REAL ESTATE NEWS
Are You Ready to Buy a House?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Determining your debt-to-income ratio (DTI)—more specifically, the front-end DTI—is an important factor in getting a mortgage.
- How much downpayment you can afford will impact your ability to purchase a home.
- Beyond the property’s price tag, a host of other financial and lifestyle considerations should figure into your calculations as to whether you can afford to buy a house.
- You should also evaluate the local real estate market, the economic outlook, and the implications of how long you want to stay put.
- You’ll also need to consider your lifestyle needs, present, and future.
The Ultimate Home-Buying Checklist:
12 Ways to Prepare to Buy a House
Even a first-time home buyer knows that a new home is not an impulse purchase. You can’t just waltz in and declare, “I’ll take it!”
Long before you get to making that offer (on paper, through your real estate agent)—and even before going to your first open house—there are a ton of things to do and to prepare.
Overwhelmed? Here’s a checklist of everything you need to do to get ready to buy a new home.
How to buy a house in 2022
Is now a good time to buy a house?
Yes and no. Mortgage rates reached record lows in early 2021 but jumped in 2022. Meanwhile, strong demand for homes pushed prices up and frustrated many potential homebuyers. According to the CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index, property prices rose by nearly 20 percent between May 2021 and May 2022.
However, the record-breaking housing market has finally begun to cool. Realtors report slowing price gains and rising inventories, and housing economists foresee a retreat in mortgage rates. That’s all good news for buyers.
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Ralene Nelson, REALTOR®
FOR SALE – 731 Turnberry Ter Rio Vista
2 bed/2 bath/1410 sq ft
$439,900 – NO BONDS-Spinnaker model with private backyard. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath home feels like a very relaxing cottage for a retirement home. The patio provides a quiet place for morning coffee & afternoon beverage. Den has built-in book/curio shelves & bay window. The Master bedroom has a bay window, which creates room for a sitting area. New hot water heater. Enjoy amenities such as golf, tennis, bocce, pools/spas & a new gym, and more. READ MORE
FOR SALE – 404 Riverwood Ln. Rio Vista, 2bd/2bth/1391sf
$455,000 – Big Sur model & no rear neighbors!! Located in the Active Adult Community, Trilogy. Relax in this lovely backyard & watch the wild life. 2 bedrooms/2 full baths and den with double doors. Both master bedroom and den have bay windows that provides a more open feeling. Master bath has walk in shower & closet, double sinks, white tile counters, Dark kitchen cabinets, Corian counters w/tile backsplash, black appliances & tile floor. Stove is electric, however, is plumbed for natural gas. The dining area overlooks the backyard. Patio with all weather cover, great for BBQ in the rain. Garage has storage cabinets. Just bring your furniture and enjoy the activities, tennis, bocce, new gym, 2 pools & spas. READ MORE
FOR SALE – 718 Allender Wy. Rio Vista, 3 bd/2 bth/1346sf
$540,000 – Gorgeous home, shows pride of ownership and has been renovated since purchased. 3 bedrooms & 2 baths with all new flooring/baseboards, interior paint, light fixtures, etc. Kitchen has new painted cabinets with quartz counter tops with island. Auxillary electric heaters in 3rd bedroom & livingroom. Whole house water filter with under the sink reverse osmosis. Front yard has been totally relandscaped with new walkway to front door, with drought resistant landscaping, drip system & timer. Driveway extended as well as sidewalk to the backyard. Backyard has sprinkler sytem as well & patio. Just bring your furniture and enjoy!! Rio Vista is a quaint town located on the Sacramento River, close to SF, Sacramento & bay area. READ MORE
FOR SALE – 829 Waterwood Dr, Rio Vista, 2bds/3.5bths/2,486sf
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FOR SALE – 147 Gardiner Way, Rio Vista
3bd/2bth/1531sf
$550,000 – Custom Craftsman Cottage, w/detached carport, 70 ft driveway, workshop & studio on a shy 1/4 acre lot. 3 bedroom, possibly 4, with 2 baths, painted in vibrant colors. Laminate floors & white blinds brings out the artsy homeowner. Kitchen has painted cabinets & bead board walls/backsplash, Corian counters with added cabinetry. Main bath has a stall tile shower & separate tub, quartz counters with white cabinets. 2 bedrooms have built-in cabinets & new laminate floors/fans. The family room can be the 4th bedroom/bath also has a tiled shower. FM also has a wood burning stove w/built-ins. Sunroom can be a great entertaining spot along with the large patio that has room for a built in kitchen/BBQ. The workshop has wall air conditioner, dark room with grey water sink. The She craft/studio room can be utilized for crafting or potting area. Homeowner has built numerous planter boxes for the gardener. YES, room for your RV/toys, carport with garage door. Don’t pass up this home!! READ MORE
FOR SALE – 125 Sequoia Ct. Rio Vista, 4 bds/2 bths/1,422sf
Asking $485,000. Are you looking to move to a little country town? Well look no further, Rio Vista, located on the Sacramento River, offers the old fashion town with parades and is even known for the Bass Derby. This 4 bedroom & 2 bath home located in a cul-de-sac provides that country feel. This home was renovated in 2019 with cabinetry, granite counters, laminate floors, and HVAC. Bring your water toys!! READ MORE
PENDING – 366 Silver Ridge, Rio Vista
PENDING – 30 S 2nd St. Rio Vista
Residence and Commercial Building
Price Change $655,000 – Are you looking for a home and in need of a business space? Or perhaps a home with a possibility of in-law quarters? This home might meet those requirements. Victorian style home with partial wrap-around porch provides a cozy place for morning coffee or afternoon beverage. 2 bedrooms up with 1.5 baths on the main floor. The possible room upstairs to add at a minimum 1/2 bath. Laminate flooring on the main floor with carpeted stairway & in bedrooms. HVAC & tankless water heater with inside laundry. 2nd building has been used as a commercial, however, could be added onto & remodeled to be ADU/2nd unit. READ MORE
Events in Northern California this Week-End
Annual Dog Show at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds
Fri, Aug 12, 8 AM – Sun, Aug 14, 6 PM
Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, 413 E Lockeford St, Lodi
Hundreds of the top Dogs in the country will be competing for Best In Show at the San Joaquin Kennel Club Shows.
They will also have a 4-6 Puppy competition on Saturday and Owner Handler all 3 days. Enjoy food vendors as well as vendors with dog related items will be on the grounds
There will be Free Dog Show Tours as well as an Educational Booth with free dog training materials as well as brochures on how to pick the right dog for you and your family.
Bring the entire family to see this exciting event.
These shows bring thousands of dollars each year to the San Joaquin County area hotels, restaurants and retail stores. The Clubs also donate thousands of dollars to local canine organizations such as, San Joaquin Sheriffs Dept. K-9 Corps, National Canine Organizations, Humane Societies and others.
When: Show Time 8:00AM to 6:00PM – 3 days – August 12-14
Admission: Free – Parking $10.00
MORE INFO
California Garlic Festival
Sat, Aug 13, 12 PM – Sun, Aug 14, 7 PM
San Joaquin Co. Fairgrounds, 1658 S Airport Way, Stockton
The California Garlic Festival will be at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds on August 13-14. The wholesome family fun event is focused on local entertainment, community leadership, and the Valley’s vast agriculture.
The two day event will feature our very own Garlic Alley with delicious dishes such as Garlic Fries, Garlic Pesto Pasta, Garlic Mushroom and Onion Bread Bowls. But wait, it doesn’t stop there, we will be serving up a Maple Brown Sugar Garlic Ice Cream.
We have something for everyone! Activities to enjoy while attending the California Garlic Festival will be the Show and Shine Car display with hot rods, low riders and muscle cars, cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs, local entertainment preforming on the community stage, the Miss California Garlic Festival Scholarship Pageant… READ MORE
Disney Presents: The Lion King
Sun, Aug 14, 3 – 11 AM
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose
More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disneys THE LION KING, and now you can, too, when San Joses best loved musical returns to the Center for the Preforming Arts. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. THE LION KING also features some of Broadways most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING. BUY TICKETS
Burrito Bash Music Festival
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2022 11AM-6PM
Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
2601 E Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA
Burrito Bash – need I say more? It will be fun and there will be many burritos! Hope to see you all there! Outdoor Music in Santa Cruz County. Each Food Booth Will Have a Unique Take on the Perfect Festival Food – “the Burrito” Shows: Animal races, Great food, Performances.
Music Info Two Stages of Music See Who is at the Burrito Bash. MORE INFO
Gold Rush Days in Columbia
Sat, Aug 13, 12pm-3pm
COLUMBIA MUSEUM
11256 State St, Columbia, CA
You’ll get to see inside special exhibits, stores and residences not regularly open to the public. Docents in period attire will provide lots of information on the structure of their featured building, nature of its business and equipment, contents of store merchandise, or interior decor of family homes, along with history of the times for visitors. If you’re lucky, the gambling table will be set up on the boardwalk for everyone to try their hand at betting against a mining camp gambler. This event is free. Sponsored by The Friends Of Columbia SHP. READ MORE