Buying a new home is one of those things that potential home buyers sometimes have a love-hate relationship with - they love thinking about it, and hate the logistics of actually doing it! There can be a lot of moving parts involved with buying a home, and there are also quite a few myths that, believe it or not, actually keep some of today's home buyers from even trying. One of the most pervasive myths that we hear is the down-payment myth, i.e. in order to buy a home today, you have to have at least 20% down.

It's true, having a 20% down payment is a great thing, and it can certainly give you some options like avoiding private mortgage insurance (PMI). However, there are a number of mortgage-loan options out there that do not require anything

California wildfires have been devastating in recent years, and homeowners have been hit from all directions from the consequences. Many have lost their homes, some their lives, and home-insurance companies have cancelled or refused to renew over 300,000 policies in high-fire-prone areas of California. When wildfires are burning, it's too late to try and protect your home and property, you may only have minutes to evacuate. It can pay to be proactive in protecting your California home from wildfire, so the following tips are way you can improve your odds of protecting yourself and your property (click on the pic to see the full report from The California Association of Realtors®).

From the full report above, there are a few common areas of concern

Granite Bay homes for sale include some very interesting properties, price points, and locations here at the end of 2019. Based on MetroList® data as of 12/24/2019, homes for sale in Granite Bay range in price from $482,000 to $6,960,000, with an average list price of $1,657,020. To see some recent demographics on the Granite Bay real estate market, click here.

Throughout Granite Bay, there are a number of popular neighborhoods that offer a variety of home styles, amenities, and price ranges. Some of the more popular Granite Bay neighborhoods include:

Ashley Woods Homes
Douglas Ranch Homes
Folsom Lake Estates Homes
Los Lagos Homes
Shelborne Homes
Treelake Homes

If you're considering buying a Granite Bay home in 2020, you can see from the data and

The real estate markets in both Placer and Sacramento Counties have been relatively active in 2019, but sales volume has continued to be impacted by relatively low inventory levels. Based on year-over-year data from The California Association of Realtors for November, 2019, the Placer County real estate market experienced a decline in active inventory of 11.5%, while the Sacramento County real estate market was down 35.3%. Click on the pics below to see the full report on both counties.

Looking at the respective stats for Placer and Sacramento Counties over the past year, median home prices have continued to increase in both counties, while respective sales volume has been mixed. Other meaningful stats included the median days on market, the

Jason Ott has joined our NorCal Home team at RE/MAX Gold, and we couldn't be happier to have him! Jason is a long-time NorCal resident and coach at Granite Bay High School, and has over 10 years experience helping his clients buy and sell homes.

If you or anyone you know is interested in talking to an experienced real estate professional about buying or selling a NorCal home, Jason Ott can be reached at 916-613-5880, or on his website, JasonOttHomes.com.

925 Wilderness Way is located in the desirable master planned community of  Whitney Ranch in  Rocklin.  Offered at $789,900, this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with downstairs office and upstairs loft is situated on a premium, over-sized and private corner lot.  The home is well suited as a multi-generational home or to welcome guests as one of the 5 bedrooms is downstairs with an en-suite bathroom.  Built in 2015, better than new is the only way to describe the $200k worth of upgrades some of which include owned solar, recently re-surfaced pool and spa plumbed for solar, whole-house fan and exterior Nest® cameras. 

To learn more about this home, or to schedule your private showing, call Jeanine Schulz at 916-367-1393 or visit jeanineschulz.com.

8315 Dover Drive, Granite Bay, CA has just been listed and is already in escrow! This is a rare opportunity on an executive home with incredible potential, featuring 4-bedrooms, 3-baths in the prestigious Stratford Downs neighborhood in Granite Bay. The 0.41-acre lot is a rare find that provides separation from neighbors, and also affords you the unique opportunity to have outdoor entertaining space, a sparkling pool, and still have plenty of room to roam. Click the previous link for more listing details, maps, etc., and for more neighborhood and school information, click here. To download a flyer, click on the last pic below.

Additional custom features include the newer 4th-car garage/workshop addition with A/C and storage

108 Tatiana Court, Roseville, CA 95747 is SOLD! Located in highly-desirable West Roseville on a cul-de-sac off of Junction Blvd., near several neighborhood parks and award-winning schools, this updated single-story home is in move-in condition. Click the previous link for full listing details, photos, maps, etc.; For more neighborhood and school information, click here.

This updated home features 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, a separate office area, open floor plan, lots of natural light, 2-car garage, tile roof, new paint and carpet throughout, stainless-steel appliances in the open kitchen, family room with fireplace, Plantation-style shutters in the main living areas, a covered rear patio, 2 big side yards, and a generous back yard. This

This quintessential Granite Bay estate at 8315 Dover Drive is a must see for any discriminating buyer.  Located in the highly desirable Stratford Downs neighborhood, the home offers privacy, character and charm.  Situated on nearly half an acre it's classic design never goes out of style and with a newer HVAC system, roof and windows the home is move in ready.

For more details or to schedule your private showing contact Jeanine Schulz at 916-367-1393 or jeanineschulz.com.

Featuring 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathroom within it's 3,276 square feet there is plenty of living space to live comfortably or possibly get creative with the floor plan and make it your own.  Outside, the home has a large, well-designed pool, gardening beds, RV parking with

Some the most desirable Roseville Homes For Sale lie centrally located in the gated Stonepoint neighborhood of East Roseville.  Stone Point primarily features mid-sized homes that are competitively priced, and with homes constructed between 2015-2017, is great for Roseville home buyers seeking a more recent build. 

To learn more about the Stone Point neighborhood in Roseville, as well as other local communities of Placer County, call or text Jeanine Schulz at 916-367-1393 or visit jeanineschulz.com.

Bordered by a scenic nature preserve, the Stone Point homes afford easy access to the many miles of hiking trails along Miners Ravine, as well as Patricia Kennedy Park.  The location is also convenient to popular restaurants, entertainment, I-80,