at the west parking lot of the Shasta District Fairgrounds from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Items accepted include couches, mattresses, chairs, scrap wood, yard waste and similar items.

Other agencies participating in the clean-up effort include City of Anderson, Waste Management, Western Shasta Resource Conservation District, Shasta County Sheriff’s Department and the Anderson Teen Center.

For information call 365-6600

Burglaries and thefts are on the rise. In Shasta County, there are a couple of reasons for this. One of the reasons for this is because of the loss of jobs. Areas that suffer job losses often see an increase in these types of crimes. Another reason is because of the loss of the Neighborhood Police Unit. The NPU team regularly reviewed crime statistics and when a problem area was spotted, they took a proactive approach to stopping it. This included educating the community, enforcing applicable laws through saturation patrols, and changing the environment, which included recommendations like extra lighting and blight removal. The NPU Officers were usually able to get an area under control in a short amount of time because they could dedicate their shift to a specific problem. Patrol Officers have to respond to calls for service first which is reactive policing. When they have a lull in the action, they can switch over to proactive policing which includes cruising through the neighborhoods, field interviews, etc. Here are some tips to keep your home safer from thieves and help free up officers so they can do more proactive police work:

1. Check all exterior locks for proper operation.
2. Check all exterior lighting and replace burned out bulbs.
3. Keep your garage doors closed as much as possible.
4. Close and lock all windows and doors when you leave.
5. Install motion sensor lights in strategic locations.
6. Keep your bushes trimmed to decrease hiding spaces.
7. Have someone pick up your newspapers when you’re gone.
8. Communicate with your neighbors.
9. Report suspicious persons in your neighborhood.
10. Conduct frequent security checks of your property.

If you hear a noise outside, stay inside and peek out your window. If you see someone in your yard or tampering with your property, call the police. Turning on the outdoor lights may scare them off and activating your car alarm will definitely do the trick! Also, if someone comes to your door in the middle of the night, don’t feel like you have to answer it, just politely tell them (through the door) that you are calling the police to come and assist them. If they are still there when the police arrive, you have done them a great service. In conclusion, do some pre-planning. Officers constantly go over scenarios in their heads on the way to calls. Spend time with your family and neighbors going over some “what if” scenarios and formulate action plans to use in case of a real situation. Walk around your house and pretend you’re a burglar. How would you get in? Be sure to do this during the day or your training might become too real!

There was an article in last weeks Valley Post regarding the highly anticipated Anderson Vineyards here in Shasta County. Some of the lots and homes in the new subdivision have been on the market for a few months now, but just last there was finally an article regarding this break through. Here is a brief overview of what the article contained:

Water key to getting subdivision sales back on track

Just days after the City of Anderson issued a conditional occupancy permit for two homes of The Vineyards at Anderson subdivision, prospective buyers had a chance for a walk-through.

Jordan Taylor, a local developer who represents U.S. Acquisitions Real Estate III, LLC, a private equity company based in Denver, Colo., said that company purchased the foreclosed home loans from the previous builder after problems with adequate supplies of potable water with pressure sufficient for fire safety were discovered in 2007.

Work on all houses in the subdivision had virtually stopped until the water issues were finally resolved late last fall with the installation of a nearly $1 million pumping station that connects to the City of Anderson’s municipal water system and treatment plant.

Originally designed and priced for the top end of the real estate bubble in 2007, the 12 houses that were originally intended as showcase model homes have all been finished with first-class amenities and details, Taylor says.

All of the homes built so far have tile roofs with radiant barrier roof sheeting and drop attics, low emission windows that feature vinyl-clad wood construction, high efficiency HVAC systems, security features, vinyl or wrought-iron fencing, built-in fire suppression systems and more.

Taylor committed to the project that later this spring, his own development company has plans to start construction on some of the 115 available lots in Unit 1 Phase 1.

The article was written by George L. Winship, an editor for the Valley Post. The Valley Post is the January 13, 2010 paper and the article can be found on the front page of the paper.

I am also proud to say that our office is also involved with a couple of the lots there in The Vineyards subdivision and we hope to do even more business up there.

Prices are down here in Shasta County and so are interest rates, if you are looking to buy a home this is the time to do it. There are some great homes out there that are available at a good price, and they are not lasting very long on the market. On a majority of the homes listed for under $200,000 it at times has been a bidding war, and we have seen properties go for mare than what they are listed for.

First time home buyers, now is the time to move. Go out and get you pre-qualification or pre-approval done with the lender of your choice. If you go and do that first you will be able to figure out how much money you may have to bring into the transaction and be able to figure out how much home you are going to be able to afford.

Also figure out what area you want to live in and start to look there, if you don’t find what you are looking for expand the area you want to look. And the most important thing is to just go out there and view homes, even attend Open Houses if necessary, to get the feel of what you are looking for. That way when you come across that “certain” home there will be no question as to whether or not this home is made for you.

The best way to decide what you are looking for in your first home is to write it down on a list. Sit down and discuss with your partner esactly what you guys are looking for, what is important, what is not important, and what would be a nice feature but you don’t have to have. When you then view homes keep that list in mind, or refer to it with each home.

Now, if it comes down to more that one home compare those homes to each other and that little list you carry around in your pocket. Compare and contrast, even work out a special numbering system. If worse comes to worse go back and view those homes again. Your agent should be more than willing to take you back to those homes as many times as necessary to help you make your decision.

So good luck and good hunting.

Lake California is a gated community on the outskirts of Cottonwood. As many of you know Cottonwood is smack dab on the border of Shasta County and Tehama County, Lake California is located on the Tehama County side of Cottonwood. Lake California has features such as a man made lake, the Sacramento River, equestrian center, community pool and center, private airport, and various trails.

There are currently 51 active listings in Lake California. The average days on the market is 155. The lowest price for active listings in $119,000, the highest price is $875,000, the median price is $238,000, and the average price is $261,747. The listing that is for sale at $119,000 is a three bedroom, two bath, 1,158 square foot home. The listings at $875,000 is a five bedroom, four bath, 3,340 square foot, lake front home.

Currently there are 13 pending listings in Lake California. The average days on the market for these listings is 142. The lowest price is $100,000, the highest price is $225,000, the median price is $175,000, and the average price is $162,204. The house that is currently pending at $100,000 is a three bedroom, two bath, 1,334 square foot home. The pending listing at $225,000 is a three bedroom, two bath, 1,662 square foot home.

There have been 54 sold listings within the past year. The average days on the market for these sold listings is 176 days. The lowest list price was $89,500, the lowest sold price (the lowest amount that a home was sold for in Lake California) was $60,000, the highest list price was $497,000, the highest sold price was $460,000, the median list price was $189,700, the median sold price was $182,703, the average list price was $196,578, and the average sold price was $192,832. The house that sold for $60,000 was a three bedroom, two bath, 1,316 square foot home. The listing that sold for $460,000 was a four bedroom, two bath, 2,160 square foot lake front home.

The neighborhood you choose in either the Anderson or Cottonwood area, can have a big impact on your lifestyle — safety, available amenities, and convenience all play their part.

Make a list of the activities you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most common activities.

Check out the school district. The Department of Education in your town can probably provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. Even if you don’t have children, a house in a good school district will be easier to sell in the future.

Find out if the neighborhood is safe. Ask the police department for neighborhood crime statistics. Consider not only the number of crimes but also the type, and the trend of increasing or decreasing crime.

Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable. Check with your local city economic development office to see if income and property values in the neighborhood are stable or rising.

See if you’ll make money. Ask a local Real Estate Agent or call the Shasta County Board of Realtors office to get information about price appreciation trends in the neighborhood. Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, this information may give you a sense of how good an investment your home will be. A Real Estate Agent or the government planning agency may also be able to tell you about planned development or other changes in the neighborhood the might affect value.

Once you have narrowed your focus to two or three neighborhoods. go there and walk around. Are homes tidy and well maintained? Are streets quiet? Pick a warm day if you can and chat with people working or playing outside.