The residential re-sale market here in the tri-county area of NorCal has been robust so far in 2020, but some potential home buyers continue to be frustrated with the decline in or lack of inventory - at least in Placer and Sacramento Counties. The following information is compiled by the California Association of Realtors® for Placer, Sacramento, and El Dorado Counties as of January, 2020. Click on the respective pics below to see the full report for each county.

In general, there is a consistent theme in both Placer and Sacramento Counties, with YTY respective inventories down, median price up, and time on the market down; El Dorado County has seen the opposite: YTY inventory up over 30%, median price down nearly 4%, and time on the market up

Quality and craftsmanship shine throughout this custom home, situated on just over 1/3 of an acre, at 8050 Withrow Court in Fair Oaks. Built in 2006 in a quiet enclave of Fair Oaks, the home is an easy walk to Fair Oaks Park, The Village of Fair Oaks and The American River Bike Trail. The home was designed to capture the views of the outdoor areas, with beautiful mature trees in a serene setting.

Pride of ownership is apparent in the care the original owners have taken of this home. Featuring 3,689 square feet, there are 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths and a 3-car tandem garage. A neutral palette sets a warm and inviting feel upon entering the home. The many windows allow for an abundance of natural light and views of the lush and mature

California real estate withholding rules have changed - again. Effective January 1, 2020, every real-estate-sale transaction will trigger the need for a new FTB Form 593 to be filed with the Franchise Tax Board, even if the seller qualifies for one of several exemptions. It's not a new tax, but a new reporting requirement. Whether you are buying or selling a home in California, this change will come into effect with the closing of your escrow. Here's a good summary of all the changes that came into effect with this recent change, from our friends at Fidelity Title - just click the pic below to see the flyer:

In a nutshell, this new form impacts sellers to the extent that they have to fill out a new form, and buyers to the extent that they are

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 SOLD and is located in the desirable master planned community of Whitney Ranch in Rocklin. Previously 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 other opportunities like this in Whitney Ranch, call Jeanine Schulz at 916-367-1393 or

This quintessential Granite Bay estate at 8315 Dover Drive is a must see for any discriminating buyer and is now SOLD.  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,